Online Marketing Analysis: Weekly Report Structure

The same data can show growth in marketing and decline in sales, leaving the owner to pick between two reports. The problem is usually not the data but the definitions. The first task in online marketing analysis is not reading charts; it is writing down who counts what, when, and by which rule.

1. Fix Definitions Before Trends

Four things need pinning down: reporting period, deduplication rule, conversion definition, and channel attribution. Calendar week or rolling seven days changes results. Whether one person visiting three times is one visitor or three changes traffic. Whether conversion means a form, a chat, or an order changes rates entirely.

Attribution is the usual muddle. A customer sees a short video, searches the brand, then submits a form — who gets the deal? The common approach is last touch, with first touch recorded for reference.

2. Four Levels, Different Questions

Metrics must be read by level, never compared across levels. Reach up with conversion flat means the content attracts the wrong people; conversion up with deals flat means the sales stage has a problem.

3. A Fixed Weekly Structure

One page, four blocks: this week's numbers at four levels with week-on-week change, two notable movements, what was done this week, one thing to test next week. Consistency lets readers form expectations and lets you read trends across weeks.

Channel comparison belongs in an appendix, sorted by unit acquisition cost, flagging channels that have risen for two consecutive weeks. Consecutive rises matter more than single-week noise — they usually signal competition or creative fatigue.

4. Troubleshooting Order

First, check the measurement: were tags or definitions changed. Second, check outside: platform rules, seasonality, competitor moves. Third, check inside: page changes, staffing, response times.

The order exists to eliminate false problems. Many "collapses" turn out to be broken tracking. Attribution works the same way: when the chain breaks, everything downstream is wrong.

5. FAQ

Can we analyse without specialist tools? Yes. A spreadsheet plus consistent definitions is enough to start; discipline matters more than tooling.

Who receives the report? Marketing, sales and management, with the same data and different emphasis. Do not produce different data per department.

What if there are too many metrics? Keep two per level and move the rest to an appendix. A main table with more than eight metrics rarely gets read.

Should we act immediately on bad numbers? Confirm it holds for two weeks first. Single-week moves are mostly noise, and hasty changes hide real signals.

Related See also our notes on data definitions and sales diagnosis.

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