How to Create a Performance Bar Chart? A Complete Guide

Imagine having Charts that communicate performance in a simple and clear fashion.

How easy would it be to get everyone on board as you pursue growth and other strategic objectives?

Well, there’re charts you can use to track performance in real-time. Besides, these charts are straightforward to interpret. Essentially, if you add them to your data visualization dashboard, you won’t have a hard time explaining details to your audience (and readers).

The visualization designs we’re talking about are called Performance Bar Charts.

The beauty of these diagrams lies in their simplicity.

In other words, they are ultra-simple and clear to interpret. Performance Charts are must-have visualization designs in your dashboard because they provide high-level insights into growth and performance.

We acknowledge that Google Sheets is among the data visualization tools most used by professionals and business owners worldwide.

However, you’ll never find Performance Bar Graphs in this spreadsheet app unless you install third-party add-ons.

Table of Content:

1. What is a Performance Bar Chart?
2. Practical Uses of a Performance Chart
3. How can You Visualize Your Data Using a Performance Bar Chart?
4. Wrap Up

What is a Performance Bar Chart?

Visualization Source: ChartExpo

A Performance Bar Diagram shows the general performance of key data points at a glance.

Besides, it provides the summary performance of key variables using a combination of simple boxes, colors, and labels.

More so, it projects the difference between the variables in raw data. Change is denoted using different color shades. Essentially, you can extract insights by looking at the different color shades present in a Performance Bar Chart.

You can use the chart to track strategic metrics, such as sales revenue, profits/losses, and costs, among others.

To make the chart as informative as possible to your audience, you have the option of adding legends and titles. For instance, you can use the names of the metrics under-display as legends in this chart.

A Performance Chart can complement your data story seamlessly because it’s incredibly easy to interpret.

Practical Uses of a Performance Chart

You can use a Performance Bar Chart to compare the different metrics within a single view.

Besides, you can use this chart to track continuous data, such as sales over a given period.

A Performance Chart can prove handy, especially during forecasting. In other words, you can use it to predict the future performance of key data points.

Other uses include:

• If you belong to the sales department, you can leverage this chart to show stakeholders (staff and management) in-depth insights into the current versus desired performance.
• You can also use the chart for competitive analysis.
• The Performance Bar Graph is the go-to visualization design if your goal is to have a less congested and lean dashboard.

How can You Visualize Your Data Using a Performance Bar Chart?

If Google Sheets is your primary visualization tool, we’re sorry to drop this bombshell. Performance Bar Graphs are not present in the spreadsheet app.

Yes, you read that right.

So how can you access Performance Charts without doing away with your Google Sheets?

This is pretty simple.

All you have to do is to download and install third-party add-ons into your Google Sheets. We’ve tested a ton of add-ons, and the one we recommend is ChartExpo.

ChartExpo is a Google Sheets add-on you can easily install without watching hours of YouTube tutorials or reading a manual.

With many customized visualizations, ChartExpo turns your complex, raw data into compelling, easy to digest, visual renderings that instantly pique the interest of your audience.

With just a few clicks, this easy-to-use data visualization tool produces simple and clear charts. Yes, this tool generates charts that are amazingly easy to interpret, even for non-technical audiences. In the coming section, you’ll get to see this Performance Bar Chart generator (ChartExpo) in action.

Example #1

Let’s visualize the data below using Performance Charts.

Products	Sales
Nail polish	995,096
Eyebrow pencil	920,812
Rouge	926,510
Eye shadows	1,174,196
Eyeliner	1,128,534
Foundation	1,020,138
Lip gloss	1,127,231
Mascara	814,314

If you have not downloaded ChartExpo, use this link to install ChartExpo Add-on for Google Sheets.

Follow the easy steps below to visualize your data with the Performance Bar Chart.

• Open the worksheet and click the Extensions menu button.

• Once the ChartExpo drop-down menu shows, click the Open button.
• Click the Add New Chart button.

• Click the Search box and type “Performance Bar Chart.” You’ll be taken straight to the Performance Chart’s location in the tool, as shown below.

• Fill in the metrics and dimensions. In our example, we have one metric, namely The dimensional variable to fill in is products.
• Complete the task by clicking the Create Chart button.

• Check out the final chart (below).

Insights

• The best-performing product line is eye shadow. It accounts for 14.5% of the overall sales revenue.
• The next-best performing product is a tie between eyeliners and lip gloss (13.9%).
• The worst-performing product is Mascara, which accounts for only 10% of the overall sales revenue.

Example #2

Just like the previous example, we’ll use the Performance Diagram to visualize the data below.

Countries	Gold Medal
USA	39
China	38
Japan	27
UK	22
ROC	20
Australia	17
Italy	10
Germany	10
Netherlands	10
France	10

• To get started with ChartExpo, export the data above into your Google Sheets.
• Follow the same steps we used in Example #1.
• Type “Performance Bar Chart” on the Search box.

• Fill in your metrics and dimensions. In our example, we have one metric, namely the gold medal count. The dimensional variable to fill in is
• Complete the task by clicking the Create Chart button, as shown below.

• Your visualization should look like the one below.

Insights

• The US was the best country in the competition. The country accounts for 19.2% of the total medals issued.
• China was the second-best country with 38 medals.
• The worst-performing segment is a tie among four countries (Italy, Germany, Netherlands, and France).

Example #3

By now, you know the drill. We’ll use the same visualization design to extract insights from the tabular data below.

Videos	Likes
Tokyo Vlog	8096
Auckland Vlog	7914
Bowden Vlog	10097
Oslo Vlog	11254
Beijing Vlog	8010
Qatar Vlog	9170
Copenhagen Vlog	10694

To get started with ChartExpo, export the data above into your Google Sheets.

• Follow the same steps we used in Examples #1 and #2.
• Type “Performance Bar Chart” on the Search box.
• Fill in the metrics and dimensions. In the scenario above, our metric (in the table above) is the On the other hand, the dimensional variable to put is videos.
• Complete the task by clicking the Create Chart button.

• Your chart is ready.

Insights

• The best-performing video blog is the Oslo Vlog. It accounts for 17.3% of all the likes (engagement).
• The second best-performing video blog is Copenhagen Vlog (16.4%).
• The worst-performing Vlog is Auckland (accounts for 12.1%).

Example #4

Cities	Profit
Los Angeles	4,723
Chicago	9,550
Houston	3,908
Phoenix	7,023
Philadelphia	13,631
San Antonio	7,125
San Diego	11,934
Dallas	14,444
San Jose	7,653
Austin	13,531

• Follow the same steps we used in Examples #1, 2 and 3.
• Fill in the metrics and dimensions. In the scenario above, the metric to fill in is On the other hand, the dimensional variable to fill in is cities.
• Complete the task by clicking the Create Chart button, as shown below.

• Your Performance Bar Chart should look like the one below.

Insights

• Dallas is the most profitable location. It accounts for 15.4% of the aggregate profits.
• Philadelphia is the second most profitable location (14.6%)
• The worst-performing location is Houston (4.2%).

Advantages of the Performance Bar Chart

• Helps you Overcome Data Complexity

Performance Bar Graph can help you extract insights from complex and bulky data faster. It can accomplish this by distilling signals from noise using a combination of boxes, color, and strategic labeling.

• Data Storytelling

You can use the chart to craft compelling data stories. Besides, you can integrate it with your dashboard because it consumes limited amounts of space.

• Track Performance

The Performance Chart is the go-to chart if your goal is to track key performance metrics in real-time. It gets better. Reading and interpreting the Performance Diagrams is incredibly easy.

You just need to take note of the high contrasting colors to gain insights.

• Visible to all Stakeholders

You can recreate the larger version and put it somewhere within your business or workplace for everyone to see.

Essentially, this will help get everyone on the same page with regard to strategic business goals, such as maximizing profits.

FAQs:

What is a Performance Chart?

A Performance Bar Chart shows the general performance of key data points at a glance. It also provides the summary performance of key variables using a combination of simple diagrams, colors, and labels.

Also, it projects positive or negative differences between the metrics in raw data. Comparison is displayed using different color shades.

How do you create a Performance Chart?

Freemium data visualization tools, such as Google Sheets, lack ready-made Performance Bar Charts. We recommend you download and install the ChartExpo add-on into your Google Sheets to get around this problem.

You don’t need coding or programming skills to use ChartExpo. Also, it comes loaded with tons of advanced charts.

Wrap Up

Tracking the performance of key metrics in your data in a single view is challenging.

You need charts that are incredibly easy to read and interpret.

Yes, you need charts with minimalist designs for your audience to cherry-pick insights without struggle.

This is where Performance Bar Charts come in.

You can use a Performance Bar Chart to compare different metrics within a single view. Besides, you can use this chart to track continuous data, such as sales over a given period. Performance charts can prove really handy, especially during forecasting.

Essentially, you can use it to predict the future performance of key data points.

Google Sheets should not be your go-to tool if you intend to create Performance Bar Charts that are simple to interpret and complement your data stories.

Why?

This spreadsheet application’s library lacks the Performance Graphs’ templates. But, we’re not recommending you to do away with Google Sheets for other pricey tools. No.

We recommend installing third-party apps, such as ChartExpo, into your Google Sheets to access intuitive and minimalist Performance Diagrams.

ChartExpo is an add-on you can easily download and install in your Google Sheets. Also, this tool comes loaded with insightful and easy-to-interpret Performance Visualization Designs, plus many more advanced charts.

You don’t need programming or coding skills to visualize your data using ChartExpo.

You can easily export your visually appealing and ready-made charts using the world’s most recognized formats, namely JPEG and PNG.

You have a 100% guarantee that ChartExpo will not slow down your browser. None of our 40,000-plus users worldwide have complained about the issue (above).

Sign up for a 7-day free trial today to access easy-to-interpret and visually appealing Performance Bar Charts for your data stories.