Reports are the primary way that analysts communicate insight and drive change in their organization. When it comes to selecting the right visualization, there is often confusion around which types to use. In this session, we will help you better define what you are trying to achieve and how visualization effectiveness can bolster your data.

1. How to Give Your Visualization Depth

2. Presenter
Managing Director, Stratigent
ERIN CROPPER

3. This session will cover…
Importance of Reports, Dashboards, and Visualizations
How to Use the Correct Data3
1
How to Build an Insights Framework2
Designing your Dashboard4

4. Importance of Reports, Dashboards,
and Visualizations

5. Why are visualizations so important?
They convey information in a succinct fashion
and allow for quick digestion and analysis in
order to make effective business decisions..
Reports Dashboards

6. #1
They provide insight
and understanding at
a glance.
Example image

7. #2
They keep the level
of interest in the data
high.
Example image

8. #3
They allow various
groups of users to
digest information in a
way that pertains to
them.

9. How to Build an Insights Framework

10. What are the elements of an Insights Framework?
Dashboards
Visualizations
Reports

11. Dashboards
Single page/screen view of information that
all goes together in an intentional way
Designed with a specific audience in mind
Should report constant performance or at a
regular cadence

12. Dashboard Best Practices
Dashboards are intended for conveying information at a glance, don’t…
Over clutter

13. Dashboard Best Practices
Dashboards are intended for conveying information at a glance, don’t…
Over-theme

14. Dashboard Best Practices
Dashboards are intended for conveying information at a glance, do…
Monitor performance
Convey insights
Facilitate specific
analysis
Example image

15. How to build a great dashboard
Analytics tools Dashboard tools
Business Intelligence tools Other tools

16. Reporting & Analysis
Information provided to a specific group of
users at a regular cadence (typically monthly
or quarterly)
Ad-hoc analysis pertaining to special projects
or initiatives

17. Reporting/Analysis vs. Dashboards
Reporting/Analysis includes more in-depth
information.
Deep dive information about marketing
campaigns
Data surrounding content usage statistics
More space for insights, commentary, and
recommendations

18. Report Audience
Build reports with your audience in mind.
Tactical - Email campaign manager, Content
coordinator, etc.
Leadership – CEO, CMO, etc.

19. Visualizations
A component of both dashboards and reports
Intended to show data in a visual way that is
easy for the user to understand
Can also be used by analysts to assess how
particular efforts are performing

20. So, how do I know what my organization needs?
Divide out your audiences
There may be few, or many,
depending on how advanced
your organization is and how
much data you have.
Take your KPIs
Figure out which ones apply to
which audiences. Then, figure
out if there are any applicable
segments
Determine needed information
Figure out what the best format
is for the information at hand.
Revise those needs as you get
new audiences, information, or
activities.

21. Client Example
WEBSITE & MOBILE, PHASE 1
Financial Institution
Dashboards
Automated a set of executive dashboards for different
audiences
Reporting & Analysis
Created and automated a set of ongoing
reports/analysis
Ad Hoc Reports
Created a set of data governance standards to mitigate
risk when users pull reports
Created a standard template for campaign reporting to
enable quicker analysis

22. Client Example
WEBSITE & MOBILE, PHASE 2
Financial Institution
Digital Multi-Channel Reporting & Analysis
Online/Offline Multi-Channel Reporting & Analysis
New metrics were added to the KPIs
Adjustments were made to the dashboards and reports as appropriate
Automation is updated to include additional data sources
Once key offline datasets were integrated, a full-scale overhaul was
undertaken
Full KPI refresh
New dashboards and reports are designed, prioritized by organizational
impact
Automation framework is updated accordingly

23. Client Example
WEBSITE & MOBILE
Government
Phase I: Initial Reporting Activities
Dashboards & Reports
Phase II: Data Automation Framework
Dashboards & Reports
Future Phases: Data Automation
Framework
Eventually will move toward devising multi-
channel KPIs including offline measures (e.g.
donations)
Difficulty with a lot of organizational inertia, so
this will require additional organizational
change

24. Using the Correct Data

25. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Create a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to accurately monitor
effectiveness based on business needs.
Create for each website, channel, campaign, etc.
Should be directly related to a business driver
Define a range for “good” and “bad”
Ensure agreement by key members of the organization

26. Useless KPIs (Page Views per Visit)
Lazy KPIs (Mobile App Downloads)
KPIs that Lack Context to be Meaningful (Order
Conversion Rate)
Heavily Contested KPIs
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Common mistakes

27. Diagnostic Metrics (DMs)
DMs provide context on what happened and what needs to be improved.
Create each directly related to one of the KPIs
Should not be inherently too detailed or complex
Change along with the KPIs, don’t remain stagnant

28. Best Practices
Most of the best Diagnostic Metrics are segments, categories, or ratios.
% KPI by Channel/Traffic Source
KPI by Product/Product Type
% KPI by User Segment
% KPI by Type (e.g. Contact Us Form Submissions by
Type)
KPI Conversion Rate

29. Designing your Dashboard

30. Step 1: Strategize
Start off by creating the strategic baseline for your analysis.
Select your audience
Determine what questions
you want to answer
Pick the metrics that will answer
those questions
Select your context

31. Five Tenets of Good Visualizations
Convey your
message
with the right
metrics
1 2
Choose
the right
chart
Remove
distractions
3
Use color
strategically
5
Provide
context
4

32. Step 2: Visualize
Once you develop the baseline, you should decide how to best represent the answers
to the questions you want to answer.
Choose the type of
chart that best
represents your data.

33. Step 2: Visualize
Once you develop the baseline, you should decide how to best represent the answers
to the questions you want to answer.
0.00
10,000.00
20,000.00
30,000.00
40,000.00
50,000.00
60,000.00
70,000.00
80,000.00
90,000.00
100,000.00
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Visits
K
25K
50K
75K
100K
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Visits
Decide on exactly what question you want to answer
Choose the type of chart that best represents your data
Remove any unnecessary distractions
Provide context
Use color strategically

34. White space
Extra decimal points and 0’s
Gridlines
Unnecessary annotations
Extra colors
3D
Common types
of distractions

35. Step 2: Visualize
Once you develop the baseline, you should decide how to best represent the
answers to the questions you want to answer.
Provide Context.
K
50K
100K
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Visits vs. Target/Benchmark
Visits Target Visits Benchmark Visits
Topline Metrics - www.acme.com October
Metric September October % Chg Prev
Visits 102,423 130,484 27% 
Visitors 76,115 96,711 27% 
Page Views 345,486 414,801 20% 
Single Page Visits 54,096 74,850 38% 
Average Time per Visit 8.4 8.3 -2% 
Product Comparisons 11,582 13,761 19% 

36. Step 2: Visualize
Once you develop the baseline, you should decide how to best represent the
answers to the questions you want to answer.
Use color
strategically.
K
100K
200K
300K
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Acme International Visits
www.acme.com www.acme.com.mx www.acme.co.uk
www.acme.com.cn www.acme.ca
K
100K
200K
300K
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Acme International Visits
www.acme.com www.acme.com.mx www.acme.co.uk
www.acme.com.cn www.acme.ca

37. Step 3: Add Insights
Making an observation is not the same as deriving an insight.
Answer a key business question – what kinds of questions
did you define in the strategy section?
Make sure to answer the questions “Why?” and “So what?”
Don’t make the same observation or recommendation
more than three times in a row

38. Step 3: Re-evaluate
Include a process of re-evaluating your reporting, dashboards, and visualizations.
Reassess if your KPIs are still the right ones for
your business
Adjust dashboards, reports, and visualizations

39. What does a good
dashboard look like?
A Few Examples…

40. Designing Insight
Assign Placement Importance. Place related things together.
Most Important
Key Metrics
Referral
Sources
Top X Lists
Important

44. What are some issues with the
following dashboard?
Submit your answers through the webinar
chat window!
Tell us what you think…

46. THANK YOU
LinkedIn.com/Ebiquity
@ebiquityglobal
www.ebiquity.com