Building dashboards sounds fancy, but most of us just want a clear way to show what’s working (and what’s not) in our B2B marketing. If you need interactive dashboards that look good and don’t require a PhD in data science, you’re in the right place. This guide is for marketers, sales ops folks, and anyone who wants to turn raw numbers into real insights—without wrestling with clunky tools or getting lost in endless design options.
We’ll walk through building interactive dashboards in Venngage step by step, with honest advice on what features actually help, where you might get tripped up, and how to keep it simple so your team actually uses what you make.
Step 1: Get Your Data Together (Don’t Skip This)
Before you even think about design, get your numbers sorted. Dashboards are only as good as the info you feed them. Venngage isn’t a data warehouse—it’s a design tool. So you’ll need to prep your data outside first.
What you need: - Exported reports from your CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.) - Google Sheets or Excel files with your key metrics - A clear idea of what questions you’re trying to answer
Pro tip:
Don’t try to show everything. Pick 3–5 marketing metrics that actually matter to your team or clients (think: leads generated, conversion rates, pipeline value). More isn’t better.
What doesn’t work:
Dumping heaps of raw data into your dashboard and hoping it’ll “tell the story.” It just overwhelms people.
Step 2: Sign Up and Set Up Your Venngage Account
If you haven’t used Venngage before, set up a free account. Just be aware: most dashboard templates and interactive features are behind their paid plans. If you’re serious about B2B reporting, the cost is usually worth it—but don’t expect miracles from the free tier.
Quick setup checklist: - Go to Venngage and create an account. - Confirm your email (check your spam folder). - Poke around the dashboard to get familiar.
What to ignore:
You don’t need to upload a logo, pick your brand colors, or fiddle with profile settings right away. That comes later.
Step 3: Choose a Dashboard Template (But Don’t Get Distracted)
Venngage has a bunch of templates—some look slick, some are just noise. For B2B marketing, you want something clean and focused.
How to pick: - Search for “marketing dashboard” or “business dashboard” in the template library. - Look for layouts with space for charts, not just static infographics. - Skip the ones overloaded with icons, illustrations, or wild colors. You’re not making a children’s book.
Pro tip:
It’s tempting to pick the flashiest template. Resist. Choose something basic—you can always add more later.
Step 4: Map Out Your Dashboard Layout
Once you pick a template, don’t jump straight into adding numbers. Think about what story you’re telling. Arrange your sections in order of importance.
Classic B2B dashboard layout: 1. KPI Overview: Top summary (leads, pipeline, spend) 2. Performance Trends: Line or bar charts showing changes over time 3. Breakdowns: By channel, region, campaign, or rep 4. Action Items: Quick notes on what’s working or needs fixing
What works:
- Group related metrics together.
- Leave space—cramming everything in makes it unreadable.
What doesn’t:
- Mixing apples and oranges. Don’t put social metrics next to sales pipeline unless you can clearly connect them.
Step 5: Add and Customize Your Charts
Here’s where Venngage shines—drag-and-drop charts, no Excel formulas needed.
How to add charts: - Click “Charts” in the left menu. - Pick your type (bar, line, pie, etc.) - Paste or upload your data. You can copy from Excel or Google Sheets.
Which charts to use: - Bar/column: For comparing campaign or channel performance - Line: For showing trends over time - Pie: Rarely useful for B2B dashboards—skip unless you really need a simple split - Tables: Good for showing small sets of top performers or recent deals
Customization tips: - Stick to 2–3 colors max. - Label axes and data points clearly. - Don’t overload with “fun” icons or animations—this isn’t Vegas.
What doesn’t work:
Venngage’s chart customization is decent, but don’t expect the fine-grained control you’d get in Tableau or Power BI. If you need advanced filtering or real-time data, Venngage won’t cut it.
Step 6: Make It Interactive (But Don’t Go Overboard)
“Interactive” can mean a lot of things. In Venngage, it means clickable elements—think tooltips, clickable tabs, or links to drill down into more info.
Ways to add interactivity: - Tabs: Use the “Add Page” option to make separate views (e.g., by region or team). Link tabs with clickable shapes or buttons. - Tooltips: Add notes that pop up when someone hovers over a chart (though, honestly, most users miss these). - Links: Link to reports, Google Sheets, or web pages for more detail.
What works:
- Use tabs for different audiences (e.g., exec summary, detailed view).
- Use links to let people dig deeper if they care.
What doesn’t:
- Hiding key info behind too many clicks. If it’s important, show it upfront.
- Overusing animations or pop-ups—they slow people down and can be glitchy.
Step 7: Brand It (Just Enough)
You want your dashboard to look like your company, but don’t let branding slow you down.
Quick branding wins: - Swap in your logo - Use your brand’s main colors (but keep charts readable) - Choose a simple, clean font
What to ignore:
Don’t obsess over pixel-perfect color matching or custom icons—stakeholders care about the data, not how fancy the borders are.
Step 8: Share and Gather Feedback
When you’re happy with your dashboard, it’s time to show it off (and brace yourself for feedback).
How to share: - Use “Share” to send a private link (no Venngage account needed to view) - Download as PDF or PNG for emailing or presentations - Embed the dashboard in an internal wiki or intranet
What works:
- Give people a chance to click around—interactive dashboards are meant to be explored.
- Ask specific questions (“Is the pipeline trend clear?”) instead of “What do you think?”
What doesn’t:
- Emailing static images and hoping people will “get it”
- Sharing with everyone at once—start with a small group, iterate, then roll out broadly
Step 9: Iterate (Because the First Draft Is Never Perfect)
No dashboard survives first contact with sales leadership, the CMO, or your most detail-obsessed account manager. That’s normal.
How to iterate: - Watch how people use it—where do they click? What confuses them? - Drop metrics no one cares about. - Add explanations or context where people get lost. - Update regularly—no one trusts stale dashboards.
What doesn’t work:
Building once and forgetting about it. Dashboards are living documents, not museum pieces.
What to Skip (Don’t Waste Your Time)
- Venngage’s data integrations: They’re limited—manual uploads work better for most B2B teams.
- Crazy animations: Fun for a demo, but annoying after five minutes.
- Too many filters: If users need to configure lots of options, you’ve probably made it too complicated.
Keep It Simple and Ship It
Most teams overthink dashboards and never get them out the door. The key with Venngage (and honestly, any tool) is to start simple, share early, and improve as you go. Focus on the questions your team actually asks, not what looks impressive on a big screen. The best dashboard is the one people actually use.
So: pick a template, show what matters, and don’t let perfect be the enemy of done.