I’ll always remember the primary time somebody requested me for a advertising and marketing efficiency replace. I had six messy spreadsheets open, no clear narrative, and no KPI dashboard to tie all of it collectively.
I had the numbers, technically … however not the readability. I wasn’t even certain which metrics mattered most. That’s once I began constructing my first KPI dashboard, and all the pieces modified.
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Since then, I’ve used KPI dashboards to trace all the pieces from marketing campaign efficiency to quarterly income targets, and I’ve discovered what works (and what actually doesn’t).
On this publish, I’ll stroll you thru learn how to construct a KPI dashboard (together with my favourite free template), the advantages I’ve seen firsthand, and the instruments I like to recommend should you’re simply getting began.
Desk of Contents
What’s a KPI dashboard?
A KPI dashboard, brief for key efficiency indicator dashboard, is like your enterprise’s mission management. It’s the place all of your most essential metrics dwell, supplying you with a fast, visible snapshot of how issues are actually going. Not simply clicks and impressions — I’m speaking concerning the numbers that truly tie again to objectives, development, and impression.
Each division from gross sales to operations wants a dashboard, and dashboards are particularly useful for advertising and marketing. Between about a dozen on-line channels to think about (plus offline advertising and marketing efforts), quite a few components go into creating and sustaining a wholesome advertising and marketing ecosystem.
I’ve personally used KPI dashboards to trace all the pieces from lead high quality to marketing campaign ROI — and the largest win is peace of thoughts. No extra scrambling to seek out information in 5 completely different instruments. And once you’re within the thick of a launch or juggling competing priorities, that form of readability is all the pieces.
That mentioned, I’ve discovered the laborious means that extra information doesn’t at all times imply higher selections. I’ve constructed dashboards with means too many charts, and ended up ignoring them. So those that truly work? They’re centered, intentional, and constructed to point out what issues most.
Advantages of a KPI Dashboard
I didn’t totally admire how helpful KPI dashboards could possibly be till I finished counting on scattered experiences and random spreadsheets. Since then, right here’s what I’ve discovered makes them genuinely useful:
- On the spot readability. I can see what issues with out bouncing between instruments or chasing last-minute numbers.
- Smarter selections, quicker. With all the pieces in a single place, I can spot what’s working, flag what’s not, and pivot shortly — with out overthinking it.
- Actual-time insights. The most effective dashboards replace dwell, which suggests I’m not counting on outdated information when it’s time to behave.
- Alignment throughout the workforce. When everybody’s referencing the identical dashboard, we make selections quicker and with fewer miscommunications.
On the finish of the day, an excellent dashboard isn’t nearly exhibiting information — it’s about making the proper subsequent transfer clearer. That’s what makes it such a robust device.
So what does it take to construct one that truly works? Let’s get into it.
What ought to a KPI Dashboard embrace?
If there’s one factor I’ve discovered from constructing too many dashboards the laborious means, it’s this: The less complicated it’s, the extra helpful it turns into. An excellent dashboard doesn’t attempt to monitor all the pieces underneath the solar — simply the stuff that actually issues.
I normally goal for 5 to 9 metrics, max. Any greater than that, and it begins to really feel cluttered. Ask your self: If this quantity took a nosedive tomorrow, wouldn’t it significantly mess along with your objectives? If sure, it in all probability belongs on the dashboard.
Let’s say you’re placing collectively a B2B advertising and marketing KPI dashboard. A number of the most useful metrics I’ve tracked embrace:
- Price per acquisition (CPA).
- Conversion charge.
- Web site site visitors by channel.
- Buyer lifetime worth (CLV).
- Advertising-qualified leads (MQLs).
Like I discussed earlier, I used to trace all the pieces simply because I may. However issues actually began to click on once I in the reduction of and centered solely on the KPIs tied on to enterprise impression. My dashboards lastly began to work for me, not towards me.
I’d be embarrassed to point out you my first-ever dashboard. It had rather a lot occurring — and never in a great way. After a variety of trial and error (and some dashboards I’d slightly neglect), I lastly landed on a easy system that truly works.
Right here’s learn how to construct a KPI dashboard that’s clear, centered, and really helpful.
1. Know your viewers.
In case your dashboard tries to talk to everybody, it’ll find yourself connecting with nobody. I used to create one-size-fits-all experiences and ship them to execs, managers, and specialists, hoping they’d all discover what they wanted. However nobody actually did. The execs wished a top-line abstract. The workforce leads wanted tactical information. As an alternative of serving to, the dashboard simply created extra questions.
Now, I begin with one query of my very own: Who’s this dashboard truly for? I take into consideration what selections that individual must make, what context they have already got, and the way a lot time they’ll spend it.
A CMO would possibly desire a month-to-month snapshot with visible summaries and a handful of high-impact numbers. A advertising and marketing supervisor? They could want channel-level breakdowns and real-time pacing information.
After I tailor the format and information to match what one particular individual wants, the dashboard turns into far more helpful — and far more used.
2. Hold it easy.
There’s a cause I hold repeating this … Protecting it easy actually is the key. The extra metrics you add, the more durable it will get to focus. I’ve constructed dashboards that appeared spectacular — so many charts! A lot coloration! — however nobody (together with me) truly used them.
Now I follow the handful of KPIs that inform the story clearly. The form of numbers you’ll be able to look at and instantly know what’s going nicely and what wants consideration. That’s the distinction between a dashboard that’s helpful and one which simply seems good in a gathering.
3. Intestine-check your metrics.
Keep in mind my trick from earlier — asking your self if a metric taking a nosedive would significantly mess along with your objectives? We’re doing a deeper model of that right here.
Each KPI in your dashboard ought to have a job. Earlier than I add something, I ask: Would this quantity set off a call or a dialog if it modified considerably? If not, it’s out.
However past that, I additionally take into consideration what form of resolution it would drive. Would this metric assist me catch a purple flag? Justify extra price range? Spot a development value exploring? If you push your self to reply these questions, you begin constructing a dashboard with actual utility — not only one that checks a field.
The profit? You find yourself with a dashboard that doesn’t simply sit in a tab, it truly will get used. Not simply by you, however by everybody it was constructed for.
4. Sketch it first.
Earlier than I bounce into any device, I take a step again and sketch out the format — both on a whiteboard, a serviette, or a fast define in a doc. It doesn’t must be fancy. Simply sufficient to map out what I wish to see and in what order.
I consider it like wireframing a web site: It helps me prioritize a very powerful information and keep away from litter. What ought to somebody see first? What metrics want to take a seat side-by-side? Do I need development traces, percentages, or uncooked numbers?
The kind of dashboard you’re constructing also needs to affect the way you visualize the information. When you’re analyzing developments, I normally go along with line or column charts since they make it straightforward to identify patterns over time. For composition information (like what % of site visitors comes from every channel), stacked charts or maps can inform the story a lot better.
Sketching it first makes the entire thing really feel extra intentional, and it saves me from endlessly rearranging tiles as soon as I’m within the dashboard device.
5. Use a template (significantly!).
When you’re constructing your first dashboard (and even your fifth) don’t begin from scratch. It’s not definitely worth the headache. I’ve wasted a lot time attempting to construct “completely custom-made” dashboards from a clean canvas, solely to finish up caught in format limbo or second-guessing each design alternative.
Templates provide you with a head begin. They supply construction, supply design cues, and hold you from overcomplicating issues. Consider them like scaffolding — you’ll be able to at all times tweak and adapt later, however they enable you to get one thing practical up quick.
HubSpot’s free KPI dashboard template is one I hold coming again to. It’s clear, straightforward to customise, and works for every kind of use circumstances — whether or not I’m monitoring marketing campaign efficiency, quarterly objectives, or workforce KPIs. It helps me go from “I don’t know the place to begin” to “that is truly working” means quicker than ranging from zero.
The underside line? Use a template. Save your self the stress. Spend your brainpower on decoding the information, not wrestling with packing containers and grids.
5 Finest KPI Dashboard Software program to Use
There are a ton of selling KPI dashboard instruments on the market, and I’ve tried various. Some are good for big-picture visibility, others are higher for each day efficiency monitoring. What issues most is selecting one that matches your workflow — not the flashiest one in the marketplace.
Listed below are 5 choices I’ve both used myself or seen work rather well for advertising and marketing groups. I’ll stroll you thru what every one does greatest, and the place it would fall brief relying in your wants.
1. Hubspot
Finest for: All-in-one advertising and marketing visibility
When you’re already utilizing HubSpot’s CRM or advertising and marketing instruments, this one’s a no brainer. The free KPI dashboard performance is constructed proper in, which suggests you’ll be able to shortly pull experiences from campaigns, touchdown pages, e mail, and offers — all with no need a separate platform or integration.
As an avid Hubspot person myself, I’ve used HubSpot dashboards to trace all the pieces from MQLs to e mail efficiency, and the benefit of setup nonetheless surprises me. It’s drag-and-drop, extremely customizable, and really seems good proper out of the gate (which is greater than I can say for another instruments).
What I like: It’s seamless for HubSpot customers — no additional work, no complicated information syncs. When you dwell inside HubSpot already, the dashboard characteristic looks like a pure extension of your day-to-day. Like an iPhone and AirPods, it simply works.
2. Google Looker Studio (previously Knowledge Studio)
Finest for: Free, Google-friendly reporting
When you’re working with Google Analytics, Google Adverts, or Sheets, Looker Studio is form of a hidden gem. It’s fully free, comparatively straightforward to be taught, and tremendous useful for constructing clear dashboards quick.
I’ve used Looker Studio once I wanted to get a dashboard dwell yesterday and didn’t have time (or price range) for a fancier device. It’s not essentially the most highly effective platform on the market, however for advertising and marketing efficiency, top-line reporting, or pulling information from a number of Google sources, it will get the job completed.
What I like: It’s free, versatile, and performs rather well with Google instruments, good once you want one thing quick and practical with out leaping by means of hoops.
3. Tableau
Finest for: Deep evaluation and superior information visualization
Tableau is a kind of instruments that may do just about something — nevertheless it’s not for the faint of coronary heart. It’s highly effective, versatile, and constructed for severe information storytelling. When you’ve obtained complicated information units or must construct interactive dashboards with layered filters, Tableau can deal with it.
I’ve used Tableau in each advertising and marketing and ops contexts, and when you get the cling of it, it’s extremely satisfying to work with. After I labored at an organization that used Tableau throughout the org, I had entry to a devoted information workforce that helped me set up, construction, and visualize the information in methods I wouldn’t have provide you with alone.
That mentioned, it does include a studying curve, and it’s in all probability overkill if all you want is a fast efficiency check-in.
What I like: After I must slice and cube information in a extra customized means or construct dashboards for exec-level displays, Tableau offers me the management I’m on the lookout for. It takes extra effort, however the outcomes are sometimes value it.
4. Microsoft Energy BI
Finest for: Knowledge-driven groups within the Microsoft ecosystem
If your organization lives in Excel, Groups, or Azure, Energy BI would possibly really feel like second nature. It’s Microsoft’s reply to enterprise BI — strong, safe, and filled with options that assist groups analyze, share, and collaborate round information.
I’ve seen Energy BI work greatest in orgs the place reporting isn’t only a advertising and marketing activity, however one thing extra cross-functional. Gross sales, ops, and finance groups all depend on the identical dashboards, and Energy BI makes it straightforward to tug from a number of sources and construct one cohesive view. The integrations with Excel are particularly useful should you’re already wrangling spreadsheets.
What I like: It’s an amazing match for organizations that already run on Microsoft. As soon as it’s arrange, it turns into a robust, collaborative device that helps decision-making throughout groups.
5. Databox
Finest for: Small groups monitoring a number of objectives
Databox is one in every of my favourite choices for light-weight, real-time dashboards. It’s constructed with simplicity in thoughts — straightforward to make use of, straightforward to attach, and surprisingly versatile for one thing that doesn’t require coding data.
I’ve used Databox to maintain tabs on advertising and marketing KPIs like lead quantity, conversion charges, and channel efficiency with out having to construct something from scratch. It has dozens of plug-and-play templates, and the cellular app is definitely useful — good for fast check-ins or on-the-go opinions.
What I like: It’s quick to arrange, visible by default, and nice for groups that need visibility with out having to babysit a dashboard device. It received’t do all the pieces, however for each day efficiency monitoring? It nails the fundamentals.
KPI Dashboard Examples
- Advertising Marketing campaign Efficiency Dashboard
- Lead Technology Dashboard
- Electronic mail & Content material Advertising Dashboard
- Web site Analytics Dashboard
- Govt Advertising Overview Dashboard
There’s no one-size-fits-all KPI dashboard, and that’s form of the purpose. A dashboard must be constructed across the particular objectives, channels, and workflows it’s meant to assist. Whether or not you’re reporting on marketing campaign efficiency or attempting to offer management a top-line view, the perfect dashboards are those that serve their function with out overcomplicating issues.
Listed below are just a few examples I’ve seen (or constructed) that work rather well in a advertising and marketing context.
1. Advertising Marketing campaign Efficiency Dashboard
As a marketer, that is the dashboard I test most frequently, particularly once I’m working campaigns throughout a number of channels. It’s the place I monitor key efficiency indicators like:
- Price per lead (CPL).
- Return on advert spend (ROAS).
- Conversion charge.
- Click on-through charge (CTR).
- Spend vs. price range pacing.
I wish to construction it by channel (Google Adverts, Meta, LinkedIn, and many others.) too, so I can see which platforms are pulling their weight. I’ll additionally embrace visuals like bar charts to match efficiency throughout campaigns, and line graphs to identify developments over time.
What I like: This dashboard helps me make fast selections mid-campaign, like when to shift price range from one channel to a different or pause underperforming creatives. It’s my go-to for real-time advertising and marketing visibility.
2. Lead Technology Dashboard
This one’s all about monitoring how nicely your advertising and marketing efforts are turning into certified leads. I’ve used it most once we had been laser-focused on top-of-funnel development, whether or not by means of paid campaigns, search engine marketing, or lead magnets.
Right here’s what I normally embrace:
- Leads by supply (natural, paid, referral, and many others.).
- MQL quantity.
- Conversion charges from touchdown pages.
- Price per acquisition (CPA).
- Type submission completion charge.
I wish to hold this dashboard easy and visible, with a transparent cut up between lead sources and efficiency over time. Bonus factors should you embrace development traces that flag lead drop-offs early — it helps you repair points earlier than they tank your pipeline.
What I like: This type of dashboard offers me a clear, high-level have a look at how successfully we’re rising our viewers and feeding the funnel. It’s additionally a useful strategy to present stakeholders the place leads are actually coming from (and what’s underperforming).
3. Electronic mail & Content material Advertising Dashboard
This one’s for the content material nerds (myself included). I exploit it to trace how weblog posts, newsletters, and lead-nurturing emails are performing — particularly once we’re working a full-funnel content material technique.
Key metrics to trace:
- Electronic mail open and click-through charges (CTR).
- Unsubscribe and bounce charges.
- Weblog site visitors by supply.
- Prime-performing content material by engagement or conversions.
- Leads or signups attributed to content material items.
I normally construct this dashboard in two components: one for e mail efficiency and one for weblog/content material insights. It’s useful for recognizing what’s resonating, and simply as essential, what’s falling flat.
What I like: This dashboard helps join the dots between the content material you’re creating and the outcomes it’s driving. It’s additionally an amazing device for making the case for extra content material funding when you’ll be able to present a transparent raise in leads, engagement, or conversions.
4. Web site Analytics Dashboard
This dashboard’s all about understanding how folks work together along with your web site and recognizing alternatives to enhance the expertise. I lean on this one most once we’re attempting to optimize for site visitors development, cut back bounce charges, or enhance conversion paths.
Right here’s what I usually embrace:
- Whole classes and customers.
- Site visitors by supply or marketing campaign.
- Bounce charge and common session period.
- Prime touchdown pages.
- Objective completions or conversion occasions.
You possibly can pull most of this from GA4 or Looker Studio. I like to visualise it by grouping site visitors developments up high, adopted by conduct move, then efficiency by web page. It offers you a transparent sense of what’s working and what’s not, at a look.
What I like: This dashboard offers me the total image of how our content material, search engine marketing, and campaigns are performing as soon as somebody lands on the location. It’s the primary place I test when site visitors abruptly spikes (or drops).
5. Govt Advertising Overview Dashboard
That is the dashboard I exploit when management needs a transparent, no-frills snapshot of how advertising and marketing is supporting enterprise objectives. It’s constructed for CMOs, CEOs, or board members — not for day-to-day ops.
Key metrics normally embrace:
- Advertising-sourced income or pipeline affect.
- MQL to SQL conversion charge.
- Funds vs. spend pacing.
- Marketing campaign ROI.
- Excessive-level site visitors and lead developments.
The purpose is simplicity and readability. I don’t overdo the visuals, just some key charts that present directionally the place issues are going. It’s the form of dashboard that ought to reply big-picture questions in 60 seconds or much less.
What I like: This dashboard offers stakeholders the visibility they want with out getting them misplaced within the weeds. And for me, it’s an amazing forcing perform to distill advertising and marketing’s impression right down to the KPIs that matter most.
KPI Dashboard Excel Templates
I do know, Excel would possibly sound a little bit old-school, or prefer it’s going to take 14 nested formulation and some tears to make it work. However truthfully, the toughest half is normally simply formatting the factor. As soon as that’s taken care of, Excel may be surprisingly highly effective, particularly once you simply want a fast, light-weight dashboard with out spinning up a complete BI device.
That’s the place templates are available. They take away essentially the most irritating a part of getting began (format, formulation, visible construction) and allow you to deal with customizing what truly issues — your information.
Listed below are just a few Excel templates I like to recommend.
1. HubSpot
Clear, customizable, and an amazing jumping-off level should you’re monitoring leads, income, or marketing campaign efficiency. It’s easy however tremendous efficient.
Hubspot’s Excel templates additionally combine with Google Drive and PowerPoint, so you’ll be able to simply monitor these all-important metrics throughout the program that works greatest for you and your workforce.
2. Smartsheet
Smartsheet has Excel templates for quite a lot of advertising and marketing dashboards — from broad templates for monitoring massive KPIs to extra particular templates for social media advertising and marketing.
Nice in order for you one thing that appears a bit extra polished or want templates for a number of departments. Plus, free to obtain!
3. Eloquens
Eloquens curates templates from completely different creators, which suggests you’ll discover a variety of types from ultra-basic frameworks to superbly designed government dashboards.
These are particularly useful if you should current information to stakeholders and wish one thing extra refined than rows and columns.
Whether or not you are constructing a mockup, a quick-turn report, or a one-off snapshot for a spreadsheet-loving stakeholder, templates like these enable you to skip the formatting wrestle and get straight to the insights.
You’ve created a advertising and marketing KPI dashboard. Now what?
After I constructed my first actual dashboard, I keep in mind pondering, “Cool, completed!” after which not touching it once more till one thing went flawed. Just a few weeks later, one in every of our campaigns underperformed and I spotted I’d had the warning indicators sitting in that dashboard the entire time — I simply wasn’t utilizing it.
Take it from me, constructing the dashboard is simply half the job. The true worth comes when it turns into a part of how you’re employed. Not a static report, however one thing you revisit, depend on, and really act on.
Lately, I test my KPI dashboards the identical means I test my Oura Ring readiness rating — very first thing within the morning, and possibly extra typically than I ought to. Possibly I’m addicted, however hey, no less than I’ve obtained the dwell information to again it up.
So, should you’ve simply completed constructing your KPI dashboard, congrats! However now the true enjoyable begins.
Editor’s observe: This publish was initially revealed in September 2019 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
