How to build roi dashboards for marketing campaigns

In marketing, tracking ROI is essential to understand what works and where to invest. ROI dashboards make this process easier by combining data from campaigns, costs, and revenue into one place. Here's how to create one:

• Set Clear Goals: Define metrics like ROAS, CAC, or LTV based on your business type (e.g., e-commerce or SaaS).
• Choose Tools: Use platforms like PIMMS for real-time tracking, Looker Studio for visual dashboards, or Excel for quick calculations.
• Integrate Data: Connect tools like Shopify, Stripe, or Google Ads to pull in data automatically.
• Design the Dashboard: Tailor views for different roles (executives, managers) and include key metrics like ROI trends, channel performance, and conversion data.
• Analyze and Adjust: Spot low-performing campaigns, reallocate budgets, and ensure data accuracy through regular audits.

1. Set Marketing Goals and ROI Metrics

Match Goals to Business Needs

The first step in any marketing strategy is to align your goals with your business objectives. Think about what your business needs most - whether it's driving revenue, expanding your customer base, or increasing customer loyalty - and focus on metrics that directly support those needs.

For example, if your goal is to grow your market share, prioritize metrics like new customer acquisition. On the other hand, if you're focused on retention, metrics like customer lifetime value (LTV) and repeat purchase rates should take center stage.

Here’s a quick overview of how marketing goals might align with different business types:

Choose Core Metrics

Choosing the right metrics is crucial. Research shows that campaigns with clearly defined ROI measures are 2.8 times more likely to succeed [2]. Here are some core calculations to keep in your toolbox:

• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) = Revenue ÷ Ad Spend
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) = Total Marketing & Sales Costs ÷ Number of New Customers
• Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) = Average Purchase Value × Purchase Frequency × Customer Lifespan

By identifying these metrics upfront, you’ll have a solid foundation for measuring success and refining your strategy.

Set ROI Targets

Once you’ve defined your metrics, it’s time to set realistic ROI targets. Industry benchmarks can be a helpful guide:

• Email marketing: Typically delivers a 36
  ROI
• Paid search: Averages between 2
  and 4
  ROI
• Social media advertising: Often yields 2
  to 3
  ROI
• Content marketing: Provides 3
  to 5
  ROI over the long term

Keep in mind that the type of campaign affects ROI expectations. Brand awareness efforts might aim for a lower immediate return (1

to 2), while direct response campaigns often target higher returns, such as 4 to 6.

To stay on track, leverage tools like PIMMS for real-time tracking. This allows you to quickly identify which campaigns are hitting - or missing - their targets, enabling faster adjustments to maximize performance.

How to present marketing ROI with Google Looker Studio

2. Pick Dashboard Tools

Choosing the right dashboard tools is essential for effective ROI tracking. The tools you select should align with your goals and make it easier to interpret data. Once you've defined your metrics, the next step is to identify platforms that provide actionable insights. Together, these tools create a framework for monitoring and improving ROI.

Track Conversions with PIMMS

PIMMS is a powerful tool for tracking conversions and measuring ROI with precision. Its analytics features cover the entire customer journey, from the first click to the final sale. By integrating PIMMS into your marketing stack, you can:

• Track conversions using UTM parameters
• Monitor revenue through integrations with Stripe and Shopify
• Analyze performance based on device, location, and campaign
• Share dashboards with stakeholders for better collaboration

Its advanced filtering options let you break down data by UTM campaigns, traffic sources, and devices, making it easier to pinpoint which marketing efforts yield the best results. Plus, PIMMS integrates directly with mobile apps, solving tracking issues caused by mini-browser limitations.

Build Reports in Google Data Studio

Google Data Studio, now known as Looker Studio, is ideal for creating detailed visualizations by combining data from multiple sources. Here's a suggested layout for your Data Studio dashboard:

Start with high-level ROI metrics, then drill down into channel-specific details. The platform’s drag-and-drop interface allows for easy customization, ensuring your dashboard is both functional and visually appealing.

Use Excel for Basic Analysis

For quick, straightforward ROI calculations, Excel remains a reliable option. It’s especially helpful for teams that need to perform ad-hoc analysis. You can create a simple ROI tracking sheet with these key components:

• A campaign spend tracker
• Revenue attribution tables
• ROI calculation formulas
• Basic trend charts

While Excel doesn’t offer real-time updates or advanced visualizations like PIMMS or Data Studio, it’s perfect for custom calculations and quick insights. The best approach is to choose tools that align with your team’s expertise and gradually expand as your ROI tracking needs become more complex. Start simple, and scale up as required.

3. Connect Data Sources

Once you've chosen your dashboard tools, it's time to bring in your data. By integrating data from multiple platforms, you can get a full picture of your ROI. Start by connecting your primary data sources so every metric flows smoothly into your dashboard.

Link PIMMS to Sales Platforms

To connect PIMMS with your sales platforms, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the PIMMS dashboard and navigate to the integrations section.
2. Install the PIMMS app from the Shopify App Store and authorize it with your store credentials. This process takes less than five minutes.
3. Add your Stripe API key in the PIMMS dashboard to track payment data.

Once everything is set up, PIMMS will automatically track key metrics like:

• Transaction values
• Product-specific conversions
• Customer acquisition costs
• Average order value
• Lifetime value calculations

The data refreshes every 15–30 minutes, giving you near real-time updates on your campaigns' performance.

Set Up Google Data Studio Connections

Google Data Studio makes it easy to connect and analyze marketing data. Here's a quick guide to setting up key connections:

To keep things running smoothly, limit historical data queries to the last 12 months. This avoids delays and ensures faster updates.

Input Excel Data

For metrics that aren't captured by automated tools like PIMMS and Google Data Studio, an Excel template can fill the gaps. Here's what your template should include:

• Campaign name
• Date (in MM/DD/YYYY format)
• Channel
• Spend (in USD)
• Impressions
• Clicks
• Conversions
• Revenue

Keep manual calculations organized on a separate reference sheet for consistency. To avoid reporting misalignments, use UTC as the standard time zone across all data sources. Assign one team member to update the Excel file weekly to maintain accuracy.

4. Build Dashboard Layout

Using your integrated data, design a dashboard layout that brings key insights to the forefront and helps teams take action quickly.

Customize Views by User Role

Different roles within your team require tailored dashboard views to match their specific needs. Here's an example of how you can structure these views:

For executives, use large, easy-to-read widgets summarizing top metrics. Marketing managers and specialists benefit from more detailed, interactive views, such as filters for deeper analysis.

Display Attribution Data

Include attribution data prominently to connect marketing efforts to outcomes. This could involve elements like:

• A primary attribution panel
• Conversion path visualizations
• Charts showing performance by geography and device
• UTM filters for campaign tracking

Keep the design clean and consistent by using a unified color scheme for all data points, ensuring clarity and ease of use.

Schedule Regular Updates

To keep everyone informed and the dashboard relevant, establish a system for regular updates:

• Daily Reports: Send email summaries at 9
  AM EST with daily updates and week-over-week comparisons.
• Weekly Deep Dives: On Monday mornings, share detailed reports covering channel ROI, top campaigns, conversion trends, and budget usage from the previous week.
• Monthly Reviews: Generate monthly snapshots to archive historical performance data. This approach helps identify long-term trends and seasonal patterns while maintaining dashboard speed and efficiency.

"With clear, real-time data, you know exactly what to tweak, accelerate, or pause to maximize conversions." - PIMMS [1]

5. Analyze ROI Data

Find Low-Performing Campaigns

To identify campaigns that aren't meeting expectations, use detailed filters on your analytics dashboard. Pay close attention to these metrics:

Dig deeper by filtering data using UTM parameters, geographic location, and device type. Once you've spotted underperformers, reallocate resources to campaigns that yield better results.

Adjust Marketing Budgets

Use the 70/20/10 framework to ensure your marketing budget is allocated efficiently:

• Core Performance (70%)
  Invest most of your budget in channels that consistently surpass your ROAS goals.
• Growth Potential (20%)
  Put this portion into campaigns that show promising initial results but need more support to scale.
• Testing Budget (10%)
  Keep this slice for trying out fresh ideas, new channels, or experimental strategies.

After making adjustments, double-check that these changes are reflected in your ROI metrics.

Check ROI Accuracy

To ensure your ROI calculations are reliable, compare your dashboard data with actual revenue numbers. Set up a monthly audit process that includes:

• Cross-checking conversion tracking data across platforms
• Testing attribution models with trial transactions to verify accuracy
• Including offline conversions in your overall ROI calculations
• Accounting for time delays between ad spend and revenue realization

For more complex campaigns, apply confidence intervals to estimate ROI within a ±10% range. Cohort analysis can also help you understand both short-term returns and the long-term value of your customers.

Next Steps

Take full advantage of your ROI dashboard to fine-tune your campaigns and boost performance. Start by setting up automated data refreshes in PIMMS and configuring alerts for any major shifts in conversion rates or revenue. These regular updates will keep your dashboard as a vital tool for campaign adjustments.

Here’s a handy framework to keep your dashboard running smoothly:

For better tracking, integrate PIMMS with your current sales platforms. This connection allows for direct revenue attribution, making your ROI calculations more accurate and actionable.

PIMMS's advanced filters let you drill down into your data by:

• Traffic sources and campaign parameters
• Geographic locations and device types
• Customer behaviors and conversion paths

Lastly, use PIMMS's shared dashboards to ensure everyone is on the same page. Tailor custom views to showcase key performance metrics relevant to each stakeholder while maintaining a unified source of truth for all campaign data.

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