superweek 2014 julien coquet tag management is not a miracle cure
DESCRIPTION
Tag Management is the latest craze in digital analytics implementations. It's supposed to change the way we deploy analytics/tracking capabilities and yet, success is not guaranteed. In this presentation originally given at Superweek 2014 in Hungary on January 21st, 2014, Julien Coquet details where tag management systems (TMS) fail their end users. Julien also presents best practices on how to deploy of tags via a TMS. About Julien Coquet: Julien is a web analytics expert, consultant and evangelist. A veteran of web performance measurement, Julien assists companies with their online analytics strategies by translating business requirements into measurable goals and key performance indicators into actionable reports - and more!TRANSCRIPT
Tag Management���is not a miracle cure���
������
Julien Coquet���Superweek 2014
About myself: Julien Coquet
• Linguist turned Web Analyst
• In Web Analytics for far too long
• Consultant, evangelist, speaker
• Blogger, author, translator
• KPI Therapist
@juliencoquet
About my company: Hub'Sales
• Based in Paris
• Part of the B&D Group
• A leader in digital analytics consulting
• Team of 12 consultants
• Home of Hub'Scan, a tagging
optimization solution
A foreword For the sake of this presentation, and given the audience's familiarity with Google's TMS, Google Tag Manager will be used in this presentation to simplify concept usage.
Tag Management 101
- A single piece of code(container)
- Embedded webmarketing solutions (tags)
- Variables (macros)
- Rules (rules)
Tag Management 101
Tag Management 101 (for LOTR nerds)
"One tag to rule them all,
one macro to find them,
one rule to bring them all
and in the data bind them."
Tag Management: a saturated market
And many more…
Insight #1
Tag Management sucks
Insight #2
I <3 Tag Management
Tag Management makes promises it cannot keep
Promise #1: No more IT intervention
1. Independence from your IT department.
2. Place the tag once.
3. Goodbye IT!
4. Profit ?
What really happens…
• Companies don't realize implementation means… re-tagging!
• Errors happen
• Containers are misplaced / broken
• Data layers are missing data or contain the wrong variables
• IT feels kicked out of its private playground.
• IT feels distrust towards corporate / marketing
End result: IT is now your enemy
Solution
• Involve IT early
• Consult them for feasibility (datalayer for instance)
• Keep them in the loop for site evolutions
• Give them a little love <3
Promise #2: Marketing execs can use it
1. It's easy, just click
2. Workflow, processes, hurray!
3. Access rights
4. Put agencies on a leash (aka the end of ninja Floodlight tags)
What really happens…
• Marketing people start with little analytics and tagging experience
• Execs get lost during setup and end up delegating to an agency
• Access rights confuse users
• Project communication breaks down, changes are not pushed live
• Execs question the value of going with a TMS and end up ���
rolling back regular tagging.���
Solution
• Set strict rules and actual processes for tag/rule creation and publication
• Leave your TMS in the hands of your web analyst���
(or a dedicated, trained professional)
• Train your team
Promise #3: Tag and forget
1. Tagging will auto-magically follow site evolutions
2. My data layer is bullet proof
3. My reports will contain the data I need
What really happens…
AKA "IT messed up"
• The data layer is broken
• The data in the layer is not compliant with your requirement
• Bigger projects increase chance of errors
• Data quality is an afterthought
Solution
• Define quality assurance procedures
• Define a super-tight tagging plan
• Use automated quality assurance
• Even if you don't use a TMS, tag your site with a data layer���
(in case you change your mind)
Let's wrap up
To paraphrase:
"You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want���
or wish to have at a later time"���
- US Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld
More paraphrase:
"You analyze based on the data you have, not the data you might want���
or wish to have at a later time"���
- Analytics evangelist Avinash Kaushik
DATA GETS BETTER
Tag Management is���not a miracle cure, it's chicken soup���for your tags
Keys to TMS Success
• Design, structure and communication
• Training, training, and more training
• Don't trust the TMS, don't trust the CMS
• Don't forget Quality Assurance
Thank you
About Hub'Scan
• Checks effective tagging on your website
• Validates current tagging vs tagging blueprint
• Replays user journeys & checks for tag calls
• Supports major TMSes, such as GTM
• Provides analytics-related cookie audits
Try Hub'Scan for free http://free.hub-scan.com