Why Most Business Reports Are a Total Waste of Time
If you’re running a business in Brisbane—whether you’re a plumber in Coorparoo or running a boutique law firm in the CBD—you’ve probably been sent a "monthly report" by a marketing person at some point.
Usually, it’s a 20-page PDF filled with graphs that look like a heart rate monitor and words like "impressions," "engagement," and "click-through rates."
Let’s be honest: You glance at it for five seconds, see some green arrows, and then delete the email. Why? Because it doesn’t tell you the one thing you actually care about: "Did the money I spent on marketing result in more money in my bank account?"
Most reporting is designed to make marketers look busy, not to help you make decisions. At Local Marketing Group, we believe if a report doesn't help you decide where to spend your next dollar, it belongs in the bin.
That’s where a tool called Looker Studio comes in. Don't let the name bore you. Think of it as a custom-built dashboard for your business that cuts through the rubbish and shows you exactly how many phone calls, bookings, and sales you got yesterday.
In this guide, I’m going to show you how to set up a dashboard that actually matters, compare the different ways to build one, and explain why owning your numbers is the only way to stop wasting cash.
The Two Ways to Track Your Business: The "Vibe" vs. The Facts
I’ve sat down with dozens of business owners across South East Queensland. Most of them run their marketing based on a "vibe."
- "I think the Facebook ads are working because the phone has been ringing." - "I reckon the website looks good, so people must be using it." - "My nephew told me I need to be on TikTok."
This is a dangerous way to run a business. When you don't see exactly which ads make money, you end up overspending on things that do nothing and underspending on the stuff that’s actually paying your mortgage.
Approach 1: The "Default" Method (A Mess)
Most owners log into five different places. They check their bank account, then Google Ads, then Facebook, then their website stats. All the numbers are different. Facebook says you got 10 leads; your email inbox says you got 2. It’s a headache.Approach 2: The "Looker Studio" Method (The Winner)
This approach pulls all that data into one single screen. You open one link, and you see: 1. Total spent on ads. 2. Total phone calls received. 3. Total quote requests sent. 4. The cost per lead (how much it cost you to get that person to contact you).This isn't about being "techy." It’s about being in control. If you see that Google is getting you customers for $20 each, but Facebook is costing you $80, you know exactly what to do: move the money.
What Should Actually Be on Your Dashboard?
Stop looking at "vanity metrics." If a marketing agency tells you that your "brand awareness" is up 20%, ask them how many loaves of bread that buys at the supermarket.
For a real business, your dashboard only needs four main sections:
1. The "Money Out" Section
How much did you spend this month? This should include your ad spend on Google and Facebook, and any management fees. If you don't know what marketing really costs, you can't calculate your profit.2. The "Action" Section
This is the most important part. We only care about actions that lead to money. - Phone Calls: People clicking the call button on your site. - Form Submissions: People asking for a quote. - Bookings: People locking in a time.If these numbers aren't moving, your marketing isn't working—period.
3. The "Leaky Bucket" Check
Sometimes you’re getting plenty of visitors, but no one is contacting you. Often, this is because your website form is costing sales by being too long or broken on mobile phones. Your dashboard should show you the "conversion rate"—which is just a fancy way of saying "what percentage of visitors actually contacted me?"4. The "Where Did They Come From?" Map
Did they find you on Google Maps? Did they click a paid ad? Did they find your blog post? This tells you where to put your effort.Comparison: DIY vs. Agency vs. Templates
How should you get this dashboard set up? There are three main ways to do it.
The DIY Route (Free, but frustrating)
You can log into Looker Studio for free using your Google account. - The Good: It costs $0. - The Bad: It’s like being handed a box of LEGOs with no instructions. You’ll spend ten hours trying to connect your data, get frustrated, and end up with a chart that doesn't make sense. - Verdict: Only do this if you have a lot of spare time and actually enjoy fiddling with spreadsheets.The Template Route ($50 - $200)
You can buy a pre-made template online. - The Good: Looks pretty right out of the box. - The Bad: It’s built for "everyone," which means it’s built for "no one." It will likely include 50 charts you don't need and miss the 2 you actually do (like your specific lead tracking). - Verdict: Better than DIY, but often results in more confusion.The Custom Business Build (Best for Growth)
This is where a pro (like us) builds a dashboard specifically for your Brisbane business. - The Good: It only shows what matters to you. It’s accurate. It works on your phone so you can check it while you're on a job site or between meetings. - The Bad: There is an upfront cost to set it up properly. - Verdict: If you are spending more than $1,000 a month on marketing, this pays for itself in a few weeks by showing you where you're wasting money.Real World Example: The Morningside Electrician
We worked with a local sparky who was spending $3,000 a month on Google Ads. He felt like he was getting busy, but he wasn't sure if the ads were the reason.
We set up a simple Looker Studio dashboard for him. Within a week, we saw something shocking: 80% of his budget was being spent on people searching for "how to fix a light switch yourself." He was paying for clicks from DIYers who had no intention of hiring a pro!
By seeing this in plain English on a dashboard, we tweaked his ads. His lead volume stayed the same, but his spend dropped to $1,200. He saved $1,800 a month just by having the right data in front of him. That's the power of knowing which ads get customers.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Too much data: If your dashboard has more than 10 numbers on the main page, it’s too complicated. You should be able to understand your business health in 30 seconds. 2. Ignoring the "Mobile" view: Most business owners check their stats on their phone while they're out and about. Make sure your dashboard is built to be read on a small screen. 3. Not checking it: A dashboard is only useful if you look at it. We recommend checking it once a week—usually on a Friday afternoon or Monday morning—to see how the previous week went.
How to Get Started
You don't need a degree in data science to get this right. Start small.
1. Identify your "Win": What is the one thing that equals a sale? Is it a phone call? An online booking? 2. Connect your sources: Get your Google Ads and your Website data into one place. 3. Focus on the Cost Per Lead: This is the magic number. If it costs you $50 to get a lead, and you convert 1 in 5 leads into a $1,000 job, you’re winning. If it costs you $200 to get a lead for a $150 job, you’re losing.
Stop Guessing and Start Growing
Marketing shouldn't be a mystery. You wouldn't hire an employee and not check if they showed up for work; don't do the same with your marketing budget.
At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in helping Brisbane small businesses stop the guesswork. We build dashboards that tell the truth, so you can focus on running your business while your marketing actually does its job.
Ready to see the truth about your marketing?
If you want a dashboard that actually makes sense, let’s chat. We’ll show you exactly where your customers are coming from and how to get more of them without wasting a cent.
Contact Local Marketing Group today and let's get your numbers sorted.