how to defeat the beast

How To Defeat The BeastSafely migrate from Classic,Universal, to Google Tag Manager.#AIM 5 #heweb17

Sylvia E. NicosiaFarmingdale State College@synicosiaFollow Slides at: https://www.slideshare.net/SylviaNavarroNicosia/how-to-defeat-the-beast

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Analytics…in Higher Ed

ALL ANALYTICS TOOLSSERVE THEIR PURPOSE

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____

COMMON DENOMINATOR IN HIGHER ED

analytics.js gtm.js

Google Analytics

+Google

AnalyticsGoogle

Analytics

+ga.js _______ ____

Classic Analytics

Google TagManager

Universal Analytics

WHAT’S EVERYBODY IN HIGHEDWEB USING?

*As of August, 24, 2017

97%Google Analytics

GOOGLE ANALYTICSSTATISTICS

g of institutions and companies attending HighEdWeb 2017 use Google Tag Manager (gtms.js)

use Google Universal Analytics (analytics.js).

use Google Classic Analytics (ga.js).

40% 31% 11%

GOOGLE ANALYTICSSTATISTICS

Universal and GTM Classic and Universal

Classic, Universal, and GTM

9% 2% 1%Classic and GTM

3%

GOOGLE ANALYTICS STATISTICS

g use Google Universal Analytics.

use Google Classic Analytics.

31% 11%

Should you migrate?

CLASSIC ANALYTICS

Uses old tracking code ga.js Javascript library

Google Analytics properties were transferred to Universal Analytics, however it’s unclear what will happen to those properties which are still utilizing the old tracking code

Misses features from Universal Analytics such as User ID

Google can make old tracking script stop working at any time

Needs custom JavaScript tags to track events

<a href="http://farmingdale.edu/catalog.pdf" onClick="_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', ' PDF Downloads', ‘Click', ’Catalog');">Catalog</a>

UNIVERSAL ANALYTICS

Uses tracking code analytics.js Javascript library

All new Properties use it

Enjoys cool features from Universal

Connect multiple devices, sessions, and engagement data with the User ID.

Still needs custom JavaScript tags to track events

<a href="http://farmingdale.edu/catalog.pdf" onClick="ga(‘send’, ‘event’, ‘ PDF Downloads’, ‘Click’, ‘Catalog’);”>Catalog</a>

GOOGLE TAG MANAGER GTM

Uses tracking code gtm.js Javascript library

GTM does not replace your analytics, but helps you easily add/manage JS tracking code (tags) to your website

Minimal amount of coding for more complex tags

Built-in debug feature, preview mode

Built-in variables and tags, plus you can make your own

Event tracking: No more custom JavaScript tags on your site

<a href="http://farmingdale.edu/catalog.pdf" class=“gtm-catalog”>Catalog</a>

IS IT ONE BETTER THAN THE OTHER ONE?

Classic

Universal

GTM

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THE ISSUE IS IN THE MIGRATION

Migration Classic Universal GTM

m c u g=

YOU MAY BE TEMPTED TO…Classic GA Property ID Number

Universal GA Universal ID Number

GTM Google Tag Manager

UA-XXXX123-1

UA-XXXX123-1

Your Website

WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

Bad or inflated data by conflicting or overlapping code (i.e., using the same property ID all along)

No data on any view in your property.

No data at all! (i.e., not testing properly)

Data from Goals and Events can stop while the code is switched (i.e., gap between deleting old code and new).

bad Really bad Very Extremely Mega Bad

THERE’S A SAFE, ALTERNATE SOLUTION

The “Parallel” testing with a migration plan

gtm.js

ga.js

or

analytics.js

Property A

Property B

WHERE YOUR DATA REMAINS CONSTANT

Your current data:

YOU SHOULDCONSIDER MIGRATING IF…

Classic Analytics Universal Analytics

+20 Custom Tags Manage•Facebook tags •Twitter tags•AdWords•Any other custom HTML/JavaScript code•Make your life easier

You Should Consider Google Tag Manager IF…

OLÉ

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STEP 1: NEW PROPERTY

1Create a NEW Property in Google Analytics and recreate all views/filters from your current GA Property.

Current Property

UA-XXXX123-1

Testing Property

UA-XXXX123-2

HOW GOOGLE TAG MANAGER WORKS…

1. Tag: A snippet of code (usually JavaScript) added to a page.

2. Trigger: Defines when and where tags are executed.

3. Variable: Used to receive or store information to be used by tags and triggers.

GTM has pre-defined variables like:

Page URL: returns the full URL of the current page (http://www.farmingdale.edu/about)

And you can build your own tags & variables.

STEP 2: CREATE CONTAINER IN GTM

2

Current UA-XXXX123-1

* Useful Tip: Use same name as your GA Property

Testing UA-XXXX123-2

UA-XXXX123-2

STEP 3: SETUP YOUR PAGE VIEW TAG WITH NEW VARIABLE

3

STEP 4: INSTALL GTM CODE

4 Testing PropertyUA-XXXX123-2

Current Property UA-XXXX123-1

CURRENT PROPERTY + TESTING PROPERTY

Current Property: UA-XXXX123-1

Testing Property: UA-XXXX123-2

PREVIEW AND DEBUG MODE

Testing Property

UA-XXXX123-2

PUBLISH YOUR CONTAINER

STEP 5: WHILE YOU START COLLECTING DATA, REVIEW EVENTS

5Review your Events. This is the best time to do an extensive inventory to find a common ground:

•How many and where are they located?

•Which Events will you keep?

•Which ones to modify?

•Which ones to remove?

EVENT INVENTORY

WE ARE AMONG THE TOP 50 DESIGN AGENCIES IN THE UK.

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vitae dicta sunt explicabo.

EVENTS WITH UNIVERSAL<li>

<a href="https://www.farmingdale.edu/about/contact-us.shtml" class="btn btn-default .btn-sm btn-block call-to-action-gtm” onclick="ga('send', 'event', 'Footer Call to Action Buttons', 'click-contact-us', 'Footer Contact Us /about/contact-us.shtml', 10, {'nonInteraction': 1});”> <i class="fa fa-comment-o fa-fw"></i> Contact Us</a>

</li>

Event Category: Footer Call to Action Buttons

Event Action: click-contact-us

Event Label: Footer Contact Us /about/contact-us.shtml

CONFIGURE EVENT TAG IN GTM

Same category name

EVENT WITH GOOGLE TAG MANAGER<li> <a href=https://www.farmingdale.edu/about/contact-us.shtml onclick="ga('send', 'event', 'Footer Call to Action Buttons', 'click-contact-us', 'Footer Contact Us /about/contact-us.shtml', 10, {'nonInteraction': 1});” class="btn btn-default .btn-sm btn-block call-to-action-gtm”> <i class="fa fa-comment-o fa-fw"></i> Contact Us</a></li>Event Category: Footer Call to Action ButtonsEvent Action: {{Click URL}} https://www.farmingdale.edu/about/contact-us.shtmlEvent Label: {{Page Path}} /Trigger: When Click Classes matches RegEx (call-to-action-gtm)

COMPARE DATA RESULTSCurrent Property UA-XXXX123-1

Testing Property UA-XXXX123-2

TRACKING DOWNLOAD FILES IN GTMDownload Links Setup in Universal Analytics

MEANWHILE IN GTM…

CHECK GTM PREVIEW MODE

CHECK EVENTS IN GA REAL TIME

YOU’LL GET MORE DETAIL DATA

With ZERO NADA code

STEP 6: REVIEW YOUR GOALS

6Just like with Events, do another inventory for all your Goals:

•All Goals per View

•Which Goals need adjustment since some Events’ actions and labels changed

•Different from Events, Goals will need to individually be modified in ALL views.

GOAL INVENTORYCurrent Property Testing Property

GOAL SETUP IN GA DASHBOARD

Current UA-XXXX123-1 Testing UA-XXXX123-2

*In all views

GOAL RESULTS

Current UA-XXXX123-1 Testing UA-XXXX123-2

1,426 conversions 1,796 conversions

STEP 7: REVIEW DATA, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS

7Testing UA-XXXX123-2

Current UA-XXXX123-1

Current UA-XXXX123-1 Testing UA-XXXX123-2

STEP 8: PLAN FOR MIGRATION

8• After testing your data and you’re confident

you have the results you want, it’s time to plan for the migration.

• The migration/upgrade consists of:

• Remove all existing Universal code (tracking code and event tracking code).

• Switching GTM variable from Testing UA-XXXX123-2 to Current UA-XXXX123

• Set an official (realistic) date and timeline for the migration.

REMOVE ALL CUSTOM EVENT TAGS

An audit may be helpful to find them all.

All matches will have to be deleted.

MAKE SURE OLD EVENT TRACKING CODE IS REMOVED!

<li> <a href=https://www.farmingdale.edu/about/contact-us.shtml onclick="ga('send', 'event', 'Footer Call to Action Buttons', 'click-contact-us', 'Footer Contact Us /about/contact-us.shtml', 10, {'nonInteraction': 1});” class="btn btn-default .btn-sm btn-block call-to-action-gtm”> <i class="fa fa-comment-o fa-fw"></i> Contact Us</a></li>

<li> <a href=https://www.farmingdale.edu/about/contact-us.shtml class="btn btn-default .btn-sm btn-block call-to-action-gtm”> <i class="fa fa-comment-o fa-fw"></i> Contact Us</a></li>

DAY OF SWITCH: REMOVE ALL CUSTOM TAGS

Remove the GA code for Classic/Universal Analytics and schedule pages to publish on merge date.

Leave your GTM code intact

Remove all instances of Classic/Universal custom tags code and set pages to publish on merge date.

STEP 9: ON MERGE DATE, SWITCH PROPERTY ID IN GTM VARIABLE

9From Testing UA-XXXX123-2

To Current UA-XXXX123-1

MAKE SURE NOW YOU’RE TRACKING UAXXXX123-1

Current Property UA-XXXX123-1

STEP 10: PUBLISH YOUR CONTAINER

10Publishing both pages and GTM container must be done at the same time. Any gap or overlapping when switching can affect your data!

CHECK WITH GTM PREVIEW MODE

Check that all your tags are firing and passing the right variables

CHECK WITH GA REAL TIME

Check that you events and Goals are working properly

Keep closed monitoring in the next 48 hours

YOUR MAIN PROPERTY DATA CONTINUES…

Current Property A: UA-XXXX123-1

Testing Property B: UA-XXXX123-2

That’s it!

ReviewQuick

CONSIDER UPDATING/MIGRATING IF…

You are using Classic Analytics

You are using Universal Analytics and you have at least 20 custom JavaScript tags on your website

You want to manage your Facebook tags, Twitter tags, AdWords, event tags, and any other custom HTML/JavaScript code

Make your life easier

STEPS FOR A SAFE MIGRATION

1. Create a new Property in GA, recreate your views.

2. Create a container in GTM.

3. Setup your tracking code with a Page View tag and a variable to store your new Property ID.

4. Install GTM code on your website along your current GA code.

5. Review your Events.

6. Review your Goals.

7. Review your collected data, make necessary adjustments.

8. Plan for upgrade: Set a date and timeline, remove GA tracking code and custom tags, set pages to auto-publish.

9. On upgrade day, switch to current Property ID in GTM variable.

10. Publish your container and monitor for the next few days.

ADVICE

Same steps apply when migrating from Classic to Universal, Classic to GTM.

Do your testing for at least two months so you’ll have data for comparison.

Schedule the switch at the end of the spring semester.

Do it on a Monday! You’ll have all week to fix any mess.

You’re welcome.

RESOURCES

Simo Ahava’s Blog

https://www.simoahava.com/

LunaMetrics

https://www.lunametrics.com/

Weber, J. (2015). Practical Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager for Developers. Berkeley, CA: Apress.

THANKYOU!

Questions?

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Slides available at: https://www.slideshare.net/SylviaNavarroNicosia/how-to-defeat-the-beast