A Beginner's Guide to Google Sheets (A Perfect Alternative to Excel)
Esther Anagu, MBA
Data Analyst | Data Scientist | Empowering Businesses with Data Insights | DM for collaboration ??
Hello, Data Enthusiasts!
I’m back, and I’m super excited to share another fantastic data analysis tool with you! Today, we're exploring Google Sheets, an alternative to Microsoft Excel that’s often overlooked but incredibly powerful.
Google Sheets is a wonderful, accessible tool, especially for beginners or anyone looking for an Excel substitute. It includes many essential features for data analysis, like sorting, filtering, pivot tables, charts, and formulas. Plus, because it’s web-based, you can collaborate in real time, which is a huge advantage for team projects.
If you want to start data analysis without paying for Excel, Google Sheets is an excellent choice. The skills you develop here like working with formulas, creating charts, and structuring data can easily transfer to Excel if you ever switch over.
So, let’s jump into this beginner-friendly roadmap to mastering Google Sheets!
1. Getting Started with Google Sheets
As mentioned, Google Sheets is web-based, so it’s just a link away! You can access it from any device.
To get started, head over to Google Sheets and log in with your Google account.
Here’s your first task: create a new sheet and take a moment to explore. Check out the menu options like File, Edit, Insert, etc. These are similar to Excel’s menu, though some features are in slightly different places.
Get comfortable clicking around! This initial exploration will set a solid foundation for the formatting skills you’ll develop next.
2. Basic Formatting and Navigation
Formatting in Google Sheets is very similar to Excel. Both allow you to adjust fonts, change row and column sizes, and apply number formats (like currency or date). However, one difference is that Google Sheets can be a bit simpler to navigate, as it streamlines certain functions, which is helpful for beginners.
Try this:
If you're familiar with Excel, these formatting steps will feel second nature in Google Sheets. For those new to spreadsheets, learning formatting in Google Sheets first may be less overwhelming and will make transitioning to Excel’s formatting options smoother.
Here’s a quick tutorial on formatting basics.
3. Essential Formulas to Get You Started
Now that you've formatted your data, let’s look at how to perform calculations and analyses with it.
Google Sheets and Excel share many of the same formulas and syntax. Here are a few important ones:
To apply these, type = in any cell, followed by the formula name, like =SUM. Both Google Sheets and Excel have similar autofill suggestions, though Excel has a few more advanced options for complex functions.
For more details, check out this beginner's guide to Google Sheets formulas.
4. Organizing and Filtering Data
Once you have data in your sheet, organizing, and filtering become key.
The organizing and filtering tools in Google Sheets work similarly to those in Excel, though Excel provides more filtering options and conditional formats. Filters allow you to view only specific data, like products sold in a certain month or sales above a certain number.
Challenge:
Add a list of sample data (like names, scores, or sales numbers) and apply a filter. Play around with sorting (ascending and descending) and see how easy it is to organize data.
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The filter tools in Google Sheets are straightforward and great for beginner-level data analysis, but when you’re ready for more complex filters or conditional formats, Excel provides additional flexibility.
Here’s a quick video on video on filtering and sorting in Google Sheets.
5. Using Charts and Visuals to Tell a Story
Data becomes impactful when you visualize it. After organizing your data, let’s explore how to create visuals to make your findings more engaging.
Both Google Sheets and Excel let you create charts, though Excel offers a broader selection and customization options. Google Sheets is great for straightforward visuals, while Excel allows for complex data visualizations and formatting tweaks.
Try this:
Highlight some sample data and go to Insert > Chart. Google Sheets will suggest the best chart for your data. Play around with different chart types to see what works best for your needs.
For a walkthrough, check out this chart tutorial for beginners.
6. Collaboration - One of Google Sheets' Best Features.
One of the biggest advantages of Google Sheets is the ability to collaborate in real-time. You can share your sheet, add comments, and track real-time edits, which makes it perfect for group projects or team tasks. This makes Google Sheets a fantastic tool for group projects or team collaborations.
To try it out, share your sheet with a friend and see how quickly you both can make changes together.
Here’s a guide on sharing and collaboration in Google Sheets.
7. Keyboard Shortcuts for Efficiency
Keyboard shortcuts are mostly the same in both Google Sheets and Excel. This allows for a smooth transition if you use both tools.
Here are a few that work in both:
These shortcuts make your workflow more efficient, whether you’re in Google Sheets or Excel. For a full list, check out Google’s shortcut guide.
8. Intermediate and Advanced Concepts
Once you’re comfortable with the basics, there’s so much more to explore! From pivot tables to advanced functions, Google Sheets can do nearly everything Excel can. Check out some additional tutorials to keep learning:
Learning Google Sheets is a practical and rewarding journey that opens up countless opportunities in data analysis. And remember, everything you learn here will come in handy if you ever switch to Excel.
If these resources resonate with you, don’t hesitate to share this guide with your network. The more you practice, the faster you’ll grow—and who knows, your next big project might be just around the corner!
Feel free to check out my previous articles for more tips and resources on mastering data analysis:
Data Analyst || Excel || SQL || R || Tableau || Telecom. Engineering
1 周Google sheets allows a soft landing into the spreadsheet world and makes collaboration easier too, but I feel more of an analyst working with Excel ??
Data Science blogger/Machine learning enthusiast/Aspiring data analyst/Farmer
2 周Very helpful
Student at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology
3 周Companies use Google sheets for collaboration and data entry. But the Excel still reigns data analysis and advance workload for many reasons. Starting from the icons in Google sheets sometimes very confusing. Moreover, Excel tabs are more appealing for advance workload.In my opinion, I will like to use Google and Microsoft both for my project as using single software will be not a good choice.