Whether your business is doing well or not, you want to know why. The inner workings of your brand operations, particularly on your website, shed some light on your success or failure. But if you’re not sure how to track your online visitors, you need to set up Google Tag Manager.
Like other business tools from Google, Google Tag Manager is easy to use and highly effective at its job. Best of all, you’ll be able to control it without the help of a developer! You have nothing to lose by trying it out.
What Is Google Tag Manager?
While you’re faced with countless impossible decisions for your business on a daily basis, the choice to set up Google Tag Manager is an easy one. It’s completely free to try and, like other Google tools, is user-friendly and pretty straightforward right off the bat.
Google Tag Manager allows you to assign and monitor tags on your website. This means that you’ll be able to track the exact click patterns of your online visitors and gain a better understanding of your marketing strengths and weaknesses.
When you set up Google Tag Manager, you can synchronize tracking codes to your Google Analytics account and keep a close eye on site traffic. Plus, leveraging any Google system is a great way to share information about your business with different members of your team.
What About Google Analytics?
Enabling interactions with Google Analytics is key when you set up Google Tag Manager. Google Tag Manager alone doesn’t allow you to view and leverage traffic data. It merely allows you to generate tags and install them on your website.
Google Analytics tracks those tags so you can make sense of them.
Think of the relationship between your tagging software and analytics software like the idea in your head versus the blog post you write about it. The tags can exist (like a really interesting topic) but it won’t mean anything until you track it with an analytics tool (sit down and write your next epic blog post).
Why Should You Set Up Google Tag Manager for Your Business?
There are a few great reasons you should set up Google Tag Manager for your business. After all, the key to running any successful operation is to gain more insight!
Tags Are Fully Customizable and Easy to Manage
Whereas some tagging software makes it difficult to find and edit your tags, Google Tag Manager makes the process simple. It comes fully equipped with tagging templates to track anything you might need on your business website. Plus, you can set up a custom tagging system if you prefer.
Tags generated with Google Tag Manager don’t change the codes associated with websites, so you can tweak them as much as you’d like without the help of a code developer. This means you can work quickly and smoothly—on your own schedule!
It’s Secure and Errors Are Easy to Spot
The security and error-checking features of Google Tag Manager help ensure your data is secure and properly tracked. Google scans to make sure that your tags don’t match other URLs or IP addresses across the Internet!
When you set up Google Tag Manager, you set boundaries for who gets to set tracking codes to your website. And the program alerts you if someone unauthorized is trying to gain access to your tags.
Google Tag Manager helps you know exactly when your tracking codes are ready to launch—no guesswork.
You Can Use Tag Templates
Odds are your business tracking needs are similar to other businesses across the Internet. That’s why you can set up Google Tag Manager with a predesigned tagging template to suit your needs.
Google also allows free collaboration and template sharing between businesses, so new templates turn up all the time. Once you get the hang of using the templates, you have the option to strike out on your own and customize your tags. If it goes well, you can upload your unique framework to the Custom Templates section.
How to Set Up Google Tag Manager
Setting up your Google Tag Manager is easier than you might think! Follow these simple steps to start working with tags.
Create a Google Tag Manager Account
If you have a Google account, you’ll be able to set up Google Tag Manager using your existing account information. If you don’t have a Google account for your business needs, you’ll need to make one first!
Once you’re better acquainted with Google (and have a username and password) you can hop over to the Google Tag Manager website and log in. You’ll be asked for the name of your business and a container (your website or application name).
You’ll be able to indicate if you’d like to share tracking information (and with who) as soon as you get set up! Be sure to synchronize your Google Analytics account, for example.
Install Google Tag Manager On Your Website
Google has a clear and concise step-by-step guide to connect your Google Tag Manager to your website! (Would we really expect anything less than “clear and concise” from Google?) After this last step, you’ll be all set and ready to track your website visitors.
Deciding to set up Google Tag Manager might be the best thing you do for your business this year. When you gain access to the places your online visitors go, you’re better able to figure out how they think! Your business is sure to grow with another Google tool at your disposal.
Once you start tracking your user’s activity, you’re going to have data flowing in. To make that data easier to understand and use, our Measure and Maximize program is your perfect resource. You’ll learn how to build professional dashboards for you (or your clients) in a snap, fully customized to what you need.
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