• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

GILL Solutions

Growing your business..Should be Strategic!

  • Our Process
  • Services
    • Full Service
      • Search Engine Optimization Service
      • Conversion Optimization
      • PPC Advertising Management
      • Social Media Marketing Service
      • Full Stack Development
    • Google Analytics Audit
    • Marketing Coach
    • Domains & Hosting
  • Training
    • Google Analytics Bootcamp
    • YouTube Marketing Bootcamp
    • Marketing Certification
      • Conversion Optimization Certification
      • Digital Advertising Certification
      • Search Engine Optimization Certification
      • Marketing Automation Certification
      • Content Marketing Certification
      • Social Media Strategy and Deployment Certification
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Contact Us
  • Call 1-877-801-4090

Jul 29 2013

5 Tips To Custom Dashboards In Google Analytics

For Google Analytics beginners and advanced users alike, tips to create custom dashboards will automatically save you time when analyzing data. Custom dashboards should have metrics that can effectively track and display your web site’s criteria in a metric view which you decide. Allowing you the ability to target in on the information that’s most important.

Google Analytics Custom Dashboards

Some default settings in Google Analytics may not accurately track and measure what is most relevant and important to you. This can be caused by averages and information overlapping which is tainting the real numbers. However, there are five tips that can make building custom dashboards simpler in Google Analytics.

1. Create a Custom Dashboard With A Starter Dashboard

The “Home” tab offers a number of report options when you log into your Google Analytics account. Located on the left sidebar menu, you can click the “New Dashboards” tab that will display a pop-up window that will prompt you to choose a Blank Canvas or Starter Dashboard. Custom Dashboards TemplateIf you’re just getting your feet wet with Google Analytics, a Starter Dashboard acts as a tutorial to help you create the right type of metrics that you’ll need to track on a regular basis. Unlike the default dashboard, The Starter Dashboard features widgets that can create a partially custom dashboard. The key is to come up with proper widgets to make any custom dashboard fit your site’s requirements.

Adding custom widgets to a custom dashboard is very easy. Click +Add Widget found above the custom dashboard to create widgets when prompted to using a dialogue box. The six types of widgets include:

*Metric view
*Pie-chart view
*Timeline view
*Table view
*Bar View
*Geo Map

Each view has user-friendly dimensions and metrics supported by Google Analytics custom filters to sift out pertinent data. Simple metric view widgets are easier for beginners to use so that they can gradually experiment with more advanced filters along the way. If you would like to remove a certain metric or widget, find the gear icon to open the widget and then go to the bottom right corner and click “Delete Widget”.

2. Play with the Standard Widgets Edit Functions

To help gain a better understanding of widgets and how the filter process works, edit the standard widgets which were applied to the dashboard. You can do this by clicking the little pencil key at the top of any given widget. Then check the filters and metrics chosen for that widget and compare this to what’s displayed on the screen.

Widget Edit Pencil

By doing this you will quickly begin to grasp how the widgets are created. Allowing you to test creating new widgets from scratch based on your new found knowledge.

3. Assign Appropriate Titles to Custom Dashboards

When using Google Analytics custom dashboards, you have limitless options for creating a profile on a website. However, they must all be organized by relevancy and have appropriate titles. This will allow you to recognize the purpose of each dashboard clearly; whether you want to analyze content metrics, social media traffic, non-branded keywords, a/b tests, visitor metrics or revenue.

4. Use the Standard Reporting Tab

If the widgets creator does not include the widget you want, you can always to go to the “Standard Reporting” tab. This tab will allow you to choose a report with the items you want to track from the left sidebar. Once you’ve selected the report, click “Add To Dashboard” at the top of the page.

5. Place Widgets in Order of Importance

Google Analytics Add to Dashboard

Once you have all the widgets you want on your dashboard, you will need to arrange them in order of importance or place two metrics that logically go together. Simply click and drag them where you’d like them to be so that they can be viewed easier at a glance.

Overall custom dashboards can help speed up your analysis process while targeting the information that critical to your business. You can get pretty elaborate the different types of dashboards reporting intense levels of information. The beauty is, once you’ve created a dashboard, you can actually share it with your other analytics accounts and web properties.

For example here’s a link to a shared social media dashboard we created, which you can instantly install in your Google analytics account. With a click of a button, you’ll have better insight into your social media marketing performance.

To learn more about Google Analytics, register for our upcoming Google Analytics training course.

Let me know what kind of high-quality custom dashboard you’re creating and please feel free to share them in the comments below.

Written by George Gill · Categorized: Business Strategy, Marketing · Tagged: analytics, conversion optimization, google analytics

About George Gill

George Gill is the founder of GILL Solutions. He lives in Peterborough Canada, and is an avid learner, passionate trainer and speaker. For over 20+ years, he's helped businesses implement growth strategies and systems to consistently out perform their expectations. Measurement is always key!

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive email updates weekly and to hear what’s going on with us!

Business Strategy

Important Benefits of Facebook for Your Business

May 15, 2020 By George Gill

Whether you are a person who likes social media or not, if you're in business, there is a good chance that at some point you've considered FaceBook for your business. Understanding what the benefits are, is an … Continue Reading about Important Benefits of Facebook for Your Business

Before You Start – Is Social Media Marketing Profitable

May 14, 2020 By George Gill

We all know Social Media is popular. But before your business goes down the path of investing resources and budget into this marketing channel, you need to know what to expect. Most importantly can it be profitable … Continue Reading about Before You Start – Is Social Media Marketing Profitable

Do You Have to Pay for Search Engine Optimization

May 12, 2020 By George Gill

Every business I have ever spoken to has unanimously agreed, they would love to be on page one of Google for the keywords directly related to their business. Most believe they deserve to be at the top, and the … Continue Reading about Do You Have to Pay for Search Engine Optimization

How Important is Conversion Optimization to Your Business

May 11, 2020 By George Gill

With over 20 years in the digital marketing field, the number one approach to quickly generate the greatest impact on a business's results that I've witnessed has been accomplished through conversion rate … Continue Reading about How Important is Conversion Optimization to Your Business

Why is Siteground so expensive vs competitors

Why is Siteground so Expensive vs Competitors

May 7, 2020 By George Gill

Hosting your website is a very big deal for many reasons that we'll discuss in this article. Siteground is a hosting company (click to see Siteground's current offer) we often recommend, even though they tend to be … Continue Reading about Why is Siteground so Expensive vs Competitors

Important Business Metrics

Most Important Metrics for Better Business Results

May 5, 2020 By Elaine Bennett

Successful businesses are built on exact, timely, and relevant data. You can only hope to make the best business decisions if you have the information and insights necessary to support your strategy and your … Continue Reading about Most Important Metrics for Better Business Results

Footer

GILL Solutions Management
7901 4th St. N STE 4155
St. Petersburg, FL 33702

GILL Solutions Management
3080 Yonge Street, Suite 6060
Toronto, Ontario M4N-3N1

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

GILL Solutions Management
P.O. Box 30024 RPO Chemong
Peterborough, Ontario, K9H 7R4

  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Our Blog
  • Student Login
  • Contact Us

©2020 GILL Solutions Management LLC