1. What is Looker Studio?

Formerly referred to as Google Data Studio, Looker Studio is a complimentary data visualisation tool offered by Google.

Looker Studio enables you to consolidate data from various platforms into a single report, allowing for the visualisation of that data through diverse charts and graphs. After creation, your reports and dashboards refresh automatically from their source data, eliminating the need for manual data entry to maintain the accuracy of your reports.

Looker Studio integrates with various sources and platforms to gather data for your reports. With the integrated connectors, you can effortlessly connect to various Google platforms like Google Analytics, Google Ads, Search Console, YouTube Analytics, BigQuery, Cloud SQL, and more. Looker Studio can be directly connected to Google Sheets, or you can upload CSV files, allowing you to incorporate nearly any business data you desire (though the sheets might require updates).

A wide array of third-party or 'partner' connectors is available, allowing you to connect with other platforms such as Facebook Ads, LinkedIn, Campaign Monitor, and Shopify. However, it's important to keep in mind that many of these connectors come with a monthly fee.

After establishing a connection to your data, you can easily build your dashboards by simply dragging and dropping various chart types, text boxes, and images into your report. Each chart allows you to filter data to display only the information you need, enabling you to tailor the reports to suit your business requirements.

Looker Studio is a cloud-based platform, allowing for seamless sharing of reports with team members or clients. You can access your reports anytime and from any device.

2. What advantages does Looker Studio offer for small enterprises? 

If your enterprise boasts an online presence, including a website equipped with Google Analytics, active social media profiles, or engages in digital marketing strategies like SEO, email campaigns, Google ads, or Facebook ads, you are likely to have gathered a substantial amount of data. This data can assist you in enhancing your digital efforts, optimising your marketing investments, and potentially expanding your business. (Please be aware that if you utilise tracking cookies to gather data on your users, obtaining their permission is essential, and compliance with GDPR is mandatory – refer to ICO for further details).

However, accessing, collating, analysing, and visualising this data across various platforms can be quite time-consuming, especially on a regular basis (at least monthly) – and this is time that many small businesses simply do not have! If you have implemented Google Analytics on your website, you can gain valuable insights into how users are accessing and navigating your site based on the data it collects. Many businesses often struggle with the time-consuming task of navigating Google Analytics to extract the necessary reports and data each month. As a result, they frequently miss out on valuable insights that could enhance their operations.

This is where Looker Studio plays a crucial role! For small enterprises, the key advantages are:
Ensures data is easily accessible 
Accessing your data can be challenging, especially when essential elements of the overall picture are scattered across various platforms. Looker Studio empowers you to generate essential reports for your enterprise, highlighting the crucial data you can access anytime and eliminating the need to explore each separate platform.

Conserves time 
A frequent challenge in data analysis is the time it requires. Gathering all your online data into spreadsheets and then organising it into useful tables or charts can be extremely time-consuming, making it difficult to start analysing and interpreting your results.

With Looker Studio, after setting up your reports, you will save time in the future by analysing essential data without the traditional need for extensive calculations and spreadsheet creation. 

Reduced manual entry 
Your reports will seamlessly refresh with the most current data from their sources, eliminating the need for manual updates to the dashboards every time. However, if you are using Google Sheets or CSVs as data sources, you will need to ensure that the data in those files is updated.

Cost-free and easily available resource 
Looker Studio provides robust data collection and visualisation capabilities at no cost, along with a plethora of instructional resources to assist users in getting acquainted with the tool. Creating simple and effective dashboards is quite straightforward, and there are numerous templates to choose from. (Nonetheless, like all Google tools, it offers the capability for in-depth and intricate data analysis, which can become quite technical based on your requirements).

3. What kind of investment are you looking for? 

It's time to strategise 

Initially, determine precisely what you need to track consistently and, consequently, which metrics and charts ought to be included in your reports. It is crucial to focus on accurately analysing the data that is vital for your business. This is the information that will shape your future strategies and guide your decision-making process, rather than getting bogged down by unnecessary details that hold less significance.
It's time to master the tool –
Even though it's a complimentary tool, you will need to dedicate some time to grasp the fundamentals of the platform. The platform is quite user-friendly, but it's essential to familiarise yourself with the various features and functions to effectively compile your report. 

Allocate funds for professional assistance 

If you find yourself short on time or believe that investing time in learning this tool could be better utilised in other areas of your business, consider outsourcing the development of your Looker Studio dashboards to a skilled agency or freelancer who has expertise with the tool. They will assist you in determining the data to be reported and will create the reports tailored to your needs. This will certainly need a budget, but it could yield significant benefits in the long run if the insights gained enhance your online presence and optimise the returns on your investments. 

4. Prior to commencing 

Deciding on the topics you wish to cover 
- What information is essential for you? 
Every report must serve a specific purpose and convey meaningful insights. Consider what you aim to achieve with this data.
A great starting point is to focus on the questions you frequently encounter or the most urgent challenges your business faces. For instance:
- Is my digital marketing effective?
- Where should I allocate my marketing budget to achieve optimal results? 
- Are my customers enjoying my emails and social media posts? 
- Which content and articles do users find engaging? 
- What strategies can enhance the conversion rate of my website?
This will sharpen your reports and empower you to develop the dashboards needed to gather and visualise the relevant data.

Which metrics should be prioritised?
Once you understand the focus of each report, it becomes simpler to pinpoint the relevant metrics to include, determine the appropriate data sources, and effectively compare and analyse them.
If you wish to assess the performance of your digital marketing efforts, it’s essential to concentrate on:
the amount you invested in advertising 
Which platforms did you utilise (Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads, etc.)? 
what you received in exchange (follows, website visits, sales, enquiries) 
how this measures against various sources (cost per lead, conversion rate, etc.). 
If you have important KPIs, showcase your progress against them in your dashboard. For additional insights on establishing KPIs and grasping your data needs, refer to the following DigitalBoost resource:

Goals & outcomes – 5 essential insights from a specialist –

Identifying your data sources 

Once you determine the focus of your report, you'll gain a clearer understanding of the data sources you need to connect or incorporate into your reports. This may encompass your:

- Data from your website using Google Analytics 
- Google Ads 
- Search Console or alternative SEO tracking 
- Online retail information 
- email application 
- Insights from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram 
- Customer relationship management database 
- Survey instruments 
- Grasping the functionality of Looker Studio 
- Assets 

Looker Studio may seem challenging initially, so it's important to invest time in grasping the tool. Google’s 'Looker Studio Help' section offers a treasure trove of information, including guidance on linking data sources and setting up various reports.

Looker Studio Help offers a range of tutorials that provide additional insights.

Dimensions and metrics – the essential components of Looker Studio reports 

Dimensions and metrics serve as the fundamental units of every chart in Looker Studio, making it essential to grasp the distinction between the two.

Measurements. As per Google, dimensions refer to “categories of information” – they represent the elements being measured in a specific chart. For instance, 'traffic source', 'website page', or 'city' are all considered dimensions. In a chart, the dimension's value typically consists of text, representing the name or description of the item being measured (for instance, ‘Facebook’, ‘contact page’, or ‘Inverness’). 
Measurements. Metrics are the means by which you assess the dimension. A metric's value is typically represented in numeric form. For instance, ‘sessions’, ‘clicks’, ‘conversion rate’ or ‘revenue’. 
Every chart in your report will consist of various dimensions and metrics.
 

5. Preparing your initial report 

Using Looker Studio for the first time can feel overwhelming, but here are the initial steps to help you set up your Looker Studio report with ease. Before you start, ensure that you have the necessary access and elevated permissions for your Google Analytics and any other platforms you intend to link.

1. Log in or register for an account.

Begin by visiting Looker Studio and logging in with your Google account that you use for Analytics, or create a new Google account if you don’t already have one. It is essential to thoroughly review the Looker Studio terms and conditions along with the data processing terms. Ensure that all necessary fields in the Account & Privacy section are filled out, and you may need to specify the details of your designated ‘data controller’. (Looker Studio handles customer data, so it's essential to ensure that your usage, along with all your other data sources like Google Analytics, adheres to GDPR regulations. For further details on GDPR, please visit the ICO website. Once you are satisfied, upon logging in, you will arrive at the main overview page, where you can generate reports and incorporate data sources. In the future, this screen will showcase all your various reports. 

2. Go through the tutorial report 

The ‘Tutorial report’ offered by Looker Studio is quite beneficial in demonstrating the fundamentals and emphasising how to engage with and generate reports. 

3. Examine the template reports 

Looker Studio offers a variety of template reports tailored for different platforms. These can be found in the ‘template gallery’. These provide inspiration for style, layout, and content. If you appreciate the overall look and feel, or if the template includes many of the charts you intend to utilise, you can create a copy to adapt the template for your own report. To proceed, click on ‘Edit & Share’. You can either retain the sample data as your source for experimenting with the report or input your own data source to begin working with your specific data. (Refer to point 4 below for incorporating data sources). Feel free to modify the charts in the template to suit your needs by clicking on them and adjusting the dimensions, metrics, and filters (refer to point 6 below ‘For adding charts’).

4. Establish your data sources 

The following step involves linking your data sources – the various platforms from which you wish to extract data. On the overview screen, click the ‘+Create’ button located in the top left corner and choose ‘data sources’ from the dropdown menu. On this screen, you will find information about the various built-in Google connectors that are available, such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Sheets, and file upload options, along with the third-party 'Partner' connectors. 

To incorporate data sources, please adhere to the on-screen instructions. To link Google Analytics, ensure you choose the appropriate Google Analytics account, property, and view. After that, click ‘Connect’ and proceed to the next screen to select ‘Create Report’.

For additional details on incorporating data sources, please refer to Looker Studio Help.

5. Prepare a report 

After connecting your data source(s), you can proceed to create your initial report. If you're not using a template, you have the option to construct your report from scratch. Click on ‘Create report’ and choose to add your new data source. You will be directed to a blank page where you can incorporate various tables and charts as per your requirements.

6. Include your graphs and statistics 

Begin your report by choosing ‘Add a chart’ from the control bar located at the top.

Choose the chart type you wish to include by clicking on your choice, then simply drag and drop it into your report.

Every chart comes with specific dimensions and metrics pre-set, so after adding it, you must click on the chart to modify the dimensions and metrics to reflect your desired reporting. This can be managed in the right-hand panel under the ‘data’ section.

This is also the section where you can incorporate filters into your chart. These features are crucial as they enable you to choose the specific data within each chart, ensuring that you report on the information you require (for instance, you might want to filter a chart to display only sessions from India or solely site traffic from social media platforms). 

To enhance the appearance of the chart, simply select the ‘style’ tab located in the right-hand panel.

For additional details on incorporating charts and choosing dimensions and metrics, refer to the guidance on configuring report components in Looker Studio Help.

7. Include a date range selector 

A crucial element of many reports is a date range selector, allowing you to view the report for any time frame you prefer. To accomplish this, navigate to the top menu bar, select ‘add a control’, then scroll down to ‘date range control’ and drag it into your report. (Please ensure that the control is configured to ‘auto date range’ in the right-hand panel.) 

8. Include headings and content 

After incorporating your charts, be sure to include a title for your entire report and organise your page into a coherent layout by grouping similar charts together. Next, you can include descriptive titles for each chart. (You can also incorporate text boxes to include valuable insights.).

If you’re not utilising a template, you have the flexibility to experiment with the overall appearance, incorporating shapes, images, logos, and more as required.

Once you’ve completed your work, click on ‘View’ in the top right corner to ensure that your report and charts are displayed correctly in the viewing mode, not just in the editing mode.

9. Evaluate your information 

After setting up your report, ensure that the figures in your charts align with the data source for the specified time frame. It is often most convenient to accomplish this in ‘viewing’ mode, allowing you to adjust the date and ensure a proper comparison. This will evaluate any filters or settings that you have implemented in your charts.

10. Invite additional users as required 

After completing your report, share it with those who need to provide input or analyse it by clicking ‘share’ in the top right corner and selecting the appropriate user permissions.

6. Essential Advice 

Utilise the templates 
Utilising templates can help you save time and assist you in getting started when you're new to the tool.

Be precise 
Focus on addressing a single business issue or inquiry in each report. This allows you to choose the data to include and ensures clarity – if additional information is required, you can incorporate more pages.

Maintain a focus on action 
Make sure your report concentrates solely on data that will guide your decisions and align closely with your business objectives. While it may be appealing to include more charts and supplementary information, doing so can divert attention from the main message. Ensure that your key dashboards are as efficient as possible, concentrating solely on the essential data that is vital for reaching your business objectives and guiding your decision-making process. Enquire, "What’s the significance?" of any chart that you incorporate to help you stay focused.

Steer clear of superficial metrics 
Avoid including large overarching figures unless absolutely necessary. For instance, including ‘total website visits’ will only be beneficial if you plan to analyse it in some manner, such as providing context for other data or sales or comparing trends over a specific time frame. Focus on the metrics that will truly aid in your decision-making process.

Select the appropriate chart type with care.
Choosing the right chart type is crucial – it enables you to grasp the data effortlessly and spot trends effectively. Think about what information you require from each chart.

Are you in need of extensive data? Utilise a table.
Are you looking to identify trends over a period of time? Utilise a line graph.
Are you looking to swiftly evaluate outcomes? Utilise column charts.
Include insights while conducting the analysis.
Include text boxes for commentary alongside each graph to capture your key insights and the corresponding actions while analysing your reports. When analysing, consider what insights this chart provides and what actions should follow. This may seem like a lot, but it can ensure that your analysis remains centred on actions that will truly impact your business positively. 

7. Online assistance 

For additional guidance and assistance on every facet of your digital marketing, explore the DigitalBoost programme. Providing complimentary online resources, training, and webinars to assist businesses in India in enhancing their digital marketing expertise.