In today’s world of E-Commerce, you have a wealth of data available to you about your customers and website users. Through Google AdWords and Google Analytics, there is very little that you cannot track once a user lands on your website. If you want even further details into the actions, you can use third party applications like Crazy Egg (an advanced analytics package that includes heat maps and scroll tracking) or Hubspot (a set of tips and tools used to measure & improve content marketing ). Previously, this was all created through separate Javascript code snippets placed in a specific place within your website, which each recorded data based on the users’ actions. This meant there were separate code snippets on your web pages for all of the following:
- Google Analytics Page View Tracking
- Google Analytics E-Commerce Tracking
- Google AdWords Conversion Tracking
- Google AdWords Call Tracking
- Event Tracking
- Affiliate Tags such as Affiliate Window
- Multi-Platform Tracking (i.e. Facebook, YouTube, website tracking all in one place)
- Third Party Tracking from programs such as Crazy Egg, D-Stillery and Visual DNA
- Among many more
Single Application for all Tags
There is an advanced technology that has been produced and released by Google that enables all of this functionality with just one code snippet. This application is called Google Tag Manager. While Google Tag Manager has been around for a while now, Google has begun promoting it more with the introduction of a new certification and notifying all users through Google Analytics.
Google Tag Manager can now install one tracking code on your website, then set up each tag for 3rd party tracking within the same application. This means that all of the above programs and more can run with just one tracking code on your website.
Advantages of Google Tag Manager
The main advantages of having Google Tag Manager replace your existing tracking are highlighted below:
- Google Tag Manager saves you from having to set up code for tags individually. The applications are managed within a single program. This greatly improves the efficiency of setting up accounts. Previously, we have experienced long dialogues with third-party web developers in order to ensure all the tracking codes were placed on the website, in the right order and in the right place. With Google Tag Manger, we can now take sole responsibility for setting up all tracking and external tags, once the initial tag is placed on the website.
- Google Tag Manager keeps all tracking organised. As well as tags being handled within a single application, they are also categorised by function and by name. This serves as a handy checklist for implementing all the necessary tags to new websites.
- The Google Tag Manager can significantly decrease load times. Instead of web pages having to load several tracking code snippets, it would now only have to load one. Also, GTM loads code asynchronously, meaning it deploys the application independently of the rest of the web page. The overall result of this is that the page will now load faster.
- The Google Tag Manager minimises coding errors on your website. Duplicative or improperly applied tags can disrupt tracking and measurements, resulting in additional costs and lost data. Manual tagging can be a tedious, monotonous process that invites these kinds of errors. GTM condenses each tag into a manageable form, helping you avoid these issues. When problems do occur, it is easy to find the issue quickly and deactivate the offending tags.
If you would like to avail of this opportunity to instigate more efficient and effective tagging of your website, you can contact us by email on info@searchscientist.co.uk or by phone on 02890683790.
Happy Tagging!
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