Google Tag Manager - powerful and free
April 03, 2017
Google Tag Manager - powerful and free
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Google Tag Manager
Google Tag Manager is implemented as a container for all third-party scripts that have to run on our website. This includes analytics, UX and advertising tags, making it possible to fire tags only on the pages they're required on without development, and making the overall site more nimble.
- Variables that enable you to tune your firing rules and manipulate data layer values.
- Good selection of built-in tags that work especially well if you use Google services.
- Inexpensive (i.e. free) compared to competitors.
- Preview mode works really well, and I haven't seen this feature elsewhere.
- Supports non-script browsers by using iframes.
- Maintaining tags across multiple properties is still awkward.
- Can't build custom tags that can be reused and manipulated from single point (although neither can competitors).
- Tag position on the page is awkward, loading after the body tag.
- Faster page load times, leading to lower exit rates.
- Improved mobile page performance scores in Google Webmaster Tools.
- Higher conversion rate on e-commerce site.
- Easier analytics using built-in tags for Google's Universal Analytics.
Google Tag Manager has features like variables that aren't available in Ensighten. It works well with Google tools and has a reasonable selection of built-in tags. Custom scripts are a bit of a letdown and they don't work quite as well. Ensighten has better componentisation of scripts, which is better for page load speed. Cost is a huge factor with GTM being free, whereas Ensighten costs 5 figure sums.