Define the Gulf Shores view before reviewing numbers
A dashboard can only answer a question that has been defined. Decide whether “Gulf Shores” means the city itself, Baldwin County, a wider service area, or separate city-and-county comparisons. The Census record identifies Gulf Shores city as a municipality in Baldwin County; it does not establish how far your firm serves or how many prospective clients search for counsel there. Keep those geographic concepts separate in the dashboard review. Ask which service-and-city targets are tracked, whether county information is distinguishable from city information, and whether a lead’s location is recorded consistently. Also decide whether a matter that originates in Gulf Shores but is handled elsewhere belongs in the same view.
Recommended approach
Request a walkthrough using geographic labels your firm can explain to a partner, intake employee and bookkeeper. Treat the Gulf Shores population figure as eligibility and context only. Do not use it as a forecast. Write down the geographic definitions that will be accepted for reporting before comparing channels or practice areas.
