Online marketingrapporten waar klanten dol op zijn

Complicated dashboards can make customers feel overwhelmed. Online marketing reports that communicate clearly and are commented on, on the other hand, can contribute to a mutually beneficial customer relationship. In this blog, we share four key principles for creating reports that customers love.

1. Think about the customer

It may seem obvious, but one of the problems we see most often with online marketing reports is that they are either too complex and data-centric, or too simple and not detailed enough to make decisions. Solving this problem starts with considering the customer. How big is their business? How familiar are they with the online marketing funnel? Are they familiar with marketing concepts? Did the customer start his career as a salesman? Asking these questions and considering the customer’s perspective can give you the tools to put their Google Ads data into context.

If the client runs a large, online business and understands the digital marketing funnel, your report can afford to be more detailed and use more complex metrics. If your customer has started their career as a salesperson, it may make sense to emphasise conversions and build your message around lead generation. If your client has a small shop with little knowledge of online marketing, consider emphasising education.

More often than not, it makes sense to focus on data that has meaning in an everyday business context. Simple metrics that relate to core business functions, such as spend, conversions, cost per conversion, ROAS, are often more engaging and easier to understand than complex metrics such as Quality Score or Lost Impression Share.

2. Comments and context

Simply sharing a table gives customers the data they need to generate insights, but does not go far enough. In comparison, highlighting a particular country, offering a case for expansion, and providing clear action steps puts the customer in a position to approve the suggestion without putting more work on their plate.

Comments play a vital role in providing the context customers need to understand account performance. There are a few important things to remember here.

3. Always explain how key statistics are related to the business.

Reducing the cost per conversion, for example, means that each sale costs the company less, increasing the profit margin. Conversely, a decrease in cost-per-click means cheaper traffic, so the company may be able to acquire more revenue for the same budget. Where possible, try to translate the language of Google Ads into simple business language so that customers can understand the value you are creating.

Metrics that stand alone do not always tell the full story. For example, a drop in conversions would normally be seen as bad news, but if we share the context that we have reduced spending to meet a new budget target, fewer conversions are expected and the customer has less reason to worry. Use comments to frame performance fairly and make sure your customer understands the context behind each of your decisions.

Try to make a connection between positive changes in performance and your daily work. For example, if Click Through Rates are up, consider sharing some of the new ads you’ve written. As conversions rise, talk to your client about new campaigns that are doing well.
Remember to write in a friendly and engaging manner. While we are familiar with seemingly simple metrics like Cost Per Impression, or acronyms like CTR, ROAS, and CPC, your client may not be. As a general rule, avoid jargon and explain more complex concepts when necessary.

4. Don’t be afraid to share bad news

A bad report is not necessarily one that shares bad news with the client. As we have noted, performance can fluctuate for a multitude of reasons beyond our control. However, bad reports try to hide bad news from customers, give excuses instead of suggestions when statistics drop, and try to confuse customers with mountains of data.

Transparency is the key to building trust. When performance declines, be open and honest. And most importantly, have a plan to improve the situation. If you communicate clearly and have a plan to improve things, customers will appreciate that you are committed to solving the problem without putting extra work (and stress) on them. To put it simply, people are more than capable of dealing with bad news, it is only when we start covering things up that problems arise.

In summary, a customer-centric online marketing report should focus on:

Communicate in simple, relatable terms, using language that the customer finds comfortable and familiar.
Taking into account the broader context of the client’s business. Are they looking for a new audience, or do they want to generate cost-effective conversions? Do they want to expand into new areas? Are they focused on beating a competitor? Launching a new and improved product range?
Helping clients generate new ideas. Do ads perform unexpectedly well in Sweden? Share any interesting information with your customer. Perhaps they could launch a localised product or a localised ad campaign. So good online marketing reporting is essential.

Help clients understand the digital marketing funnel and optimise their business to sell products/services online. Whether tracking different conversion types or creating awareness campaigns, an informed customer is always more receptive to new ideas.
Be honest when sharing bad news with customers. Strive to communicate in a way that encourages honesty and openness when difficult situations arise.

Getting started with online marketing reporting yourself? Then definitely try Google Looker Studio.