Category: Hacks
Why Google Tag Manager Outshines the GA Tag Script.
Almost every website boasts Google Analytics (GA). Its ease of use and out-of-the-box functionalities make it a popular choice for basic website analysis. However, extracting the specific data points crucial for business decisions requires development tweaks and technical expertise. This is where Google Tag Manager (GTM) steps in, offering way more you expected.
Tags: Google Analytics.
Why use GTM?
Unlike GA's limited customisation, GTM grants immense control over tag deployment (which in practice means registering user interactions with the site). Imagine triggering tags based on specific user actions like page views, clicks, form submissions, and most importantly custom events you define. This granular control ensures you collect the most relevant data and avoid unnecessary tracking, all without touching a single line of website code. While some learning is involved, GTM's user-friendly google style interface makes it accessible even without advanced technical knowledge.
Think of it this way: GTM empowers you to create a custom event that triggers when a user clicks a specific button on select pages. You achieve this without any development effort, unlocking a level of data fidelity that would otherwise require technical expertise. No need to wait for dev availability.
GTM's superiority doesn't end there. Here are some of the things you did not expect can be done with GTM:
- Inject HTML or javascript code without touching the codebase of the website.
Eg. insert pool modal.
- Change the content of the site.
Eg. change the headline based on the UTM campaign name.
Change this:
in to that:
with Custom HTML Tag:
Check live effect here: standard page https://cutdown.link vs modified with tag https://cutdown.link?utm_campaign=linkedin_promo
You may ask why overcomplicate using GTM for that? Really? You never waited for developers? Or quality assurance approvals?
- Perform AB tests without any other tool required.
Eg. 50% of traffic sees headline 1 the others headline 2. Without engaging devs!
- Create custom events passed to GA with complicated triggering conditions.
Eg. identify users that scrolled more than X% of the page spending at least 90 seconds.
- Add cookie consent functionality to your website.
- Calculate the value of items added to the cart but not included in the final order.
Moving forward, ditch the GA tag script and embrace the power of GTM. Unlock deeper insights, make informed decisions, and gain the control you need to optimise your digital presence.
One final warning. With great power comes… great power. Beware, giving someone access to the GTM account linked to your website grants them full control over the site.
Michal
