Template · Agencies
The Monthly Website Report Clients Actually Read
Most website reports are 14 pages of charts nobody opens. Here's a one-page structure, a copy-ready template and the habits that make clients look forward to it.
Keep it to one page. Lead with a one-sentence headline, show three numbers tied to the client's goals compared with last month, then explain what you did, what changed and why, and what's next, including any decisions you need from them. Put the detailed charts in an appendix or a live dashboard for anyone who wants more.
Key Takeaways
- Lead with one sentence that tells the client what happened.
- Show three numbers tied to their goals, not every metric you have.
- Explain the work, what changed and why in plain language.
- End with next steps and the decisions you need from them.
Somewhere out there is a client inbox with eleven unopened monthly reports, each one a 14-page PDF of charts. The agency spent hours on them. The client skimmed the first page, maybe.
The fix isn't more data. It's a better first page.
The Five-Part Structure
1. The Headline
One sentence that answers "so, how did it go?" Write it like a news headline, not a table of contents.
Before
"October Website Performance Report"
After
"Quote requests rose after we shortened the form, and no new site errors this month."
2. Three Numbers
Pick the three numbers that map to what the client actually cares about, usually leads or sales, the traffic that brings them in, and site health. Show each next to last month, and next to the same month last year when seasonality matters.
Three is plenty. If everything is highlighted, nothing is.
3. What We Did
A short list of the work, in plain words. "Fixed six broken links on the services pages" beats "technical SEO optimizations."
4. What Changed, and Why
Connect the work to the numbers, honestly. If quote requests went up after the form change, say so, and mention anything else that could have helped, like a seasonal rush. Our guide on measuring changes honestly has phrasing that works.
5. Next Up and Decisions
What you'll work on next month, and anything you need from the client, with a date. This is the part that turns a report into a conversation.
A Template You Can Copy
[Client] · [Month] website report
Headline: [One sentence on what happened]
Key numbers (vs last month):
- [Leads or sales]: [number] ([change])
- [Search clicks or visits]: [number] ([change])
- [Site health or errors]: [number] ([change])
What we did:
- [Work item, in plain words]
- [Work item]
What changed and why:
[2 to 3 sentences connecting work to results, with caveats]
Next month:
- [Planned work]
Decisions needed:
- [Question] by [date]Habits That Make Reports Better
- Send it on the same day each month. Predictability builds trust.
- Keep the charts, just move them. Put detail in an appendix or a live Looker Studio dashboard for the people who love it.
- Say what didn't work. Clients trust reports that admit flat results.
- Use annotations. Marking launches in GA4 as they happen means you're not reconstructing the month from memory.
- Keep a change log. It turns "what did we do this month?" from a scramble into a copy-paste.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the numbers went down?
Lead with it anyway, along with what you think caused it and what you're doing about it. Bad news delivered early and clearly is much better received than bad news a client finds on their own.
Should I send a PDF or a dashboard?
Both work. A short written summary in the email body gets read most. Link to the dashboard or PDF for detail.
How long should it take to write?
With a change log and the template, often under an hour per client. The first one takes longer.
Sources
- About annotations, Google Analytics Help
- Events and key events, Google Analytics Help