![\"Comparison](\"https:\/\/beyondclix.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2026-10-30-marketing-dashboards-data-studio-nz-2-five-logins.jpg\"\n)
What Google changed<\/h2>\n
Many agencies, including us, build reporting dashboards in Google’s free reporting tool. It used to be called Looker Studio. Google’s own release notes say that on 16 April 2026, “We’ve rebranded Looker Studio as Data Studio.” You will still see both names around the web, and some Google pages haven’t caught up (Google, Data Studio release notes<\/a>).<\/p>\n The more interesting change is a feature that lets you ask your data a question in plain language. Google calls it Conversational Analytics. Its release notes state it was made available to all Data Studio users on 16 April 2026, and that on 30 July 2026 it became “generally available”, meaning out of preview. A June 2026 entry adds support for multi-region BigQuery data agents (Google, Data Studio release notes<\/a>).<\/p>\n Be clear about what that is. These are Google’s descriptions of its own product. We haven’t tested it on a client account with real NZ data, and a tool that answers questions is only as good as the numbers behind it. If your lead tracking is patchy, a clever question box will give you a confident answer built on bad data.<\/p>\n Ignore the technology for a moment. A dashboard has one job: let you make a decision without phoning anyone. If you can’t tell from it whether to spend more, spend less or change something, it’s decoration.<\/p>\n Every good one answers three questions:<\/p>\n Notice what’s missing: impressions, click-through rates, and “engagement”. Those are things your agency may watch, but they aren’t what you’re paying for.<\/p>\n For a typical NZ service business we’d put six things on the first screen:<\/p>\n That’s it. Detail can sit on a second page for the people who want it. A first screen with thirty charts tells you the person building it wasn’t sure what mattered.<\/p>\n The common failure is a dashboard that looks good and counts the wrong thing. Typical causes:<\/p>\n Before you trust a dashboard, check one month against your own records. It takes ten minutes and tells you more than any demo. Our guide to which ads made the phone ring<\/a> covers the tracking side in more detail.<\/p>\n The reporting tool itself is Google’s, and Google’s release notes distinguish a free tier from a paid Pro tier (hourly scheduled delivery and data residency are listed as Pro features). We haven’t priced Pro for NZ, so check Google’s current pricing before you assume a number. Most of the cost in a dashboard is not the software. It’s the setup work: connecting your ad accounts, call tracking and forms, then checking that the numbers are right.<\/p>\n For a business with a few channels, plan on a few weeks from kickoff to a dashboard you can trust. The slow part is rarely the building. It’s finding and fixing the tracking gaps that the building exposes. Our published plans are on the pricing page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Probably not yet. It’s useful when you have a lot of data and someone who knows what to ask. For most small and mid-sized businesses the gain comes from the basics: correct tracking, a clean first screen, and someone who explains it each month. Treat the new features as a possible extra on top, not a reason to switch agency or tool.<\/p>\n One caution. Conversational features can return a tidy, authoritative-sounding answer. Check it against a number you already know before you act on it.<\/p>\n If you’d like a dashboard that answers those questions, BeyondClix builds them for Auckland and New Zealand businesses as part of our analytics and reporting services<\/a>. Get in touch and we’ll start by checking whether your tracking can support one.<\/p>\n Yes. Google’s release notes say it rebranded Looker Studio as Data Studio on 16 April 2026. Some pages still use the old name.<\/p>\n A single page that pulls your enquiries, spend and results from different sources and keeps them current, so you can see what’s working without asking for a report.<\/p>\n For a few channels, allow a few weeks. Most of that time goes on checking and fixing tracking rather than building the screen.<\/p>\n Only once you’ve compared a month against your own records, such as your inbox, phone log or invoices. If they don’t match, fix the tracking first.<\/p>\n Yes. It should sit in an account you control, with your agency given access, so you can keep it if you change provider.<\/p>\nWhat a marketing dashboard is for<\/h2>\n
![\"Three](\"https:\/\/beyondclix.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2026-10-30-marketing-dashboards-data-studio-nz-3-three-questions.jpg\"\n)
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What should be on it<\/h2>\n
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Where dashboards go wrong<\/h2>\n
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![\"Animated](\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/jPAdK8Nfzzwt2\/giphy.gif\"\n)
\n<\/figure>\nWhat does a dashboard cost, and how long does it take?<\/h2>\n
![\"Timeline](\"https:\/\/beyondclix.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2026-10-30-marketing-dashboards-data-studio-nz-4-timeline.jpg\"\n)
Do you need the “ask a question” feature?<\/h2>\n
Questions to ask your agency<\/h2>\n
![\"Numbered](\"https:\/\/beyondclix.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2026-10-30-marketing-dashboards-data-studio-nz-5-checklist.jpg\"\n)
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Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
Did Looker Studio really become Data Studio?<\/h3>\n
What is a marketing dashboard?<\/h3>\n
How long does a dashboard take to set up?<\/h3>\n
Can I trust a dashboard’s numbers?<\/h3>\n
Should I own my dashboard?<\/h3>\n
Sources<\/h2>\n