What is the best third-party reporting tool for AdWords?

That’s a frequently asked question on the world wide web, and a rather tricky one. The short answer is: it depends.

Many great reporting tools exist; DashThis being one of them, of course, but in order to really know which AdWords reporting software you should use, I think it’s important to focus on your needs.

This is why we listed the six questions to ask yourself when seeking an AdWords reporting tool:

1. Who’s the end user who’ll be reading the report?

A data-driven marketing executive might need a more complex report as opposed to the local small-business owner who’ll prefer a simpler document he’ll understand at a glance. DashThis is better for simpler AdWords reports, while more in-depth BI reports might as well be built with something like Tableau.

2. How does your reporting process work?

Some companies have their own swarm of analysts, need extremely customized AdWords reports for each and every one of their clients, and have no streamlined process whatsoever. Not gonna lie, DashThis is simply not fit for them, and the best reporting tool these people might find out there is probably… Excel!

We’re of much greater use to companies with no analysts and an important report volume, that are seeking efficiency first and foremost, and that mostly have a uniform way of doing their business.

3. What’s the cost/benefit ratio of reporting?

Sure, with a 19$ monthly cost, a reporting tool like Cyfe might be a good choice for smaller companies on a budget. When purchasing such a reporting software though, your ROI is the number one thing you wanna take into account. There can be a whole world between an economy and first class ticket, but always remember: you get what you pay for.

Oftentimes, you might find your ROI exceeding expectations after spending a little more on a robust PPC reporting tool featuring great useful options such as branded design, custom possibilities, white labeling, premium support, etc. And DashThis might just happen to be the one tool you’re looking for.

4. What kind of AdWords business are you in?

Is AdWords a side business for you or is it your bread and butter? What I mean is, some web design agencies also do a little AdWords once in awhile for their clients, but their core business is still creating awesome designs. At the end of the month, they probably manage less than 100$ in AdWords budget. These people would probably be happy with a basic screen-shot of the AdWords report.

On the other hand, some agencies manage major campaigns and invest millions in AdWords advertising. A reporting tool thus represents more than an important piece of their business; it’s a revenue factor and a way of presenting concrete results to their clients in order to grow long-lasting business relationships.

5. How much can you save using an AdWords reporting tool?

One of the main considerations when buying a new reporting software is, of course, money. Spending 639$ every month on a tool you need, out of a 10,000$ net monthly income sounds pretty much like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? What about when your net monthly income is only 1,000$? Not so obvious a decision now, uh?

But think about it this way: your agency has a hundred clients, each of them needing one monthly report. Every one of these reports requires five hours of work, and let’s say the average hourly wage at your company is 35$. To understand how much money an automated reporting tool would be worth to your company, the math is simple:

100 clients X 1 report X 5 hours X 35$ = 17,500$ per month, or 210,000$ every year.

The 639$-per-month reporting tool now seems like a real bargain, doesn’t it?

If you want to calculate how much you could save with our AdWords Reporting Software check-out our reporting cost calculator!

6. Finally, what’s the ultimate purpose of a report to you?

Let’s be honest; most companies just don’t do reporting at all, or it’s a necessary evil, at best. In that case, the cheapest, quickest solution will do just fine.

For others though, reporting is the way they have of showing their results. They take great care of the reports they give their clients, as these reports act as a kind of signature that says: “here’s what you paid us for.” It’s not a necessary evil: it’s a business tool used to strengthen relationships with their clients and help them gain even more business!

In short, the choice of a third-party reporting tool for AdWords depends on what the whole reporting thing means to your business, but one thing is for sure: creating value for your clients is always worthy of your investment, and this is exactly something DashThis can help you with.