You've got HubSpot. Great. You're collecting mountains of marketing data every day—website visits, email opens, form submissions, and deal progression. But here's what we see with most companies: they have plenty of data but can't figure out what it actually means for their business.
After working with thousands of businesses using HubSpot, we've noticed a pattern. The ones crushing it aren't necessarily the most sophisticated. They're just the ones who use their marketing analytics to make decisions fast.
This post shows you how to turn your HubSpot data into decisions that grow your business.
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Getting Started with HubSpot Marketing Analytics: Master Standard Reports First
Even though standard reports feel basic, before you go building custom dashboards that take three weeks to configure, master these ones first.
To start, head to Reporting > Reports and hit the Marketing section. You'll find everything organized into categories that will help you make decisions:
- Channel Performance Reports: See which marketing channels are generating revenue (and which ones are just burning budget).
- Web Traffic Analysis: Where your visitors come from and what they do when they get there.
- Contact Insights: Which sources are bringing in actual leads vs. tire kickers.
The Marketing analytics section expanded in HubSpot's Reports dashboard
Pro tip: filters are your friend. Don't just look at "all time" data. Filter by date ranges, campaigns, or teams. That's where you find the actionable stuff in your HubSpot marketing analytics.
Setting Up Effective Marketing Dashboards
Customized reports or standard reports with specific filters can be saved and added to dashboards. Dashboards offer an at-a-glance view of your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and can be tailored to different roles or objectives.
"About this report" showing at the right of the screen
Pro tip: Every report has an "About this report" tab. Use it to make decisions based on metrics you really understand.
A/B Testing in HubSpot: Stop Guessing, Start Proving with Data
We've watched too many marketing teams argue about button colors while their conversion rates stay flat. A/B testing is about finding what moves the needle in your HubSpot marketing analytics.
The golden rule: Test one thing at a time. Change the headline OR the CTA OR the offer. Not all three. Otherwise, you'll never know what worked.
What to Test in Your HubSpot Marketing Analytics (In Order of Impact)
- Email subject lines - Easy wins here. "Boost Your Sales Today!" vs. "A Proven Strategy to Increase Revenue." See which one your audience opens.
- Landing page offers - eBook vs. webinar vs. case study. Your audience will tell you what they want through your HubSpot marketing analytics.
- Headlines - "The Ultimate Guide to X" vs. "7 Days Fix Your CRM" Specificity usually wins.
- CTA text - "Learn More" is weak. "Get Your Free Consultation" tells people exactly what happens next.
HubSpot will tell you when you've got enough data to call a winner; basically, you're letting the data decide.
HubSpot A/B Testing Applications
HubSpot provides built-in A/B testing capabilities for key marketing assets:
- A/B Testing Emails (Marketing Hub Professional/Enterprise): Test variations in subject lines, email body content, sender names, or send times
- A/B Testing Landing Pages (Content Hub Professional/Enterprise): Test offers, headlines, body copy, images, or form length
- A/B Testing CTAs (Marketing Hub Professional/Enterprise): Test button text, colors, and placement for better conversion rates
The email A/B testing interface displaying two test versions and automated testing configuration options.
Advanced HubSpot Marketing Analytics: Custom Reports and Attribution Models
Once you've mastered the basics, it's time for the advanced features.
Custom Report Builder for Advanced Marketing Analytics
This is where you can answer the questions that matter to your business. Want to see how marketing activities influence sales outcomes? You can connect Contacts and Deals data to see the full picture in your HubSpot marketing analytics.
Navigate to Reporting > Reports > Create report and start with your business question, not the data. "Which marketing channels generate the highest-value customers?" Then build backward.
The Custom Report Builder allows you to:
- Select specific data sources and properties
- Apply filters to narrow down datasets
- Choose from various chart types to represent your data
- Create cross-object reporting for understanding the full customer lifecycle
Marketing Attribution: The Game-Changer in HubSpot Marketing Analytics
Marketing attribution reports are crucial for understanding ROI in your HubSpot marketing analytics.
Contact attribution with bar chart and model settings.
Use multiple attribution models to get the complete picture:
- First Touch Attribution: Shows what gets people in the door initially
- Last Touch Attribution: Shows what closes the deal at the end
- Linear Attribution: Gives equal credit to every touchpoint in the journey
- U-Shaped Attribution: Emphasizes early awareness and lead creation moments
- W-Shaped Attribution: Assigns weight to first touch, lead creation, and deal creation
- Time Decay Attribution: Gives more credit to touchpoints closer to conversion
- Full Path Attribution: The comprehensive view across your entire funnel
Each attribution model tells a different part of the story in your HubSpot marketing analytics. Revenue attribution typically requires Marketing Hub Enterprise, but it's worth the investment if you're serious about ROI measurement.
HubSpot Best Practices for Marketing Analytics Success
- Start Simple, Then Scale Your HubSpot Marketing Analytics: Don't try to implement everything at once. Pick one area of your HubSpot marketing analytics, master it, then move on. This approach prevents overwhelm and ensures you actually use the data you're collecting.
- Focus on Leading Indicators in Your Analytics: Revenue is great, but it's a lagging indicator. Focus on metrics that predict revenue in your HubSpot marketing analytics—like qualified leads, engagement scores, and pipeline velocity.
- Create Role-Specific Dashboards: Your CEO doesn't need the same metrics as your demand gen manager. Build role-specific views in your HubSpot marketing analytics to ensure everyone gets relevant insights.
- Document Your Metric Definitions: What counts as a "qualified lead" in your organization? Make sure everyone's using the same definition when interpreting your HubSpot marketing analytics. This is crucial for consistent reporting.
- Review and Adjust Your Analytics Strategy Regularly: Set up monthly reviews to look at what's working and what's not in your HubSpot marketing analytics. Your market changes. Your tactics should too.
Common HubSpot Marketing Analytics Mistakes to Avoid
Based on common issues we see from working with our clients, here are the biggest mistakes companies make:
- Ignoring attribution models - Using only first or last-touch attribution misses the full story
- Not filtering data properly - Looking at all-time data without segmentation provides limited insights
- Ending A/B tests too early - Statistical significance matters for reliable results
- Creating dashboards nobody uses - Build for specific roles and use cases
- Focusing only on vanity metrics - Impressions and clicks don't pay the bills
Maximizing ROI with HubSpot Marketing Analytics
The key to successful HubSpot marketing analytics implementation is connecting your data to actual business outcomes. Here's how:
Track the Full Customer Journey
Use your HubSpot marketing analytics to understand how prospects move from awareness to purchase. This requires setting up proper tracking across all touchpoints and using attribution models effectively.
Identify High-Value Marketing Channels
Your HubSpot marketing analytics should clearly show which channels generate the highest-value customers, not just the most leads. Focus the budget on channels with the best ROI.
Optimize Based on Data, Not Opinions
Let your HubSpot marketing analytics drive decisions. When A/B test results are clear, implement the winner regardless of personal preferences.
Getting Help with HubSpot Marketing Analytics Implementation
If you're struggling with implementation, consider partnering with a HubSpot specialist who understands both the platform and your unique business requirements. We've helped thousands of companies break free from underutilization and unlock their full potential. To see the transformative results our clients have achieved—and what's possible for your business—explore our
Case Studies.
The Bottom Line on HubSpot Marketing Analytics
You don't need more data. You need better decisions. HubSpot marketing analytics give you the tools, but you need to use them systematically.
Start with standard reports to understand your baseline. Add A/B testing to improve performance. Then layer in advanced analytics to understand the full customer journey through proper attribution modeling.
Most importantly, don't let perfect be the enemy of good. A simple dashboard you actually use beats a complex one that sits ignored. Your HubSpot marketing analytics are only as valuable as the decisions they drive.
Stop collecting. Start deciding. Your marketing ROI depends on it.