Are you looking to track the performance of your advertising campaigns? Or do you want to analyze the marketing funnel to identify bottlenecks? Whichever goal you pursue, creating an interactive marketing dashboard in Tableau can be the solution.
An efficient dashboard is all about properly visualized data. With so many options available, it can be tricky to understand which chart is best to display certain metrics. Luckily, we’ve collected 20 different Tableau charts and we explain how you can use them for easy-to-understand reporting. As a bonus, we’ll share a couple of free Tableau marketing templates.
20 different types of charts in Tableau marketers use the most
Let’s take a look at the different Tableau charts to help you nail data visualization and reporting.
Tableau pie chart
A pie chart is a circular diagram that represents 100%, with slices to illustrate the proportions of different categories.
This chart is best for comparing several categories and visualizing how they differ, providing you with instant insight into the data.
However, this chart is best for visualizing a small number of categories, ideally around five or fewer. If you have more, then try to avoid using a pie chart as it can become cluttered and hard to read.
The screenshot above is a great example with large proportions and vivid colors.
Insights from this Tableau chart can help marketers find top-performing products, spot underperforming areas, and plan marketing efforts based on the overall dataset.
Donut chart Tableau
A donut chart is a type of pie chart with a central hole, giving it the shape of a donut. The central hole makes the chart easier to read and compare the sizes of each slice. Because of this, the donut chart can be a great alternative to a pie chart when you’re looking for a more visually appealing look.
In the example above, we can see how a donut chart clearly shows the proportion of conversions coming from different campaign and device types. In one glimpse, we can see that search is dominating the conversions by campaign type, followed by display and then video.
This Tableau chart provides practical insights into making data-driven decisions. It helps marketers optimize their marketing efforts and improve their overall campaign performance.
Stacked bar chart Tableau
A stacked bar chart is a variation of a bar chart, which uses an x-and-y axis to show data points. The chart is great for showing the cumulative effect of sub-categories, providing insight into how different parts contribute to the overall category.
When used to display data over time, a stacked bar chart can reveal trends such as growth or decline in specific sub-categories. In the example above, we see a consistent pattern where website and text message clicks dominate the profile interaction dynamics over time. This information is valuable for marketers, as it helps to focus their efforts on more successful channels.
Overall, a stacked bar chart is best for trend analysis, comparative insights, and visual clarity to areas that need attention.
Gantt chart Tableau
A Gantt chart, as seen above, shows the project timeline on the horizontal axis and the activities listed along the vertical axis.
Gantt charts are great for planning and scheduling long-term tasks. They show the timeline and duration of each task, as well as tracking progress to ensure you stay on schedule. This way, marketing teams can effectively plan and manage their campaigns to ensure tasks are completed on time.
Waterfall chart Tableau
A Waterfall chart clearly depicts how a starting value grows over a series of positive and negative changes, ending with a final value.
For instance, the chart above illustrates the changes in marketing revenue throughout a series of campaigns on different channels with an initial budget of $1,000. It highlights the impact of each movement and provides a clear visualization of how the closing amount is derived.
The Waterfall chart lets you quickly understand how different channels affect the total revenue and identify which changes have the biggest impact on the final amount. Such insights are useful to plan future actions to maximize return on investment.
Tableau funnel chart
This chart visualizes the progress of data as it moves through different stages in a process. It typically resembles a funnel, with the largest section at the beginning representing the initial stage and smaller sections showing subsequent stages.
The funnel chart is particularly effective for tracking customer acquisition, as seen in the example above. We can gain a clear visual representation of the customer journey from initial contact to final conversion.
From this chart, we understand how well each stage of the marketing funnel is performing to convert prospects to the next stage. It also helps quickly identify stages that need improvement to enhance overall conversion rates.
Tableau gauge chart
A gauge chart, also known as a speedometer chart, is a type of data visualization that uses a dial to show where you are on a scale from 0 to a max set value.
Gauge charts are best for highlighting the current progress towards a specific goal. For instance, it can be used to track whether you’ve hit your marketing goal or how much of a budget is already spent.
This chart provides an easy-to-ready visual representation of performance against goals. And you can add several gauge charts in a single dashboard to easily monitor different KPIs.
Tableau line chart
A line chart is a commonly used Tableau chart for showing trend lines. It offers a clear and simple way to visualize changes and patterns, making it easy to interpret at a glance.
Some common use cases for a line chart include tracking changes and trends in website traffic, social media engagement, and more.
In the example above, the chart shows the pattern of website traffic on a daily basis. The line fluctuates with low points appearing consistently after each peak. This can be a sign for marketers to investigate further and identify opportunities for optimization.
Sankey chart Tableau
A Sankey chart shows the flow of quantities between different categories. The thickness of the line represents the quantity of the flow rate.
For instance, the chart above shows a Sankey chart for product distribution by country.
We can see that products from Brazil flow to all four countries, with Portugal being its significant trade route. Marketers can use this flow information to plan efficient distribution and target major routes to expand their market presence.
Sankey charts are also ideal for visualizing customer journey mapping, resource allocation, website navigation, and more. Use this chart when you want to represent the flow of information from one set of categories to another.
Dual axis chart Tableau
A dual-axis chart is best for highlighting the correlation between two different metrics. In the example above, you can see how the bar represents impressions over time, meanwhile the line depicts the click-through rate.
A high CTR with a low impression can suggest that the audience seeing the ad is highly targeted and engaged. The content is relevant, encouraging them to click. From this insight, you can replicate the success and improve other campaigns.
In essence, a dual-axis chart is ideal for showing relationships between different metrics on the same chart.
Slope chart Tableau
A Slope chart displays changes in data points over two time periods, highlighting the increase or decrease in values.
A great way to use the Slope chart is to assess the impact of a marketing campaign by comparing pre and post-campaign performance. This way, you can really see whether your campaign is successful or not.
By recognizing the shift in data, marketers can identify which channel to focus on for further investment.
Radar chart Tableau
The radar chart is used to compare dimensions over several metrics. This chart can handle more complex data sets with multiple variables, creating a spider-like appearance.
In the example above, the chart could be showing new users acquired for each month of 2019 and 2020. You can identify which months had better performance in 2019 and 2020 based on the shapes formed by each axis.
If you want to add another year to the chart, simply create a new axis with a different color.
Sunburst chart Tableau
A sunburst chart is a circular chart, displaying hierarchical data with layered rings to represent different levels of the hierarchy.
The chart above shows a breakdown of total website traffic by different channels, meanwhile, the outer circle shows subcategories for each channel.
This data helps marketers identify which channel and source are driving the most traffic, which can be used to plan marketing strategies.
Other common use cases for the Sunburst chart include content performance, customer segmentation, sales data, and marketing campaigns.
Bullet chart Tableau
A bullet graph or chart takes a bar chart and adds a vertical line to analyze performance against a goal or threshold.
In the example above, you can see how the actual vs. target new user acquisition per source compare against each other.
The longer blue bars indicate that the actual user acquired surpassed the target, while the orange bars did not hit the threshold.
From this data, you can identify channels that are not meeting the target and allocate efforts to improve their strategies based on that.
Bubble chart Tableau
Bubble charts are three-dimensional data, where the bubble size represents a third variable in the x-and-y axis.
The Bubble chart above shows the number of orders by region and time, highlighting key insights such as peak order periods and regional performance.
With this data, marketers can compare the performance of different regions over time and target regions with the highest order potential.
Other ways to use the Bubble chart are to perform market analysis, customer segmentation, campaign performance, sales data, and product comparison.
Bump chart Tableau
Bump charts are designed to track changes in rank over time for multiple categories. In the example above, the bump chart could represent the performance of different marketing channels over time.
This visual provides a clear view of channels that are growing and declining over the course of four consecutive years. Based on this information, marketers can focus on channels that are on an upward trend and develop strategy adjustments for channels that are declining.
Tableau Pareto chart
A Pareto chart contains both bars and line graphs, representing individual values in descending order from the highest to the lowest. This chart is often used to identify areas to focus on for improvement.
For instance, the provided chart identifies binders as the product with the highest return rate, followed by paper and phones.
Based on this information, marketers can develop marketing campaigns that address the issues with the most returned products. For example, offering incentives for users who want to give the improved version a try.
Overall, insights from a Pareto chart can help marketers make targeted actions and improve product quality, enhancing customer satisfaction in the long run.
Butterfly chart Tableau
The Butterfly chart offers a side-by-side comparison of two related sets of data. Typically, the chart has a central axis with bars extending to the left and right, mimicking the look of a butterfly wing.
The screenshot above is a perfect example of a butterfly chart. It provides a clear view of the age distribution within the male and female demographics. Based on this information, marketers can allocate resources more effectively by focusing on the age and gender groups that are largest.
Waffle chart Tableau
A Waffle chart is best for illustrating progress toward a target and comparing multiple groups side by side. The colored cells represent the progress of completion, which makes the chart not only visually appealing but also easy to skim.
In the example, the chart compares profit ratios across different regions, where we can quickly see which regions have the highest and lowest profit ratio. By using this data, marketers can develop targeted strategies to improve profit in regions with lower profit ratios. The data can also help to set realistic targets across different regions.
Overall, the waffle chart is a staple tool for visualizing progress in an intuitive format.
Tableau lollipop chart
This is a variation of a bar chart that uses a line with a dot. This look can be more appealing than the traditional bar chart as it reduces clutter and emphasizes individual data points.
The lollipop chart above is used to visualize performance comparisons on different products. By looking at the dots at the end of the lines, you can easily identify which items are in high or low demand.
This information can help marketers analyze and replicate the campaigns that might contribute to the success of high-performing products across other items.
For products with low sales, marketers can run customer surveys and offer promotional pricing to boost customer engagement and interest.
Ready-to-use Tableau dashboard templates for marketers
Now that we’ve explored the best Tableau charts marketers should be familiar with, let’s take a look at some ready-to-use Tableau dashboard examples. These are templates designed by Coupler.io in Tableau and are available for free. You only need to connect your data source to populate the dashboard with your data. Fortunately, you won’t have to do this manually since all the dashboard templates are equipped with built-in data connectors.
PPC multi-channel dashboard
This PPC multi-channel dashboard provides a holistic view of all PPC metrics from various sources. You can filter data based on data source, campaign type, and campaign name to make sure you get clear data for each of your needs.
Why use this dashboard? It lets you track the performance of PPC campaigns across multiple platforms in one place.
What does it help measure? Users can monitor essential ad metrics such as amount spent, impressions, clicks, CTR, CPM, and CPC. The dashboard also includes different chart types to help with data analysis. For instance, a line chart shows the amount spent by date, which helps users see daily spending patterns and budgets better.
Data sources: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, TikTok Ads, Quora Ads, LinkedIn Ads, X (Twitter) Ads, Bing Ads
Web analytics dashboard
This web analytics dashboard visualizes data from Google Analytics and offers insights into acquisition, audience behavior, and conversion data. It combines key metrics into one dashboard, allowing marketers to make informed decisions based on comprehensive and accurate data.
Why use this dashboard? It helps marketers analyze their traffic to optimize marketing strategies and achieve better marketing outcomes.
What does it help measure? Users can analyze which channels drive the most traffic and conversions. You can also learn more about audience behavior through metrics like user demographics and average engagement time. This way, marketers can tailor their content to better resonate with the audience.
Data sources: Google Analytics 4
From charts to insights: How to create custom Tableau dashboards with Coupler.io
The templates presented in this article are great options if you want to track results fast and easily. But if you’re looking for a more personalized report with specific Tableau charts to showcase your data, creating a new dashboard is the way to go. For beginners, this process may take some time and effort, but the result will be worth it.
Luckily, this section will walk you through the step-by-step tutorial on how to create a custom dashboard with Coupler.io.
Step 1. Collect data
Select your preferred source in the drop-down form below and click Proceed. You’ll be directed to create a Coupler.io account, which is free with no credit card required.
After that, connect your data source and set up the source settings to specify which data to export.
If you want to add data from other sources, click + Connect one more source in the upper-left corner area. Otherwise, click Transform data to proceed further.
Step 2. Organize and transform data
Prepare your data for analysis before loading it to Tableau:
- Manage columns: Select only those columns that are important for your specific objective.
- Filter data: Indicate criteria for picking up specific items for analysis.
- Sort data: Select how to sort the data.
- Formula: Create calculated fields using mathematical operands and functions (for instance, a column that shows the relation of likes and shares).
- Blend data: Benefit from the available data aggregation options to combine data from multiple sources.
Step 3. Load data and schedule refresh
Once your data is organized, hit Proceed and follow the in-app instructions to load your data to Tableau and schedule refresh.
With your data in Tableau, you can start visualizing data to design your dashboard. We’ve only introduced the top 20 Tableau charts for marketers in this Tableau tutorial. At the same time, you may benefit from other types like heat maps, histograms, treemaps, area charts, etc.
If you’re interested in data visualization options in other BI tools, check out our guide on the best Looker Studio charts.
It’s up to you whether you want to create a marketing dashboard in Tableau yourself or use a template. Both options have their pros and cons, so consider your budget, time resources, expertise, and other factors to make the right decision for you. In any case, with Coupler.io, you can automate and optimize your marketing reporting.
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