If you’re reading this, you probably need better answers from your GTM (go-to-market) data, and you’re not interested in dashboards that just look pretty for the boss. You want real insight, on your terms, without wasting days wrestling with “powerful” (read: confusing) reporting tools.
This guide is for folks who need to customize reporting dashboards in Usemotion to actually get useful GTM insights—whether you’re in marketing, ops, product, or just the only one in the room who cares about numbers that matter.
We’ll walk through an end-to-end approach: from understanding what’s possible, to step-by-step setup, to the stuff that’s worth skipping. Along the way, I’ll call out the features that actually save time, and which ones you can safely ignore.
1. Know What Usemotion Dashboards Can (and Can’t) Do
Before you start clicking around, it’s smart to get a handle on what Usemotion dashboards are actually built for—and where they might fall short.
What works: - Flexible widgets: You can mix and match visualizations—tables, charts, funnels, whatever you need. - Custom data sources: Usemotion can pull from a bunch of platforms (CRM, ad tools, web analytics), so you’re not stuck with one data view. - Filtering & segmentation: Segment results by channel, region, cohort, or whatever breakdown helps you act.
What doesn’t: - Deep data modeling: You won’t build complex transformations or SQL-level logic here. If you need heavy-duty data crunching, you’ll want to prep the data upstream. - Granular permissions: Usemotion’s sharing is simple, not fine-grained. If you need row-level security, look elsewhere. - Pixel-perfect design: These dashboards are more functional than beautiful.
Pro Tip: Don’t waste time making dashboards that look good but don’t help you make decisions. Focus on what you’ll actually use.
2. Get Your Data Sources Lined Up
Your dashboard is only as smart as the data feeding into it. Good news: Usemotion connects to most of the usual suspects.
Supported sources include: - Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs - Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude - Ad platforms: Google Ads, Facebook/Meta, LinkedIn - CSV uploads for anything else
How to connect: 1. Go to Settings > Data Integrations. 2. Pick your source (say, HubSpot) and follow the prompts—usually OAuth or API keys. 3. For CSVs, just upload and map the columns.
What to watch: - Data freshness: Most connectors update daily or hourly. If you need real-time, check if your plan allows it. - Field mapping: Double-check that your key fields (lead IDs, campaign names) match across sources. One bad mapping and you’ll chase phantom trends for weeks. - Junk in, junk out: Clean your source data before you even think about visualization. Dashboards won’t fix dirty data.
3. Decide What GTM Insights Actually Matter
This is the step everyone skips—and then ends up with a dashboard that answers nothing.
Ask yourself: - What questions do I need answered? (“Which channels actually convert?” “Where do leads drop out?”) - Who’s going to use this? (Execs want different views than ops folks.) - What’s actionable? (If it won’t change what you do next week, skip it.)
A few dashboard ideas that don’t suck: - Channel performance: Compare spend vs. conversions across all GTM channels. - Funnel drop-off: See where leads or users fall out of your process. - Sales velocity: How long does it take to move from MQL to closed-won? - Campaign ROI: Stack up campaign costs vs. actual revenue.
Don’t: Build a “kitchen sink” dashboard with every metric under the sun. Nobody will look at it twice.
4. Build Your Usemotion Dashboard, Step by Step
Now let’s get into it—the actual setup. This part’s pretty straightforward if you keep your goals in mind.
Step 1: Create a New Dashboard
- Hit the “Dashboards” tab.
- Click “New Dashboard.”
- Give it a name that anyone can understand—skip the inside jokes.
Step 2: Add Your First Widget
- Click “Add Widget.”
- Choose your visualization: chart, table, funnel, scorecard, etc.
- Pick your data source and select fields (e.g., “Leads Created” by Channel).
Pro Tip: Start with one or two widgets—don’t try to fill the page right away. You’ll tweak as you go.
Step 3: Set Up Filters and Segments
- Most widgets let you filter by date, channel, or custom fields.
- Add a filter for the “current quarter” or a segment for “Paid vs. Organic.”
What’s worth doing: - Date filters: So you don’t have to build a new chart every month. - Channel/campaign filters: Compare apples to apples.
What to skip: - Overly fancy filters (“show me leads from Utah on Tuesdays in Q2”). If nobody cares, don’t add it.
Step 4: Tweak Visualization Settings
- Pick chart types that match your data. Bar for comparisons, line for trends, pie for… actually, just skip pie charts. They’re almost always useless.
- Rename axes and titles so they’re dead simple.
Pro Tip: If you can’t explain a chart in one sentence, it’s too complicated.
Step 5: Arrange and Resize
- Drag widgets around until the flow makes sense. Most important at the top.
- Resize so your key metrics aren’t hidden in the corner.
Step 6: Save and Share
- Hit “Save.”
- Use the “Share” button to copy a link or invite teammates.
Heads up: Anyone with the link can usually view, so don’t put sensitive data in a dashboard unless you’re fine with it being forwarded around.
5. Iterate: Review, Refine, and Repeat
No dashboard survives first contact with reality. Here’s how to make yours actually useful over time.
- Check in weekly: Are people using it? Are you using it?
- Cut deadweight: If nobody looks at a widget, delete it.
- Add context: If people keep asking “What’s this number mean?”, add a description or tweak the title.
- Automate alerts: If Usemotion supports it, set up notifications for big swings or threshold breaches. That way you’re not checking dashboards just for the heck of it.
6. What to Ignore (and What to Watch For)
Let’s be real, not every feature is worth your time.
Ignore: - Fancy “AI insights” that just restate the obvious. If the AI is telling you “Leads are higher on Mondays,” you probably already know. - Overly granular export options. If you need to analyze data in Excel every week, you might be better off just exporting raw data and skipping dashboards altogether.
Watch for: - Hidden limits: Some plans cap the number of dashboards or data refreshes. Know what you’re paying for. - Data lag: If you’re making decisions off dashboards, make sure you know when the data was last updated. Stale data = bad calls.
7. Real-World Tips That Actually Help
- Keep it simple. The best dashboards answer one or two key questions—no more.
- Name things clearly. “Leads by Channel Q2” beats “Dashboard 7” every time.
- Get feedback early. Show a rough draft to your team before you polish. You’ll spot what matters (and what doesn’t).
- Don’t try to automate everything. Sometimes, you’ll still need to dig into the raw data. That’s okay.
Wrap-Up: Don’t Overthink It
Customizing reporting dashboards in Usemotion isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to get lost in the weeds. Start with the questions that matter, connect clean data, and build just enough to help you make the next smart move. Most dashboards are a work in progress—so keep it simple, ship it, and tweak as you learn what works.
You’ll get more actionable GTM insights by staying focused, not by chasing every shiny feature. Good luck—and don’t be afraid to delete a chart or two the next time you log in.