Which tools should you use to analyze business data, and how do you measure return on investment (ROI)?

Today, business is increasingly conducted through digital channels. With the growing penetration of the internet and the rise of digital platforms, companies are investing more than ever in online promotion. In 2021, digital advertising revenues reached 9.59 billion USD—an increase of 28% compared to the previous year. Search engine advertising was the leading ad format in Canada, accounting for over 46% of total online ad spending. Social media ranked second, with a 26.1% share. The remaining advertising was placed on news and information websites, directories, and other platforms.

Fortunately, every click, view, and action can now be tracked—data analysis has become the compass of digital marketing. Yet many businesses—whether SMEs, startups, or large organizations—still struggle to turn that data into profitable decisions.

What’s the point of collecting data if it doesn’t help guide your choices?
And more importantly: how can you know if your digital marketing efforts are truly paying off?

In this article, we’ll explore practical tools, key performance indicators, and real-world case studies to help you better understand the value of both analytics tools and strategic marketing professionals. Because behind every successful campaign, there are people, decisions, and well-aligned technology choices.

Why has data analysis become essential for marketing consultants?

Marketers and consultants no longer rely solely on intuition or creativity. Their true value lies in their ability to interpret weak signals, spot trends, understand user behavior—and adapt quickly.

A good analytics tool isn’t everything. But without one, you’re flying blind.

Take Julie, for example. She works with several private health clinics in Montreal. During her first assignment, she noticed that most of their Google Ads budget was being spent between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Using Google Analytics, she discovered that these time slots generated neither calls nor appointment bookings.

The result? She restructured the campaigns and redirected the budget toward business hours, using more contextual ads. Within three months, the clinic saw its cost per acquisition (CPA) drop by 40%.

Without the data, Julie might have kept “believing” everything was fine. But with the right tools—and a sharp analytical mindset—she was able to demonstrate the clinics’ value, backed by solid numbers.

What are the essential tools for tracking your marketing performance?

Today, there are dozens of analytics tools available. But to avoid overwhelming your team, here are the most relevant ones—tested and approved by digital marketing experts.

1. Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

This is the core platform for tracking audience behavior on your website. GA4 allows you to:

• Monitor user behavior

• Understand purchase journeys

• Track custom conversions

• Analyze engagement on mobile vs. desktop

🎓 Pro tip: GA4 doesn’t work on its own—you need to define key events yourself, such as button clicks, form submissions, video views, etc.

2. Google Tag Manager

Essential for installing tracking tags without constantly relying on developers. It integrates seamlessly with GA4, Meta pixels, HubSpot events, and more.

3. Looker Studio

Create visual, easy-to-understand dashboards that your whole team can access. A skilled digital marketing consultant will customize these reports based on your specific goals—whether that’s leads, sales, or engagement.

4. HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, Brevo...

These CRM platforms offer a full view of your customer lifecycle—from the first click to retention. They’re ideal for measuring the profitability of conversion funnels or email campaigns. HubSpot also allows for process automation, such as automated email sequences.

5. SEMrush, Ahrefs, Ubersuggest

When it comes to SEO and content strategy, these tools help you identify profitable keywords, analyze competitors, and track search rankings.
SEO is no longer optional—it must be embedded in the website from day one. Too many businesses build beautiful websites that are slow and unoptimized for search, leaving them invisible online. That’s why it’s crucial to entrust your marketing to experienced professionals.

How to Measure Marketing ROI (And Why It’s Only Part of the Story)

Return on Investment (ROI) is a key metric used by marketing consultants to assess the effectiveness of a marketing action. In simple terms:

ROI = ((Revenue – Investment Cost) / Investment Cost) × 100

At Parachute, we’ve developed a free, easy-to-use tool to help you estimate the ROI of your marketing efforts.

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Once your result appears, it may seem straightforward—but the reality is more nuanced.

Between branding, inbound marketing, SEO efforts, and long-term campaigns, some actions don’t deliver immediate returns… but they lay the groundwork. They build what we call marketing assets—intangible capital such as content, visibility, credibility, and above all, trust equity.

• Branding creates a consistent image, voice, and identity. Even if no one buys right away, visitors leave with an impression—and that impression often resurfaces when the time is right.
  

• Inbound marketing, through blog posts, videos, or webinars, attracts people who might never have found you otherwise. Each piece of content becomes a potential entry point into your brand’s world.
  

• SEO is a long game. A well-optimized blog article may take 3 to 6 months to rank—but once it does, it can drive qualified traffic for years, at no extra cost.
  

• Long-term campaigns (like newsletters, LinkedIn posts, or retargeting ads) reinforce brand recall. They don’t aim for immediate conversion, but rather for continuous visibility that makes your business familiar and reassuring.

What the numbers don’t always show: reputation is also an investment

Even if your short-term ROI seems low, your marketing efforts are never wasted.

In 2025, many digital marketing experts agree: online reputation is becoming just as valuable as a direct conversion. Why?

• The average consumer needs to see a message 5 to 7 times before taking action.
  Source: Marketing Rule of 7 – Journal of Advertising Research

• Repetition builds trust.
  A study in Psychological Science found that familiarity increases perceived credibility. The more a brand is seen, the more trustworthy it appears.

• Digital word-of-mouth takes over.
  B2B buyers heavily rely on online reviews and testimonials when making decisions.

• Confirmation bias reinforces perceived legitimacy.
  Once a potential buyer sees positive feedback, they begin interpreting future content as “additional proof” that your business is trustworthy.

EXEMPLE WITH ANTOINE

Antoine launched a new online course. His first Facebook campaign generated only 8 qualified leads—but hundreds of clicks and enthusiastic comments.

Instead of viewing the campaign as a failure, he:

• Reused the comments to build social proof and client testimonials

• Added site visitors to a nurturing newsletter sequence

• Gained 5 additional organic sign-ups… three months later

Three months down the line, the same audience converted better, because they had seen the brand multiple times.
His immediate ROI was modest, but his ROE – Return on Engagement was high.

Conclusion

ROI matters.
But today, ROE (Return on Engagement) and ROR (Return on Reputation) are just as crucial in the world of digital marketing.

Further reading: Investment returns from reputation investing: Do good firms provide good returns?