Why clear reports beat more reports

A report should answer one question. Group results by source, campaign and page, keep the same layout each week, and write down what you will change before you open the numbers.

One report, one question

Start with the question: which source should get more budget? Which page loses visitors? A report that tries to answer everything usually answers nothing.

Keep the layout stable

When the report looks the same every week, you spot changes faster. Group by source, campaign and page and resist adding a new chart for every idea.

Decide before you look

Write down what you will change if the number goes up, and what you will change if it goes down. It keeps the report honest and the next step obvious.