Better management through business-minded dashboards

4. Tableau Desktop

Web: http://www.tableausoftware.com

This enterprise-grade business intelligence app does it all. The dashboard shows analytics for every conceivable part of business, from sales orders to customer support issues to web page visits. If there's data available – from sources like Oracle, SAL, Salesforce, and many others – you can pull the visual representation into Tableau.

The high-end app goes even further by integrating with cloud platforms like Cloudera Hadoop, Google BigQuery, Amazon Red Shift, and many others, yet the data is represented in a more digestible format.

Best feature: The all-encompassing nature of the dashboard that syncs with almost any source. It means more of the business can be managed even at large companies.

5. Geckoboard

Web: https://www.geckoboard.com

One of the most useful web analytics interfaces, Geckoboard shows a summary of website and business data in a highly visual, colourful format. The dashboard integrates with many sources of data like Google Analytics, accounting apps, CRM, and many more. A unique feature is the ability to run Geckoboard in a full-screen HDTV mode. If there isn't an existing connector available, an API lets developers create one for custom integrations.

Best feature: The API that lets developers create connections to almost any custom source. It means the dashboard is "infinitely" extensible.

6. GoSquared

Web: https://www.gosquared.com

For companies that need to do a deep dive into web analytics, GoSquared is the best choice. It presents data in a highly visual and "personal" format. The personal touch is a unique feature in that you can track individual visitors and see how long they stay at a site, the pages they visit, and if they come back for more. You can even track how people click, type, and scroll.

The Now dashboard shows in one view a graph of web visitors, page views, and even info about which devices people are using to visit your site. You can even see links to your site from sources like Twitter and then engage with those potential site visitors outside of GoSquared.

Best feature: The ability to see incoming links from Twitter posts so you can act on them and engage with customers who are creating the links.

7. SumAll

Web: https://sumall.com

SumAll is a social media manager along the lines of HootSuite but infused with powerful new features. The dashboard lets you track mentions of a brand on social media sites, and some social ad campaign data like clicks and website visits. However, it also links to Google Analytics, email management tools like MailChimp, and e-commerce platforms like Square. The interface looks like an engaging chart with a few boxes that contain summaries to help you make decisions.

Best feature: The ability to connect to the Square e-commerce platform so you can see how your sales are progressing in real-time.

John Brandon
Contributor

John Brandon has covered gadgets and cars for the past 12 years having published over 12,000 articles and tested nearly 8,000 products. He's nothing if not prolific. Before starting his writing career, he led an Information Design practice at a large consumer electronics retailer in the US. His hobbies include deep sea exploration, complaining about the weather, and engineering a vast multiverse conspiracy.