The Ultimate Guide on How to Install Google Tag Manager on Shopify

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Why Use Google Tag Manager on Shopify?
  3. Getting Started: Preliminary Steps
  4. Step-by-Step Installation Guide
  5. Final Thoughts
  6. FAQ Section
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In the evolving digital landscape, data-driven decisions have become fundamental in scaling e-commerce businesses. For Shopify store owners, leveraging tools like Google Tag Manager (GTM) can be the difference between guesswork and growth. Whether you're a novice or an established merchant, understanding how to install Google Tag Manager on Shopify is pivotal for enhancing your store’s analytics and tracking capabilities. This post aims to demystify the process, providing a step-by-step guide to seamlessly integrate GTM with your Shopify store.

Introduction

Did you know that over 1.75 million merchants sell their products on Shopify as of 2023? Among these, those who leverage advanced analytics and tracking solutions, like Google Tag Manager, often find themselves ahead of the curve, enjoying an enhanced ability to understand customer behavior and optimize their store accordingly. In a digital era, where data is king, setting up GTM on your Shopify store is not just beneficial; it's essential.

Given the complexity of digital analytics today, GTM emerges as a powerful tool that simplifies the process of adding, editing, and managing JavaScript and HTML tags used for tracking and analytics on websites. Whether it's understanding the shopping behavior, tracking conversions, or gauging the effectiveness of your marketing efforts, GTM can be your gateway to invaluable insights.

This blog post will navigate the why and how of integrating Google Tag Manager with your Shopify store, ensuring you can reap the full benefits of this powerful duo. From the initial setup to verification and beyond, we’ll explore every critical step in the journey, making this your go-to guide for GTM on Shopify.

Why Use Google Tag Manager on Shopify?

Before diving into the 'how,' let's first understand the 'why.' Google Tag Manager offers several advantages for Shopify store owners:

  • Simplicity: GTM simplifies the process of managing tracking codes. You can add or update tags without altering the code on your Shopify store.
  • Speed: Implementing changes through GTM is much faster compared to manually editing site code, leading to quicker deployment of tracking and analytics scripts.
  • Efficiency: With GTM, you're essentially centralising the management of your tags, making it easier to handle everything from a single interface rather than juggling multiple platforms.

Getting Started: Preliminary Steps

Before you can enjoy the benefits of GTM on your Shopify store, some groundwork is necessary:

  1. Sign Up for Google Tag Manager: Begin by creating a GTM account at the Google Tag Manager website. Each GTM account can hold various containers, and each container can be associated with a website or mobile app. For your Shopify store, you’d create a new container.
  2. Understand Google Tag Manager and Analytics: It’s crucial to discern the role of GTM in contrast to Google Analytics (GA). While GA provides reports and data analysis, GTM is used for deploying and managing the tags that collect the data sent to GA and other analytics services.
  3. Prepare for Integration: Make sure that you have administrative access to both your Shopify store and Google Tag Manager accounts.

Step-by-Step Installation Guide

Installing GTM on your Shopify store involves a few steps, which we’ll explore here:

1. Create a GTM Account and Container

  • After signing up for GTM, create a new container for your store by selecting 'Web' as where to use the container.

2. Add GTM to Your Shopify Store

  • In your GTM dashboard, you will find a GTM code snippet. This code needs to be added to your Shopify store’s theme. Go to your Shopify admin dashboard, navigate to Online Store > Themes > Edit code. You will primarily need to update the theme.liquid file to insert your GTM container code snippets.

Head Code:

The first part of the GTM code snippet must be placed as close to the opening <head> tag as possible in the theme.liquid file.

Body Code:

The second part, which is usually a <noscript> tag, should be placed immediately after the opening <body> tag.

3. Verify GTM Implementation

  • To ensure GTM is correctly implemented on your Shopify store, use Google Tag Assistant, a Chrome extension that verifies installation. Alternatively, inspect your store’s page source after adding the codes to confirm that the GTM code snippets are correctly placed.

4. Utilize Shopify’s Built-in Features and Extensions

  • Shopify Plus users can further customize their GTM implementation, particularly for tracking checkout processes, by using Shopify’s Checkout Extensibility.

5. Set Up Google Analytics within GTM

  • Once GTM is installed, you can proceed to add Google Analytics as a tag within GTM, configuring trigger rules for when the tag is activated. This setup allows for detailed data collection and analysis without directly editing your Shopify store's code for GA integration.

6. Test and Go Live

  • Before going live, make sure to test your GTM setup using the Preview mode in GTM and Google Analytics Real-Time reports to verify data is being collected correctly.

Final Thoughts

Implementing Google Tag Manager on your Shopify store opens up a world of possibilities for data analytics and marketing optimization. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can set up GTM smoothly and efficiently, ensuring your store leverages the full power of this dynamic duo.

Remember, the key to making the most out of GTM and Shopify is experimentation. Don’t be afraid to explore the vast array of tags available and continually refine your setup based on the insights gathered.

FAQ Section

Q1. Can I use Google Tag Manager for tracking conversions on Shopify? Yes, GTM can be used to manage and deploy tags for tracking conversions, customer behavior, and much more on your Shopify store.

Q2. Is Google Tag Manager free? Yes, Google Tag Manager is a free tool provided by Google, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.

Q3. Does adding Google Tag Manager slow down my Shopify store? If implemented correctly, GTM should not noticeably slow down your store. Ensure that you're monitoring the number and type of tags you deploy.

Q4. Can I use Google Tag Manager to add third-party analytics scripts to my Shopify store? Absolutely, GTM can be used to manage not just Google Analytics but also a wide range of third-party analytics and marketing service tags.

Q5. What should I do if Google Tag Manager doesn’t work properly on my Shopify store? Start by verifying your GTM installation using Google Tag Assistant. If issues persist, review your tag configurations in GTM, and ensure your Shopify theme’s code correctly incorporates the GTM snippets.

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