If you’re running B2B campaigns, you know that “just check the dashboard” is rarely as simple as it sounds. Most built-in dashboards are either way too basic or packed with data you don’t care about. If you want real answers—like “Which campaigns are actually driving qualified leads?”—you need to build your own dashboard.
This guide is for marketers, sales ops folks, and anyone who’s sick of clicking through a dozen tabs to find out if what you’re doing is actually working. I’ll walk you through building a custom dashboard in Hellorobin that tells you what you really want to know (and skips the vanity metrics).
No fluff, no buzzwords—just a step-by-step walkthrough, plus some hard-earned advice on what to pay attention to and what you can ignore.
Step 1: Nail Down What You Actually Need to Track
Before you even log in, get clear on what you want out of your dashboard. Most people skip this and end up with a wall of useless charts.
- Start with your questions. What do you need to know every week? Examples:
- Which campaigns are driving demos or sign-ups?
- What’s our cost per qualified lead, by channel?
-
Are there any sudden drops or spikes we should care about?
-
Don’t track everything. More data isn’t better. Pick 3-5 metrics that matter for your current goals. If you’re not sure, ask your sales team what they wish they had at their fingertips.
Pro tip: You can always add more later. It’s way easier to start small and iterate.
Step 2: Set Up Your Data Sources in Hellorobin
Hellorobin can pull from a bunch of sources—CRMs, ad platforms, web analytics, even spreadsheets. But just because you can connect everything doesn’t mean you should.
- Connect only what you need. For most B2B campaigns, you’re probably looking at:
- CRM (like Salesforce or HubSpot) for leads and pipeline data
- Google Ads/LinkedIn Ads for spend and clicks
-
Web analytics (Google Analytics, etc.) for traffic and conversions
-
Keep it clean. Double-check your connections. If your CRM fields are a mess, fix that first. Garbage in, garbage out.
How to connect: 1. Go to the “Data Sources” section in Hellorobin’s sidebar. 2. Click “Add Source” and follow the prompts for each platform. 3. Test each connection—if you see “null” fields or weird numbers, hit pause and clean up at the source.
Honest take: Integrations sometimes break or pull incomplete data. Don’t trust the first numbers you see. Cross-check them with what you see in the native tools.
Step 3: Create a New Dashboard
Now comes the fun part—actually building your dashboard.
- In Hellorobin, click on “Dashboards” in the left sidebar.
- Hit “Create New Dashboard.”
- Give it a name you’ll remember (not “Test 2” or “Q2 Results Final FINAL”).
Set permissions: Decide who should see this dashboard. If everyone can edit, it’ll turn into a mess. Lock it down until you’re happy with it.
Step 4: Add and Configure Your Widgets
Widgets are the building blocks of your dashboard—charts, tables, KPIs, etc.
- Start with KPIs: Add a few headline numbers at the top (e.g., “Qualified Leads This Month,” “Pipeline from LinkedIn Campaigns”).
- Mix visualizations: Use bar charts for trends, tables for detail, pie charts only if you really have to (they’re usually more confusing than helpful).
- Filters are your friend: Add filters for date ranges, channels, campaign names, or sales reps.
Widget setup: 1. Click “Add Widget” and choose your type (KPI, chart, table). 2. Pick the data source and metric. 3. Set filters and breakdowns (e.g., “Show by Campaign Name”). 4. Give everything a clear label—no one wants to guess what “Metric 4” means.
Pro tip: Less is more. If you’re not using a widget every week, delete it.
What to ignore: Hellorobin sometimes offers “advanced” widgets that promise AI-powered insights. In reality, these often surface noise, not signal. Stick to the basics unless you have a specific question those tools can answer.
Step 5: Arrange and Polish Your Dashboard
Now that your widgets are set up, make the dashboard usable.
- Group by theme: Put related metrics together (e.g., all LinkedIn stats in one row).
- Use whitespace: Don’t cram every inch. A cluttered dashboard is just as bad as a messy spreadsheet.
- Highlight what matters: Use color or icons sparingly for key numbers or warnings.
Test drive: Click around as if you’re a VP who only has 30 seconds. Can you find what you need? If not, fix it.
Step 6: Automate Reports and Alerts
A dashboard you have to remember to check is a dashboard you’ll forget about.
- Set up email reports: In Hellorobin, you can schedule snapshots to hit your inbox (or your boss’s) every week or month.
- Set alerts: If a key metric drops or spikes (say, cost per lead goes above $300), get a Slack or email alert.
Pro tip: Don’t overdo alerts. Only set them for things that actually require action. Otherwise, they’ll just get ignored.
Step 7: Share and Get Feedback
Even the best dashboard will miss something the first time around.
- Share with your team. Ask what’s missing or confusing. If everyone squints at a chart, it’s probably not useful.
- Iterate. Remove anything no one cares about. Add what’s actually getting asked for in meetings.
What to ignore: Don’t make every “nice to have” suggestion. If someone wants a metric “just in case,” it’s probably not worth the clutter.
Step 8: Maintain and Update as You Go
Dashboards are never really “done.” Campaigns change, goals shift, and people come and go.
- Review monthly: Spend 10 minutes each month pruning, updating, or tweaking.
- Watch for broken widgets: Integrations sometimes break, especially if someone changes a password or field in your CRM.
- Document basics: Leave a quick note or legend for new folks so they’re not lost.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
- Works: Keeping it simple, focusing on metrics that actually drive decisions, and making sure the data is reliable.
- Doesn’t work: Overcomplicating things, tracking everything “just in case,” or trusting AI widgets to magically find insights.
- Ignore: Vanity metrics like “impressions” or “likes” unless you really need them (hint: you probably don’t for B2B).
Wrap-Up
Building a dashboard in Hellorobin isn’t rocket science—but it’s easy to mess up if you try to make it perfect on day one. Start with the basics, focus on what your team actually needs, and don’t be afraid to cut anything that isn’t useful. The best dashboards are the ones that get used, not the ones with the most colors or charts.
Keep it simple. Iterate every month. And remember: if you can’t answer your top three questions in 30 seconds, it’s time to clean house.