What is Google Data Studio?

Google Data Studio is a free data visualisation tool that allows users to build interactive dashboards and customise reports. It is easy to use, with most of its features being straightforward. With Data Studio, users can easily connect to multiple data sources and create sophisticated reports that are both informative and visually appealing. Messages can also be embedded on websites or shared via links, making it easy to share insights with teammates or clients.

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Data Studio offers a variety of built-in charts and graphs, as well as the ability to connect to external data sources. It is part of the Google Analytics 360 Suite, including data collection, analysis, and marketing attribution tools.

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Google Data Studio is free to use but requires a Google account. Users can sign up for a free trial of the Analytics 360 Suite, which includes all of the features of Data Studio plus additional features for data analysis and marketing attribution.

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How to use Google Data Studio?

Now that we’ve answered the question, “what is Google Data Studio?” it’s time to dive into how to use this powerful tool. Here is a step-by-step guide:

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Step 1: Connect your data

To get started, you need to connect your data. Data Studio offers over 220 built-in connectors, including popular data sources such as Google Analytics, YouTube, and BigQuery. You can also connect to CSV files, Google Sheets, and other data sources.

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Step 2: Create a new report

Once you’ve connected your data, create a new report in time. To do this, click on the “Create new report” button.

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Step 3: Add charts and graphs

Now it’s time to start adding charts and graphs to your report. Data Studio offers a variety of built-in charts, including bar charts, line graphs, and pie charts. Using the Data Studio community connectors, you can also build your own custom visuals.

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Step 4: Customise your report

Once you’ve added all the charts and graphs you want, it’s time to customise your report. You can do this by adding titles, descriptions, and labels. You can also change the colours and fonts of your report.

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Step 5: Share your report

Once you’re happy with your report, it’s time to share it with others. Data Studio allows sharing reports via links or embed them on websites. You can also control who has access to your report and whether they can edit it.

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What are the use cases of Google Data Studio?

Now that we’ve answered the question, “what is Google Data Studio?” and go over how to use it, let’s take a look at some of the ways it can be used:

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Generate reports from multiple data sources:

Data Studio makes it easy to connect to multiple data sources and create reports that combine data from them. This is useful for getting a complete picture of your business and comparing data from different sources.

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Visualize data:

Data Studio’s visualisations make it easy to understand complex data sets. You can quickly see patterns and trends in your data using charts and graphs.

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Share insights with others:

Data Studio makes it easy to share reports with others. You can embed reports on websites or share them via links. You can also control who has access to your statement and whether they can edit it.

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Collaborate with team members:

Data Studio’s collaboration features make it easy to work on reports with team members. You can add comments to information and see who is viewing or editing a report.

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Explore data:

Data Studio’s exploration features make it easy to dig into your data and find insights that you might not have otherwise found. By filtering and sorting data, you can quickly find the information what you’re looking.

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Data sources in Google Data Studio

Google Data Studio allows you to connect to over 500 data sources using 240 different connectors. This way, you can easily extract the data you need and turn it into an elegant dashboard. To learn more about all of the available connectors, check out this complete list.

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Some of the popular data sources on Google Data Studio include Google BigQuery, YouTube Analytics, Facebook Ads, Display 360, Google Analytics, RDBMS (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Cloud SQL), Ad Data, Hubspot, Instagram Ads, Linkedin Ads, PayPal, Salesforce, Shopify, Twitter, Microsoft Ads, Mail chimp, Pipedrive, Google Ads, DV360, Quora Ads, etc.

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What are the benefits of using Data Studio?

Data Studio is a powerful data visualisation tool that offers numerous benefits, including

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• Live data connection: You can connect to live data sources and access over 220 connectors.

• Complete control over customisation: You have full control over the customisation of reports and visuals, including adding as many pages or charts as needed.

• Dynamic controls: Dynamic controls with report and page level filters allow you to manipulate your data easily.

• Advanced formulas: Advanced formulas such as calculated metrics and calculated fields give you more control over your data.

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For newcomers to Google Data Studio?

Welcome to Data Studio! This tool provides you with a visual and interactive way to explore your data. To get started, click on the "Owned By Me" option on the left side of the screen. From there, you can choose the Tutorial Report to walk you through the basics of what Data Studio can do.

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Alternatively, you can watch one of the many Data Studio videos that provide overviews and walk-throughs on topics such as adding data to a report and creating calculated fields. Once you're familiar with the tool, you can begin creating your own words by connecting to live data sources and adding charts and graphs.

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Data Studio offers full customisation so that you can tailor your reports to your specific needs. And finally, you can share your reports with others by sharing the link or embedding the report on a website. Get started today and see what Data Studio can do for you!

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Data Studio homepage overview

On the homepage of Data Studio, at the top, there are three main sections which are Reports, Data Sources, and Explorer. In Reports, users can create reports and data visualisations.

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Data Sources contain the components that connect the report to data. It is possible to add multiple data sources to one report. For example, a user could add Google Analytics, Google Sheets, Google Ads, and YouTube to their data sources.

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In the explorer section, it is a temporary "scratchpad" where users can edit visualisations and filter data. This is helpful for finding insights quickly because it streamlines the process. However, these files are private and cannot be shared directly. Users can export these reports to save and share them in another format if needed.

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Data Studio uses the Google Drive interface, which will be familiar to users who already use other Google products. If ever lost on the Data Studio homepage, users can click the home button.

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Exploring Google Data Studio Dashboard

The Data Studio Dashboard is the first page you see when you open Data Studio. The purpose of the Dashboard is to give users an overview of their data and what is possible with Data Studio.

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There are three ways to interact with the Dashboard:

• by clicking on tiles

• by using the left sidebar, or

• By clicking on the + icon in the top right corner.

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The tiles on the Dashboard represent different data sources that can be used in Data Studio. The left sidebar contains options for exploring reports and data sources. The + icon in the top right corner is used to create new reports.

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When first starting out with Data Studio, it is recommended that users explore the Dashboard and experiment with the different features. This will give you a better understanding of what Data Studio can do and how it can be used to visualise data.

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Help and user settings

If you're ever having trouble using a Google Data Studio or want to learn more about its features, the help and settings section is a great place. In the top right corner of the screen, you will find the help and settings section.

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With a Question mark sign, it will provide you the options to access the product's help, new features, video tutorials, report galleries, developer options, account and privacy options, and more. In the middle, it has the user setting button where users can access their account settings, connect to different data sources and manage their user profile. At last, the profile icon will help you to manage your Google account. 

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Useful features of Google Data Studio

There are many features of Data Studio that make it a powerful data visualisation tool. Some of the most valuable features include the following:

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Live connection to data sources:

Data Studio can connect to many live data sources, including Google Analytics, Google Ads, YouTube, and more. This allows you to create reports that are always up-to-date with the latest data.

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Customisable reports:

Data Studio offers full customisation so that you can tailor your reports to your specific needs. You can change the layout, add or remove elements, and even create calculated fields.

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Sharing and collaboration:

Reports can be shared with others by sharing the link or embedding the report on a website. Multiple users can also collaborate on a report at the same time.

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Embedding:

Reports can be embedded on a website or blog for easy sharing. Your job as a Data Studio user is to make sure that your reports are always accurate and up-to-date.

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Data security:

All data is stored securely in Google's cloud infrastructure. Data Studio also offers built-in security features, such as the ability to set access controls for reports and data sources.

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Free to use:

Data Studio is free to use, and there are no limits on the number of reports or data sources you can use.

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Advantages of Google Data Studio

Easy to use:

Data Studio has a user interface that is very easy to use, and it helps anyone familiar with Google products get started creating reports and dashboards within just a few clicks. The interface is intuitive, and the setup process is straightforward.

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Live connection:

Data Studio is a powerful BI tool that allows for real-time data connection. This means there is no need for complex logic or scheduling jobs in order to keep the data up-to-date; whenever a report or dashboard is accessed or refreshed, it will immediately fetch the newest information. 

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To minimise any potential performance hits, users can adjust the data fetching settings with the cache settings. This makes Data Studio an ideal solution for those who require real-time insights into their business operations.

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Customizable:

Data Studio offers complete customization, allowing users to tailor reports and dashboards to their specific needs. Users can change the layout, add or remove elements, and even create calculated fields. 

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This makes it easy to personalise the data visualisation in order to make it more meaningful and actionable.

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Cloud-based and Completely Managed:

It is a cloud-based service that makes it easy to store and access data from anywhere. It is also managed by Google, so there are no server maintenance costs or software updates required. 

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This allows businesses to focus on their analytics without worrying about IT infrastructure and management.

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Free of Cost:

The best part is that it is free to use and there are no limits on the number of reports or data sources you can use. This makes Data Studio ideal for everyone.The storage cost for data and processing costs for transformation is outside of this.

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Access and Sharing Controls:

Data Studio also offers built-in access and sharing controls, so users can control who has access to their reports and data sources. This ensures that the data remains secure and that only those with the necessary permissions have access to it.

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Tight integration with Google’s Ecosystem:

Data Studio integrates easily with other Google services, such as Sheets and Analytics. This makes it easy to use the data from these services in your reports and dashboards. This tight integration also makes it easy to explore more profound insights into your data by combining different data sources.

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Disadvantages of Google Data Studio

No On-premise deployment option:

Unlike other BI tools, Data Studio does not offer an on-premise deployment option. This means that the data needs to be stored in the cloud and is subject to Google’s terms of service and privacy policies.

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No API or Automation:

Data Studio does not offer an API, which makes it challenging to automate tasks such as data extraction and transformation. Without an API, users have to manually export the data from their source systems in order to use it in Data Studio.

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Lack of Real-time updates

For those looking to monitor their data in real time, there may be better choices than Data Studio as there is no built-in method for auto-refreshing a dashboard or report view. A workaround is possible using a third-party browser extension, but this should only be considered if you need accurate and up-to-date information right away.

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Lack of native connector support for Cloud-based data sources:

Data Studio does not provide native connectors for cloud-based data sources such as Salesforce, Oracle, or Microsoft Azure. This means that users have to use third-party tools or custom scripts to connect their cloud-based data sources to Data Studio.

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Limited data visualisation options:

Data Studio provides a limited set of data visualisation options, making it challenging to create more complex visualisations. Some third-party add-ons are available but these can be expensive and may offer a different level of functionality than more robust tools such as Tableau or Power BI.

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Slow speed when using live connection:

When using Data Studio with a live connection such as BigQuery, the performance can be slow in some instances. This is because it relies on the underlying query engine to process the data and, therefore, can take longer than expected for larger datasets. 

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If Speed is crucial, then consider connecting Data Studio to a database or an API instead.

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Lack of comprehensive function support:

Data Studio needs to provide comprehensive functions like hierarchies, time series analysis, and forecasting. This makes it difficult to analyse more complex datasets and use data science techniques for predictive analysis. 

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Furthermore, it even needs to include some essential functions like SUMX present in Power BI that would help users compute the sum of columns considering both rows and columns.

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Conclusion:

Google data studio is easy to use tool with a familiar interface for users of other Google products. You can use it to create custom reports and interactive dashboards and share them with others. With Boltic, you can easily embed your reports on a website. 

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Boltic is a no-code data pipeline and visualisation tool that offers many features and benefits. However, there are some limitations to keep in mind, such as the lack of automation and the limited number of data sources supported. Despite these limitations, Data Studio is still a valuable tool for visualising data.

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Get started today and see what Data Studio can do for you!

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