Common chart types and when to use them
- Line charts: changes over time, such as monthly traffic.
- Bar charts: comparisons between categories, such as leads by channel.
- Stacked bars or pie charts: shares of a whole, used sparingly.
- Scatter plots: the relationship between two measures.
- Maps: data by location.
- Tables: when exact numbers matter.
Principles of good data visualization
- Start from the question the chart should answer.
- Choose the simplest chart that shows the point.
- Start bar chart axes at zero, and label axes and units clearly.
- Use color to highlight what matters, not to decorate.
- Put the takeaway in the title, such as “Organic leads doubled since March”.
Tools
Looker Studio (free, and connects to Google Analytics and Search Console), Power BI, Tableau, and the charts in Excel and Google Sheets.