The short answer
Report the starting value, ending value, period and calculation alongside a percentage change. A large percentage can come from a very small baseline, and a zero baseline needs special handling. The number should help the reader understand the observation rather than make a chart look dramatic.
A worked example
In an explicitly fictional worksheet, visits rise from 20 to 30. The increase is 10 visits, or 50% relative to the starting value. A second example rises from 2,000 to 3,000 and also produces 50%. Showing the absolute values prevents the identical percentage from implying identical business impact.
A practical checklist
- Use comparable periods and the same metric definition. Record the actual source values before applying any formula or formatting.
- For a nonzero starting value, calculate (ending minus starting) divided by starting, multiplied by 100. Report the absolute difference as well.
- If the baseline is zero, describe the change from zero in absolute terms rather than dividing by zero. Add sample size and context when interpreting small counts.
What to avoid
Avoid using illustrative growth examples as client results or presenting a percentage without its denominator. Do not imply causation from a change alone. The same observed increase may coincide with advertising, seasonality, product changes or measurement changes that require separate investigation.
A useful follow-up
Can I report 100% growth from zero to one?
Not using the standard relative-change formula. Report that the count increased from zero to one and explain the baseline.