Item: Google Tag Manager
Rating: 10
Author: Matthew Stewart

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is the backbone of our website tracking at our company. It is used by both our Analytics and Web Development departments to create a structured, versionable environment for web pages, events, and pixel tracking. GTM solves many issues that allow non-developers to be able to add code to a website all without needing to add code. For instance, if you need to install a heatmap, GTM has built-in tags that allow you to simply put your tracking ID and you're good to go. It's a fantastic, free tool that I cannot recommend enough for any analyst to have in their repertoire.

Pros and Cons

Event Tracking
Web Tracking
Pixel Tracking
Custom Events
Platform Integration
Cost (Free)

Tutorials are sparse from Google. No official course.
GTM is manually tracked. No automated click to track function.
Integration quality varies depending on the application.

Return on Investment

GTM has allowed us to show positive ROI for multiple clients via connecting their two websites so that they could see the amount of money advertising generates.
GTM has also shown a positive ROI from an internal perspective as we can use templates to immediately upload our standard, customized event tracking which saves hours of testing and configuration.
GTM's lack of error catching features has caused more time and individual testing but the improved preview feature has helped save time.

Alternatives Considered

Heap

We have used GTM for its natural integrations and the cost is free. The fact that we have to learn the program was an upside as it has made our team smarter and savvier when discussing what can and cannot be tracked.

Heap on the other hand is a paid service that has a fully integrated tracking system. They are a Google Analytics meets GTM and it's a fantastic tool for the price. The ease of going to your website and just clicking a button, page, or any object and guaranteeing the ability to measure tracking is a huge time saver and leaves no room for doubt.

However, the price is the biggest breaker along with our need to constantly update and upload advertising pixels. Thus we ended up with Google Tag Manager.

Key Insights

Do you think Google Tag Manager delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Google Tag Manager's feature set?

Yes

Did Google Tag Manager live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Google Tag Manager go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Google Tag Manager again?

Yes

Other Software Used

RStudio, Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, MySQL

Usability

Google Tag Manager is the definition of a learning curve. At the beginning, you can barely do the minimum and it can seem questionable as to why you would use it. However, as users begin to learn its offerings and see how it can do much more, they will have a moment where GTM becomes a tool that empowers their ability to track and efficiently collect data for important business questions.

Support Rating

GTM does not provide support. This is one of GTM's biggest issues but it's due to the level of customization for each website. If your team thinks they would heavily rely on the need for a support staff it is probably better to invest in a paid service with a team that can support your needs.

Likelihood to Recommend

GTM is well suited for any company that wants to collect data into Google Analytics for an affordable price (free). It is fairly easy to learn but you will need to dedicate time to letting someone train with it, which can take significant time if no one has prior experience. If your team does not have the bandwidth to give this to someone to learn, GTM will be far less effective and you should consider paid alternatives.

GTM: Best in Service for Free

Overall Satisfaction with Google Tag Manager