KPIs are supposed to inform your decisions.
But if poorly selected, misinterpreted, or poorly timed, they can actually waste your time, money… and opportunities.
Here are the 5 most common pitfalls to absolutely avoid.
1. Late data
Many tools display figures that are several hours, or even days old.
In 2025, making decisions based on static data is like reading an outdated map.
💡 Solution: Choose dashboards that are connected in real time or at least automatically refreshed at short intervals. The freshness of the data equals the relevance of the actions.
2. A vague (or non-existent) attribution
A sales spike is great. But if you don’t know what caused it, you can’t replicate it.
However, many “commercial” KPIs do not take into account:
- multi-touch points
- mixed SEA/SEO campaigns
- or poorly tracked cross-sources
💡 Solution: Implement a clear attribution strategy and connect it to all your marketing channels.
3. Tools that don’t talk to each other
CRM, Google Ads, analytics, newsletter tools, internal reporting…
When tools are isolated, the numbers don’t tell the same story.
And in 90% of cases, no one knows which one to believe.
💡 Solution: Centralize your data sources in a single platform (or unify them via an API). This saves you from the “it depends on who’s looking at the table.”
4. Poorly chosen KPIs
Just because a number is measurable… doesn’t mean it’s useful. Just because a number is measurable… doesn’t mean it’s useful.
Tracking traffic to a site that isn’t converting?
Focusing on the open rate without any connection to the click-through rate?
Measuring time spent on a page without knowing why?
A bad KPI can give the illusion of performance, without creating any real impact.
💡 Solution: Choose your KPIs based on your business objectives, not what the tool displays by default.
5. Reading without context
A number alone means nothing.
A 20% increase? Good or bad?
3,000 visitors? For whom?
A 1.4% conversion rate? Stable or falling?
💡 Solution: Always analyze your KPIs in a temporal, competitive, or sectoral context. A number alone reassures you. Compared, it enlightens you.
What you need to remember
A good KPI isn’t just a flattering number.
It’s an indicator that helps you take action—at the right time, for the right reason, on the right data.
Centralizing your data, ensuring the reliability of your sources, and filtering the right signals…
It’s anything but a luxury: it’s a prerequisite for effective management.
Freeway Team helps you centralize, analyze, and prioritize your data for truly informed decisions.
