The essentials
- Four themes: data collection, the definition of the metrics, access and ownership, rhythm and cost.
- Expected answers: conversions configured in GA4 and in the CRM, a written glossary, administrator access for the client, a dashboard that can be consulted at any time.
- Warning signs: monthly PDF reporting only, vanity metrics first, advertising accounts in the agency's name, data out of reach at the end of the contract.
- 2026 costs: a consolidated dashboard costs €800 to €4,000 to build then €50 to €300 a month to maintain, or €40 to €200 a month on a specialised platform.
Before entrusting your campaigns or your site to an agency or a freelancer, you need to know how the results will be measured. Most disappointments with a provider come from a disagreement over the figures: metrics chosen by the provider, badly configured conversions, flattering reports, data lost at the end of the contract. This article gives twelve questions to ask before signing, with the expected answer and the warning signs. The dashboards to ask for are described in which dashboards to ask your provider for, and the deliverables in the deliverables of a marketing data provider.
Theme 1: data collection
- Which conversions will be measured, and where? Expected answer: a written list of the conversions (form, call, purchase, quote) configured in GA4, imported into Google Ads and Meta, and, in B2B, reconciled with the CRM. Warning: “we will track traffic and engagement”.
- How is consent handled? Expected answer: a compliant banner, Consent Mode v2, an estimate of the share of traffic not measured (often 20 to 40%). Warning: the subject is unknown or treated as secondary; see Consent Mode v2 with GA4 and GTM.
- How will the campaigns be tagged? Expected answer: a written UTM convention (source, medium, campaign) applied to every channel, including email and organic social. Warning: each channel has its own logic.
Theme 2: the definition of the metrics
- Which five metrics will say whether the work is paying off? Expected answer: results tied to revenue (qualified leads, cost per lead, sales, net ROAS, the share of leads from SEO), with a target and a date. Warning: followers, impressions, average positions; see vanity KPIs.
- Does each metric have a written definition? Expected answer: a one-page glossary with the formula, the source and the period for each KPI; the conversion rate, for instance, is calculated on sessions or on users, and the provider has to say which. Warning: “these are the standard definitions”.
- Which attribution will be used to compare the channels? Expected answer: a neutral source (GA4 with data-driven attribution, or the CRM) for the arbitration, the platform figures for internal optimisation; see data-driven attribution. Warning: the Meta ROAS or the Google Ads conversions serve as the reference.
Theme 3: access and ownership
- Who owns the accounts? Expected answer: GA4, Google Ads, Meta Business, Search Console and Google Business Profile are created in the company's name, and the provider is invited with a role. Warning: the accounts are held by the agency “to keep things simple”.
- Will the dashboard be available at any time? Expected answer: permanent online access, updated at least every day, without going through the provider. Warning: a PDF or a monthly presentation only.
- What happens at the end of the contract? Expected answer: the accesses stay, the dashboard and its connectors can be transferred or replaced, the history is exported. Warning: the dashboard belongs to the agency, and the data leaves with it.
Theme 4: rhythm and cost
- How often will we read the figures together? Expected answer: a monthly 30-minute review of the gaps and the actions, a quarterly review of the budget. Warning: a report sent with no meeting, or meetings with no figures.
- How will anomalies be flagged? Expected answer: alerts (drop in conversions, abnormal spend, tracking failure) and a written response time. Warning: we will see it in the monthly report.
- How much do setting up and maintaining the reporting cost? Expected answer: a figure separate from the service, with the tool used. 2026 benchmarks in the table below. Warning: “it's included”, with no detail, which often means an untouched platform export.
| Dashboard solution | How to set it up | Monthly maintenance | Points to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Looker Studio with native Google connectors | €500 to €1,500 | €50 to €150 | Paid connectors for Meta, LinkedIn, CRM |
| Looker Studio or Power BI with third-party connectors | €1,500 to €4,000 | €100 to €300 plus connectors (€30 to €150) | Dependence on the connectors, maintenance at every API change |
| All-in-one marketing platform | €0 to €500 | €40 to €200 | Less customisable, client autonomy |
| Platform export and spreadsheet | 0 € | Internal time | No consolidation, frequent errors |
The comparison of the tools is detailed in the tools for creating a marketing dashboard, and the cost of a bespoke dashboard in what a bespoke dashboard costs.
How to read the answers
A good provider answers these twelve questions without hesitating, because they have already settled them for their other clients; they propose the glossary, the UTM convention and the handover clause themselves. Evasive answers on account ownership and the end of the contract are the most serious: they create a dependence that costs dearly when the time comes to change. Answers centred on engagement and impressions signal a provider who is judged on activity rather than on results. Write the answers into the contract: list of conversions, metrics and targets, access, review rhythm, handover terms. The criteria for choosing a provider are detailed in choosing an agency specialised in marketing data.
How GreenRed helps
Rather than juggling several tools, GreenRed's overview brings these metrics together in a single dashboard, compares them over time and tells you which actions come first. You can try it free, with no card, from the Pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Which questions should you ask a provider about measuring results?
Twelve questions in four themes: which conversions and how (collection, consent, UTM), which metrics and with which definitions (glossary, attribution), who owns the accounts and the dashboard (access, end of contract), at what rhythm and at what cost (reviews, alerts, maintenance).
Which metrics should a provider propose?
Five metrics tied to revenue, with a target and a date: qualified leads, cost per lead or per sale, sales or net ROAS, the channel's share of the results, the site's conversion rate. Followers, impressions and average positions are diagnostic metrics, not steering metrics.
Who should own the GA4, Google Ads and Meta accounts?
The client company, without exception. The provider is invited with an administrator or editor role that can be revoked. Accounts held by the agency make changing provider expensive and lose the history of the data and of the campaigns.
How much does a marketing dashboard cost in 2026?
From €500 to €1,500 for a Looker Studio with the Google connectors, €1,500 to €4,000 with third-party connectors (Meta, LinkedIn, CRM), then €50 to €300 a month for maintenance and connectors. A specialised platform costs €40 to €200 a month with nothing to build.
Is a monthly PDF report enough?
No. A PDF freezes figures that are already old, allows neither filtering nor checking, and makes the client dependent on the provider for any question. The standard in 2026 is an online dashboard updated every day, complemented by a monthly review meeting.