Should we engage an analytics solution or forge ahead internally? This is the dilemma I often encounter when speaking with potential clients. Organizations feel the pressure to wear multiple hats, find efficiencies, and create value while navigating constrained budgets. It’s not an easy task. As Dr. Tracy Brower stated in her Forbes article, “When people wear multiple hats, it should be within the boundaries of the position you’re paying them to fulfill.” When responsibilities stray from those boundaries, burnout becomes a real concern.
Questions then arise: Why do we need a solution from InfoTrust (or anyone) when we have people who know Google Analytics 4 (GA4)? Why require additional support after spending thousands on a license? These are common issues organizations must grapple with internally. Understanding the necessity of a solution is crucial to addressing these challenges effectively.
Organizations often face friction points, including tracking inaccuracies, misconfigurations, and missed opportunities for data insights. A digital marketing analyst might spend hours troubleshooting GA4 issues instead of focusing on strategic initiatives, leading to frustration and reduced productivity. The lack of clarity can create an environment where decisions are based on incomplete or flawed data.
Imagine a day in the life of a digital analyst who’s juggling multiple responsibilities: reviewing tagging setups to new bug issues, ensuring compliance with privacy standards, and staying updated on the latest GA4 features. It’s overwhelming if you’re on an island tasked to do this along with the rest of your day.
This is where a solution pays dividends. By providing ongoing analytics support, clients navigate the complexities of GA4 effectively. Our dedicated team focuses on:
- Feature Updates: Keeping clients informed about new GA4 features and how to leverage them.
- Benchmarking: Assisting with benchmarking functionalities and managing user permissions.
- Tagging and Configuration: Reviewing and optimizing tagging implementations to prevent issues.
- Best Practices: Educating on naming conventions, privacy practices, and reporting methodologies.
- Attribution Modeling: Explaining the differences in attribution models and their implications on marketing campaigns.
- Custom Solutions: Helping clients set up custom event names and parameters through the data layer.
- Data Imports: Guiding clients in setting up data imports to enhance their analytics setup.
- Audience Building: Assisting in the creation of specific audiences for further integration into Google Ads.
- Cross-Platform Integration: Ensuring seamless communication between various platforms using GA4’s customizable features.
- Training and Workshops: Conducting team training sessions to empower self-service analytics across departments.
- Advanced Reporting: Providing advanced visualization techniques, such as Looker reporting, for enhanced insights.
These activities capture approximately 75 percent of our clients’ daily analytics needs, directly addressing their pain points.
Here are a few specific instances we could have never predicted would happen up front, but we could understand and fix when our clients were stumped:
- When moving to checkout, the cart page started tracking users as direct visits, effectively killing attribution for any checkouts, carts, and revenue details. This is a HUGE problem impacting the full funnel that InfoTrust could identify and fix.
- Client tracking for a singular product was tracked separately from the main site, creating two entirely separate checkouts. We had to break out checkouts for the main site and the singular product to accurately track and report on revenue. Instead of two sources of truth, InfoTrust could catch this to ensure there was one source of accurate data.
- Debugging complicated and obfuscated timing issues with GTM tagging not respecting user consent choices when official documentation on the topic is non-existent. Consent matters to keep customers trusting your brand, but also to avoid lawsuits from the numerous data privacy laws out there.
The Importance of Analytics Support
The world of data analytics is constantly evolving, with new tools and capabilities emerging frequently. GA4 offers many features that can enhance insight generation, but navigating this landscape without expert guidance can leave organizations at a disadvantage. Our support services keep clients informed about essential updates, allowing them to make strategic decisions based on accurate data.
Saving Time and Money
The economics of hiring an expert consultant is favorable. An expert consultant’s support costs less than a third of the average compensation for hiring a full-time employee with similar expertise. Moreover, inefficiencies in GA4 management can lead to costly misconfigurations. Our analytics support optimizes processes, enabling teams to concentrate on their core objectives. By being available for daily activities—such as reviewing tagging setups and ensuring compliance—we help our clients unlock improved efficiencies and save valuable time and resources.
Elevating Analytics Maturity
Advancing analytics maturity is crucial for maximizing data utilization. A solution fosters a data-driven culture that encourages informed decision-making. Our services equip clients with the tools they need, while our training promotes a deep understanding of GA4’s customizable features. This enables organizations to tailor analytics to their unique contexts, such as building specific audiences for Google Ads and effectively utilizing first-party data exports.
Lastly, it’s essential to note that assessing and resolving active bugs within Google Analytics is a fundamental part of enhancing analytics maturity.
The value of analytics support for navigating and maximizing GA4 cannot be overstated. By partnering with InfoTrust, businesses are not only equipped to collect data but also to create a robust framework for strategy and growth.
Unlock the power of your data to enhance marketing performance and drive growth. Our experts are ready to answer your questions, uncover valuable insights, and maximize results. Let’s talk—reach out now!