HubSpot Reporting 101: Demystifying Data for Non-Numbers People

Feel overwhelmed by data? Don't worry, you're not alone. Even as a person with a master's in Data Analytic, I find dealing with numbers overwhelming at tims. HubSpot reporting can seem intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Even if numbers aren't your thing, you can still harness the power of HubSpot's data to make informed decisions and drive your business forward. One important thing to note (in my opinion) - you need to define top 3-5 metrics you want to look at; otherwise, it's all just going to be an overwhelming wave of numbers flooding your dashboards/email notifications.

Why Reporting Matters (Even If You're Not a Data Geek)

HubSpot reporting isn't just for analysts and statisticians. It's a valuable tool for everyone in your organization, from marketers and salespeople to customer service reps and business owners. Here's why:

• Understand Your Customers: Discover who your ideal customers are, what they want, and how they interact with your business.
• Measure Your Marketing ROI: See which campaigns are working and which ones need improvement. [Mastering HubSpot: Top 5 Hacks and Shortcuts]
• Track Your Sales Progress: Identify bottlenecks in your sales funnel and close more deals.
• Improve Customer Satisfaction: Uncover issues and opportunities to enhance the customer experience.

HubSpot Reporting Basics: Start Here

HubSpot's reporting tools are designed to be user-friendly, even for those who aren't data experts. Here's where to begin:

1. Dashboards: Think of these as your command center. HubSpot offers pre-built dashboards for marketing, sales,and service, giving you a quick overview of your most important metrics.

2. Reports: Dive deeper into specific areas of your business with HubSpot's extensive library of reports. You can easily filter and customize reports to get the exact information you need.

3. Analytics Tools: Explore trends, compare performance over time, and uncover insights with tools like the traffic analytics tool and the attribution report. But, I would treat it as a separate set of features. The first two (dashboards and reports) are all you need to get started.

Top Tips for Non-Technical HubSpot Users:

• Start with the Basics: Don't try to learn everything at once. Focus on the key metrics that are most relevant to your role and goals.
• Ask for Help: Don't be afraid to reach out to your HubSpot administrator or a consultant if you have questions.
• Use Plain English: When creating custom reports, use clear and simple language to describe what you want to measure.
  
• Experiment: Play around with different reports and dashboards to see what works best for you.
  
  

Example: Tracking Your Website Traffic (and Understanding Your Audience)

Want to know who's visiting your website and what they're doing there? HubSpot's traffic analytics can unlock a wealth of information:

1. Navigate to Reports: In your HubSpot portal, click on Reports, then Traffic Analytics.

2. Choose Your View: You'll have several options to slice and dice your data:

   • Sessions: The total number of visits to your website.
   • Page Views: The total number of pages viewed on your site.
   • New vs. Returning Visitors: See how many visitors are new vs. returning to your site.
   • Traffic Sources: Find out where your visitors are coming from (e.g., organic search, social media, referrals).
   • Top Pages: Identify which pages are attracting the most visitors.

3. Filter and Refine: HubSpot allows you to filter your data by date range, specific pages, or even specific campaigns.This helps you zoom in on the information that matters most.

4. Interpret the Data (and Build Reports):

   • High Traffic Pages: Create a report showing your top-performing pages. This can help you identify your most valuable content and inform future content creation efforts.
   • Top Traffic Sources: Build a report showcasing the sources that drive the most traffic to your site. This will help you focus your marketing efforts where they'll have the biggest impact.
   • New vs. Returning Visitors: Compare the behavior of new and returning visitors. Are new visitors bouncing off your site quickly? Are returning visitors engaging with your content? These insights can guide your website optimization strategies.

Pro Tip: Use the "Compare to" feature in HubSpot to see how your website traffic has changed over time or in comparison to previous periods.

Example: Analyzing Email Open Rates (and Improving Them!)

Ever wondered how many people actually open your emails? HubSpot's reporting tools can tell you exactly that, and more:

1. Navigate to Reports: Head to the Reports section in HubSpot.
2. Select Email Performance: Click on Email > Email Performance.
3. Get the Big Picture: HubSpot will show you an overview of your email marketing performance, including average open rates, click-through rates, and delivery rates.
4. Dive Deeper: Click on a specific email campaign to see detailed metrics like open rates by contact list, device type,or even individual contact.
5. Take Action (and Report):
   • Open Rate Trends: Create a report that tracks your open rates over time. This can help you identify trends and see if your efforts are paying off.
   • Top Performing Emails: Build a report highlighting your most successful emails in terms of open rates.Analyze what made those emails stand out and apply those insights to future campaigns.
   • A/B Test Results: If you've run A/B tests on your emails, generate reports to compare the performance of different subject lines or content variations.

Pro Tip: Experiment with different email subject lines, send times, and content to see what gets the best results.HubSpot's A/B testing tools can make this process a breeze.

Example: Tracking Your Sales Pipeline (and Closing More Deals)

Want to see where your deals are in the sales process and identify any potential bottlenecks? HubSpot's sales reporting has you covered:

1. Head to Sales: Go to the Sales section in HubSpot.

2. Click on Deals: This will take you to your sales pipeline dashboard.

3. Visualize Your Pipeline: You'll see a visual representation of your sales pipeline, with deals organized by stage (e.g., appointment scheduled, qualified to buy, presented).

4. Click for Details: Click on any deal to see more information, including the deal amount, the contact associated with the deal, and the activities logged on the deal.

5. Identify Opportunities (and Build Reports):

   • Conversion Rates: Create reports that track conversion rates between different stages of your pipeline. This can help you identify where leads are dropping off and where you need to focus your efforts.
   • Sales Funnel Visualization: Build a funnel chart that visually represents the flow of deals through your pipeline. This can give you a quick snapshot of your sales process and help you identify bottlenecks.
   • Sales Rep Performance: Generate reports comparing the performance of different sales reps. This can help you identify your top performers and areas where others may need additional training or support.

Pro Tip: Set up custom deal properties to track additional information about your deals, such as lead source or product interest. This can help you create more targeted reports and identify your most successful sales strategies.

Get Expert Help from OptimizeHub

HubSpot reporting can unlock a world of insights for your business. If you need help getting started or want to take your reporting to the next level, OptimizeHub is here to help. As a HubSpot experts, I can create custom reports, dashboards, and workflows that are tailored to your specific needs. I can also provide training and support to help you become a HubSpot reporting pro. Book a call here or fill out a form below.

Ready to Harness the Power of Data?

Don't let the fear of numbers hold you back. HubSpot reporting is a powerful tool that can help you make smarter decisions, improve your marketing and sales results, and grow your business. Contact OptimizeHub today to learn how we can help you get the most out of your HubSpot data.