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Building Dashboards That Don’t Suck: How to Visualize Marketing Data That Actually Helps

  • Writer: Jonathan Eyres
    Jonathan Eyres
  • Oct 8
  • 2 min read

Updated: Oct 14

Hands typing on a laptop displaying colorful charts, set against a nighttime city skyline. Text reads, "Building Dashboards That Don’t Suck."

Let’s be honest—most marketing dashboards are a hot mess. They look like someone dumped every metric they could find into a PowerPoint slide and called it a day. If your dashboard makes people squint, scroll, or need a decoder ring to understand what’s going on, it’s not helping. It’s hurting.

Good dashboards don’t just look nice—they tell a story. Here’s how to build one that your team (and your boss) will actually want to use.

Why Most Dashboards Suck

Because they try to do everything. You don’t need 45 metrics fighting for attention. You need clarity.

Common dashboard crimes include:

  • Data overload: If it needs a legend, two footnotes, and a prayer to interpret, it’s too much.

  • Pretty but pointless: Just because it has a gradient doesn’t mean it’s useful.

  • No context: A graph without a goal is just a colorful mystery.

The Job of a Dashboard

Your dashboard has one job: make decisions easier. That’s it.

A good one should:

  • Tell you what’s working (and what’s not).

  • Show trends over time—not random snapshots.

  • Give enough context for someone to take action without needing a meeting to explain it.

Two men in an office: one stands by a desk with a briefcase, the other sits examining a plant. Papers, lamps, and closed blinds fill the space.

Build Dashboards for Humans, Not Robots

Different people need different dashboards:

  • Executives: Big picture KPIs—revenue, ROI, growth.

  • Marketing teams: Channel performance, conversions, engagement.

  • Ad managers: Cost per click, ROAS, conversions by campaign.

If everyone’s using the same dashboard, no one’s getting what they need.

The Ingredients of a Useful Dashboard

1. Start with the Goal

Ask: “What decisions do I want to make with this data?” Everything else is decoration.

2. Pick 5–7 Key Metrics

If everything is important, nothing is. Keep it tight.

3. Use Visual Hierarchy

Bigger fonts for big numbers. Color for emphasis, not distraction. Group related data.

4. Add Context

Show performance vs. goal, period-over-period change, or benchmarks. Numbers without meaning are just noise.

5. Keep It Clean

Whitespace is your best friend. Don’t make your dashboard look like a candy aisle.

Tools That Make It Easy

  • Looker Studio (Google): Free, flexible, and client-friendly.

  • Databox: Great for agencies and multi-client reporting.

  • HubSpot Dashboards: Perfect for CRM-driven insights.

  • Power BI / Tableau: For enterprise teams who want to geek out.

    Man in plaid shirt focuses on papers, working at desk with laptop and lamp. Evening setting, warm lighting, casual and studious mood.

How to Keep Dashboards Actionable

  • Review monthly, not daily. You’re looking for trends, not turbulence.

  • Add commentary. A quick line of text explaining why something changed saves everyone time.

  • Iterate. Your first version won’t be perfect—treat it like a campaign, not a monument.

Bonus Design Tips

  • Use 2–3 colors max.

  • Label everything clearly.

  • Avoid 3D charts—they’re the Comic Sans of data visualization.

  • If it looks like a spaceship control panel, you’ve gone too far.

Final Thoughts

A great dashboard isn’t about impressing people—it’s about empowering them. It should answer the question: “What do we do next?” in five seconds or less.

So ditch the clutter, focus on clarity, and build something that doesn’t just show data—it drives decisions.

Next Up: We’ll dive into Data Storytelling: Turning Metrics Into Meaning—how to communicate insights so people actually care.


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