Google Analytics is a free analysis tool (or paid service for Suite 360). To enable it, you need to implement a tracking script on your website.
There are several ways to activate it, which may require the support of a developer.
How to get the Analytics tracking code
To get the tracking script to insert into your website, follow these steps.
- Open a Gmail account;
- Create a Google Analytics account with the website name;
- Add the basic information of the website;
- Obtain the tracking code and implement it on the website;
- Optimize the basic setup of Google Analytics: with views, filters and goals;
- Optimize the advanced setup of Google Analytics: with events and custom dimensions;
- Create custom reports and dashboards to control your KPIs.
At any time, you can retrieve your tracking code, or the ID, by following these steps: Google Analytics account> Administration> Select Properties> Property Settings> the proper script will appear with the instructions on how to place it on the page.
The Analytics ID is a numeric code that looks like this: UA-XXXXXXX-XX.
How to implement the tracking code
There are three different ways to enable the Google Analytics tracking code. The choice depends on your skills, the professionals that will support you in this activity, and your tracking objectives.
- Insert the script in the source code of the website: retrieve the code from Analytics and add it as the first element within the <head> tag on each page you would like to monitor. Developer support will be required.
- Enable the tracking via Google Tag Manager: in this case, it is necessary to have a Google Tag Manager container on your website and create a tag to track page views in Google Analytics. In the tag, you will only need to include the tracking ID. Support from a tagging expert may be necessary.
- For many CMS, there are plugins (for example, WordPress) where it is sufficient to enter only the Analytics tracking ID. This is the easiest method … but the less recommended one. It is always better not to overload websites with plugins and unnecessary page elements. For this reason, we suggest you opt for the first or second solution.
Tips for tracking implementation
These tips are valid only for basic tracking and for the most up-to-date script version. However, there are other aspects to consider when we need to implement or replace the Google Analytics code.
- Google Analytics basic set up: after the script activation, it is necessary to optimize the setting of views and filters, making sure that the setup aligns to your tracking strategy;
- Tracking Test: once the implementation is completed, monitor in real-time if the tracking is working correctly on Analytics (if you have set multiple views to filter, we recommend you to test them all);
- Script Version: Analytics was born in 2005 and since then has seen a sequence of different scripts to keep up with the most up-to-date versions of Google products. This means that if the code on your website is obsolete, some features will not be available. We recommend to check your script versions and possibly update it;
- Advanced Implementations: it is possible to trace more data on user behavior by adding elements that are not tracked by default by Analytics. For example, events (user-specific interactions) or custom dimensions and metrics;
- Update of the Google Analytics script: Update of the Google Analytics script: if you decide to update the script, remember that all customizations, such as IP anonymization and events, will need to be reset from the beginning.
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