In order to collect website data, Google Analytics Tracking Code (GATC) sends an “interaction” each time a user views a page on a tagged website. This baseline implementation, can provide immediate insights such as:
However, in order for a website to present the right content to the right audience, a business needs to understand user interactions and flow through a website much more intimately. With Event tracking (just a small amount of extra code), we can collect data on additional activities that happen on your website which cannot be tracked with the standard GATC – since they are not associated with a pageview. Some of the most common ways that Events can be leveraged on a site include:
An Event can be used to track a KPI, or serve as a “micro” goal. They can be especially powerful for organizations with a longer path to conversion (higher education, healthcare, financial services, etc.) as it is important to monitor what website elements assist in moving the user closer to desired outcomes.
While Events are not difficult to implement, they do require code customization and consistency. As the need for accurate and timely user and campaign data grows, it is important to empower the marketer with the ability to gather this data. Google Tag Manager allows for the deployment of your base GATC and Events with little technical resources; allowing development teams to focus on website-enhancing initiatives and marketers to “self-serve” their own tag deployment.