Why Redundancy Matters in Event Tracking
When it comes to event tracking in Google Tag Manager (GTM) and Google Analytics (GA), redundancy is not a sign of inefficiency; in fact, it’s a crucial safety net.
Implementing redundant triggers for each essential conversion events or GTM tags helps ensure data accuracy and reduces the risk of data loss.
By setting multiple triggers, such as the URL, button text, ID, or class, you ensure one alteration doesn’t spell disaster. In this way, redundancy is your safeguard against unforeseen changes, providing a failsafe mechanism for your data collection.
In this post, we’ll look at why redundancy matters in event tracking and how to set up redundant triggers.
The Basics of GTM Tags and Triggers
Google Tag Manager (GTM) operates on a system of tags and triggers. A tag is a snippet of code that performs a specific function on your site, such as sending information to Google Analytics (GA). Each tag is associated with one or more triggers, which are conditions that dictate when the tag should fire.
Triggers can be based on a variety of events, such as a page view, a click, or form submission. They can also be refined with factors like click classes, URLs, or form IDs, offering a customizable and precise way to monitor interactions on your site.
For example, if you want to track when visitors to your site do something specific—like clicking a button—you would set up a tag to send that information to GA. You’d then set up a trigger to tell GTM when to send that information—like when the button with a specific ID is clicked.
So, when a visitor clicks that button, the trigger fires, and the tag sends the information to GA. This is how you can capture and analyze specific user interactions on your website, providing you with valuable insight into user behavior and website performance.
Understanding the Risks of Single-Point Event Triggers
Relying solely on single-point event triggers is akin to walking on a tightrope without a safety net. This is especially true for larger websites with multiple people or teams working on them, where elements — URLs, button classes, or IDs, for instance — can be altered without any prior notice or communication, potentially breaking your triggers.
For example, imagine you’re tracking button clicks on your website and your GTM tag is set to fire when a user submits a form with a specific ID. But one day, someone from sales creates a new, slightly different form with a different ID, you’re trigger for that event will fail to fire.
When a trigger fails, you don’t just lose a few data points; you risk losing significant amounts of valuable user interaction data that could drive your business decisions.
The absence of redundancy, in this case, could mean the difference between a comprehensive understanding of your user behavior and a gaping hole in your analytics.
Implementing Redundant GTM Tags for Button Click Tracking
This strategy may initially seem like an overkill, but consider this how easily a small miscue can result in days, weeks, or even months of lost data. For the marketing folks and decision makers who rely on… well reliable data, it can be incredibly frustrating to NOT have redundancies to fall back on if something goes wrong.
Diversifying Trigger Elements for Reliable Event Firing
To establish redundancies, you can utilize a variety of trigger elements in GTM. For instance, when tracking button clicks, besides utilizing the button’s ID, consider triggers that fire on the button’s text, CSS class, or even the URL the button directs to.
- Button Text: If you have a “Buy Now” button, a Click Text trigger could be set to fire when “Buy Now” is clicked. Even if someone changes the button’s ID or class without informing you, this trigger would ensure event tracking.
- CSS Class: Suppose your button has a unique CSS class. In that case, you could add a Click Class trigger that fires when that specific class is interacted with, providing another layer of redundancy.
- URL: If your button redirects to a specific URL, a Click URL trigger could be set to fire when that URL is clicked. This adds another level of redundancy and ensures the event is tracked even if the button text or class is altered.
These are just a few examples of how diversifying your trigger elements can help ensure reliable event firing, regardless of changes made on the site. By implementing these redundancies, you’re bolstering your event tracking, ensuring the integrity of your data, and ultimately making more informed business decisions.