If you’re running campaigns and want more than just a handful of vanity metrics, this guide is for you. Maybe you’re tired of staring at a wall of numbers in your ad platform, or you’re trying to answer, “Did this actually work?” for the tenth time this week. If you use Trigify.io, or you’re thinking about it, I’ll walk you through how to actually track and analyze your campaigns—minus the fluff. You’ll learn how to build dashboards that tell you what’s working, what to ignore, and how to avoid getting lost in pointless data rabbit holes.
Why Custom Dashboards Matter (and What to Watch Out For)
Let’s start with a hard truth: most default dashboards are a mess. They show you everything, so you end up seeing nothing. Custom dashboards in Trigifyio let you focus on what matters: the real signals, not just noise.
But don’t get starry-eyed. Custom dashboards are only as good as the questions you ask. If you try to track everything, you’ll end up with a confusing mess. The goal is to make your data work for you, not the other way around.
Good dashboards: - Show you campaign results at a glance - Help you catch problems early - Make it easier to act, not just analyze
Bad dashboards: - Are crammed with metrics no one cares about - Hide key numbers in fancy graphs - Make you spend more time explaining than deciding
Step 1: Figure Out What You Actually Need to Track
Before you even open Trigifyio or start dragging widgets around, pause. What are you really trying to answer with your dashboard? Get specific.
Ask yourself: - What does “success” look like for this campaign? - Who needs to see the results (just you, or a team)? - What decisions do we want to make with this data?
Examples of useful metrics: - Total conversions (not just clicks) - Cost per conversion - Conversion rate over time - Top-performing channels or creatives - Drop-off points in the funnel
What to ignore (unless you have a good reason): - Raw impression counts (unless you’re in brand marketing) - “Likes” or similar vanity metrics - Data that doesn’t tie to a business goal
Pro tip: Write your top 3-5 questions on a sticky note before building your dashboard. If a metric doesn’t help answer them, skip it.
Step 2: Set Up Your Campaign Tracking in Trigifyio
You can’t analyze what you haven’t tracked. Trigifyio does a decent job here, but you’ll want to make sure you’re feeding in clean, consistent data.
Key steps:
1. Tag your campaigns
Use clear, consistent naming for campaigns, ad sets, and creatives. Avoid cryptic codes or inside jokes—future you will thank you.
2. Use UTM parameters (if you’re tracking web traffic)
Trigifyio can pull in UTM-tagged data, so make sure your links are tagged before anything goes live.
3. Connect all relevant data sources
Trigifyio supports most standard ad platforms, CRMs, and analytics tools. Connect these upfront to avoid gaps.
4. Set up conversion events
Define what counts as a conversion (purchase, signup, form submission, etc.) and make sure Trigifyio is capturing it. Don’t assume the defaults are right.
Don’t overcomplicate it:
You don’t need to track every micro-interaction. Focus on the conversions or actions that move your business forward.
Step 3: Build a Custom Dashboard in Trigifyio
Now for the fun part. Trigifyio’s dashboard builder is pretty flexible, but it’s easy to overdo it. Here’s how to keep things useful:
1. Start with a Blank Canvas
Don’t just copy the default dashboard and tweak a few widgets. Begin with a blank dashboard, so you’re forced to add only what you actually need.
2. Add Key Metrics First
Drag in widgets for your top questions: - Conversion count - Conversion rate - Cost per conversion - ROI (if you can calculate it) - Channel/source breakdowns
Honest take:
Don’t get seduced by weird graphs and gauges. If you can’t explain what a widget tells you in one sentence, it probably doesn’t belong.
3. Use Filters and Segments
Slice data by: - Date range (obviously) - Channel or source - Campaign or creative - Audience segment
Filters help you spot trends fast—like when one channel starts underperforming or a creative falls flat.
4. Visualize Sparingly
Bar charts and line graphs are your friends. Pie charts and heatmaps? Usually not. Stick to what’s easy to read at a glance.
Pro tip:
If you’re building a dashboard for someone else (your boss, a client), test it on them before calling it done. If they can’t answer their core questions in 60 seconds, it’s back to the drawing board.
Step 4: Analyze—Don’t Just Admire—Your Dashboard
Once your dashboard’s up, don’t just stare at the numbers. Use it to actually dig into what’s working and what’s not.
How to make sense of the data: - Look for patterns, not just spikes: Did conversions drop after a creative change? Did a new channel outperform? - Compare over time: Are things trending up, down, or just flatlining? - Investigate outliers: If something looks unusually good (or bad), dig deeper. Is it real, or just a tracking error? - Tie results to actions: If a channel is underperforming, what will you do? Don’t just note it—act on it.
What to ignore: - Fluctuations that don’t matter (one bad day isn’t a trend) - Metrics that don’t tie to your top questions
Pro tip:
Set a recurring reminder to review and act on your dashboard. Once a week is realistic for most teams. More than that, and you’ll probably just get numb to the numbers.
Step 5: Iterate and Improve
No dashboard is perfect the first time. As your campaigns evolve, so should your dashboards.
- Prune regularly: Every few weeks, remove metrics no one uses. Add new ones only if they answer a real question.
- Get feedback: If you’re sharing dashboards, ask folks what’s missing—or what’s just wasting space.
- Automate reports if possible: Trigifyio lets you schedule dashboard summaries. Use this if you need to nudge yourself (or your team) to actually look at the data.
Watch out for: - “Dashboard sprawl”—dozens of dashboards no one uses - Making things so granular you can’t see the big picture - Getting caught up in “pretty” layouts instead of clarity
Honest FAQs
Q: Should I track everything just in case?
A: No. Extra data just means extra confusion. Track what helps you make decisions. You can always add more later.
Q: Can Trigifyio replace my other analytics tools?
A: Maybe, but don’t force it. Trigifyio is solid for campaign performance, but if you need deep web analytics or super-granular CRM data, you’ll probably still want those other tools.
Q: How often should I update my dashboards?
A: Whenever your goals, campaigns, or data sources change. Otherwise, stick to regular reviews, not constant tweaks.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Tracking campaign performance isn’t about collecting every stat under the sun—it’s about getting clear answers that help you do better next time. Start simple in Trigifyio, focus on what matters, and don’t be afraid to cut what isn’t useful. The best dashboards are the ones you actually use, not the prettiest ones you can show off in a meeting.
Now go build a dashboard that works for you—not the other way around.