Integrating Development into your Google Analytics 4 Migration Strategy
Written By: Shane Clark on May 4, 2022
As a marketing expert with a background in core software development, I find the power and also opportunities available in Google Analytics 4(GA4) exciting. Google Tag Manager(GTM) and also Google Analytics 4(GA4) provide the developer with almost endless possibilities. While these possibilities always existed within UA (Universal Analytics), with the removal of views and the addition of advanced events, GA4 lends itself to employing development skills to track your data.
Learning the Google Analytics 4(GA4)/Google Analytics 4(GA4) System
Before jumping in and adding JavaScript throughout your websites and Google Tag Manager accounts, I strongly recommend the developer understand the concepts of some of the user and acquisition modeling that is part of the Google Analytics 4 (GA4) platform. In a recent blog, Developing a Google Analytics 4 Learning Strategy, I cover some of the courses I have used.
GA4/GTM Programmatic Solutions for E-commerce
So far, most of the cases for the more advanced creation of events that can not be handled by just GTM are related to my e-commerce clients. An e-commerce site is more complex by nature and also lends itself to a more granular tracking of user actions on the website. Most of the event creation is related to understanding the user’s path through the shopping cart funnel.
The other websites that could lend themselves to more advanced GTM/GA4 scripted events would be running a high-budget Google Ads campaign. The additional information that you can get from tracking more granular user movements could make sense depending on the type of website and campaign that is being run.
Web Development Practices for Your GA4/GTM Implementation
Google Tag Manager(GTM) depends on reading the coded elements on a website. This is to accurately tag the elements of the site read by Google Analytics 4 (GA4). It is always good to practice best coding practices, but it was never more important than when dealing with a GTM/GA4 implementation. In some cases, you may not have control of HTML/CSS generated by plugins or software, but you should take a proactive approach in the areas under your control.
I found a great article by JavaScript in Plain English that covers 25 CSS Best Practices. The most important thing to keep in mind is consistency across your websites/apps and throughout your development team. These best practices also help with website accessibility issues to create a more ADA-friendly website.
The Importance of Google Core Web Vitals
Without a strong score from Google Core Web Vitals, your efforts may not have the same impact. According to David Wolter a senior account executive at Custom Virtual Solutions; “A Key Part of the GA4 Tracking is the Core Vitals, LCP, FID, and CLS these are critical to mention and understand.” Custom Virtual Solutions is an industry leader in advanced web and marketing solutions worldwide.
Creating a Collaborative Environment for your GTM/GA4 Implementations
It is vital to ensure all team members can collaborate on a development-centric approach to GA4. This collaborative effort should involve design, web/app development, and also client management. A project manager should define each team member’s role well, but should allow for flexibility depending on the type of feedback required. Advanced development will allow data retrieval in GA4-driven events. You should use this data to adjust the experience for the user.
The other areas that can help facilitate better communication between team members are project management software, Screenshot / Videocast software, and also business chat software. These three software solutions can make a big difference in how the team can communicate efficiently.
Where to Get Started
Those readers with a background in a development language will have a significant advantage. Do not worry; many of the tasks you will want to tackle you can accomplish using available libraries and a bit of ingenuity. I recommend going through an entire course to get a solid understanding of the possibilities. Developing a Google Analytics 4 learning strategy is something I covered in a previous blog. I have found a course that offers the full range of development modules forGA4, Google Tag Manager, and Data Studio. That course is Advanced Google Analytics 4 Implementation with Tag Manager by Rudranil Chakrabortty.
Choosing and Installing a Code Text Editor
One of the first actions you should take is picking and installing a text editor with syntax correction features. You will want to pick one that supports JavaScript. I prefer Sublime Text for my desktop and laptop. The cost for Sublime Text is free to try and $99 for continued use. If I am mobile and doing anything with my Ipad, I use Textastic Code Editor The cost for Textastic Code Editor is $14.95. It is available for installation on Ipads/iPhones running IOS 14.0 or later.
Google Tag Manager (GTM) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
To fully utilize any of the advanced features of GA4, you will need to level up your understanding of Google Tag Manager (GTM). GTM allows communication with the data layers of the GA4 engines on an easier to understand and more managed dashboard. To begin understanding how GTM works, you must familiarize yourself with tags, triggers, and variables. I recommend first learning the implementations of GA4/GTM without adding the complexity of any added custom scripts.
Building Up a Library of Code To Support Recurring Events
You should document the functions you write for GA4/GTM well. Also save these as part of your organizational library to be as efficient as possible. You should categorize scripts by type so that they will be manageable. You can store your completed and tested scripts in a cloud file storage system like Dropbox/ Google Drive. I find that mapping your scripts to Google/Excel sheets can be helpful to be able to track and access later on as needed.
Running/Setting Up a Local Web Development Environment
Your testing and configurations in the “local environment” can save significant time in development for those readers using WordPress. I recommend using XAMPP on your local system. Even in cases where you are just testing on pure HTML configurations, XAMPP can accomplish these requirements. Once you have tested your configurations, you can upload them to your live environment.
Summary
Google Tag Manager (GTM) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) offer many new features to track almost every conceivable action that your website/app users take. You can enhance data tracking and management with program-driven solutions with proper processes and planning. The event-centric approach can take some time to get used to. However, the data it yields is rewarding. If you are looking for Google Ads, organic web, or a comprehensive Google Tag Manager (GTM) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) strategy evaluation, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
