Is Your Website Ready for GTM? Key Setup Errors that Impact Data Accuracy”
Are you encountering issues with inaccurate or missing data in your Google Analytics? The problem might not solely lie in Google Tag Manager (GTM). Sometimes, your website itself is not configured for effective tracking. In this post, we walk through a real-world example to demonstrate how shortcomings—such as missing HTML elements, classes, and IDs—in a website can disrupt your GTM setup.
The Double-Edged Sword of GTM Complexity
The WordPress Example Unpacked
We recently tried configuring GTM for a client’s new WordPress site. However, the website lacked essential elements like click IDs and classes, making the GTM setup more challenging than it should have been.
Quick Fixes are Not the Solution
You might be tempted to use advanced GTM features like regex filters and custom triggers as a workaround. However, these band-aid solutions can lead to complications down the line.
Why Clear Identifiers Are Crucial
The 'Contact Us' Button Dilemma
We attempted to track a ‘Contact Us’ button labeled with the CSS class ‘primary color.’ But what if the button text changes in the future to ‘Contact Us Now’ or ‘Find Out More’? Or what if the ‘primary color’ class is used elsewhere on the site? Specific identifiers like click text or element ID should be unique and consistent to ensure reliable tracking.
Multilingual Sites Add Complexity
Our client’s website had multiple language options. This adds an additional layer of complexity, making it even more crucial for tracking elements to be stable and consistent.
The Domino Effect of GTM Setup Errors
A Detour into Advertising Analysis: How GTM Setup Errors Can Mislead You
If your tracking data is inaccurate, you might wrongly assume your advertising campaigns are not effective. This misconception can waste both time and resources. Your tracking might work fine initially, set up with various tricks and workarounds.
However, when different people start updating the content, these makeshift solutions can easily fall apart, disrupting your tracking.
The Reporting Nightmare
When tracking falters, your analytics reports become unreliable, making it challenging to gauge the performance of your campaigns or the behavior of your website visitors. Identifying and rectifying the issue can be a tedious process, costing you valuable time.
This problem becomes even more pronounced if you’ve set up automated reporting for specialists and C-level executives. Hours or even days can be wasted on lengthy analyses and investigations, affecting multiple departments from the online ads team to the content creators and developers.
Strategies for Robust GTM Implementation
Stick to the Basics, But Do Them Well
- While GTM offers a wide range of functionalities, sticking to the basics is often more effective. Keep your tracking elements straightforward to minimize errors. But simplicity shouldn’t stop at GTM setup.
- Don’t hesitate to ask the website developer to edit the site code and data layer to include more specific ‘classes’ and ‘IDs’ into the HTML code.
- Yes, you can manage with the current website elements, but this choice increases the risk of future tracking issues.
- Making the code and tracking elements as foolproof as possible from the get-go is a wise investment for reliable, long-term data collection.
Documentation is Your Best Friend
Detailed notes on how you’ve set up tracking can be a lifesaver when you need to troubleshoot issues. Always document your setup process meticulously.
Conclusion: Before blaming GTM...
Before blaming GTM for your tracking woes, take a hard look at your website. Ensuring that your site is prepared for tracking can save you a lot of headaches later on. Trying to patch things up in GTM without fixing the root problem on your website is a recipe for future issues.
Take Action for Better Data Accuracy
Experiencing tracking issues on your website? It may be time to reevaluate your site’s preparedness for effective tracking.
