Tag management and deployment was a never-ending struggle rife with complexities, errors, and a bunch of frustrating headaches before GTM stepped in.

Tags were scattered across the website, making tag deployment and management a nightmare for non-technical folks. Customization was a challenge, nearly non-existent, leaving marketers grappling with website code. The lack of control resulted in error-prone data collection; integration was a headache, and real-time performance monitoring was only a dream.

Enter Google Tag Manager simplified tag deployment & management to the tee. With a centralized platform & a straightforward interface, GTM offered seamless navigation through the complex maze with never-before accuracy.

Google Tag Manager: A Significant Leap, But with Limits

GTM has revolutionized tag deployment and management, simplifying data handling on a single platform. However, it has its limits, and beyond specific requirements, a more robust and defined tag management solution might be necessary.

As a leading digital marketing agency in Hyderabad, we manually tackled tagging and tracking solutions from the pre-GTM era. Over the years, we transitioned from manual tag handling to using Google Tag Manager (GTM) and diverse analytics options, tailoring and optimizing every aspect to elevate our SEO, SMO and PPC services.

GTM is a powerful utility tool that can effortlessly simplify tagging and tracking in digital marketing. However, when the data volume, complexities, and demanding requirements skyrocket, it might hit a wall too. For any marketer, it’s incredibly important to foresee the road ahead with GTM, and that’s precisely is the purpose of the blog.

Today, we delve into both the strengths and limitations of GTM to provide a comprehensive understanding that can help both beginners and seasoned professionals. We explore the basics, pros, and cons of GTM and then look at the alternative solutions that are worth investing inroad on:

Pros of Google Tag Manager: Where It Shines

Google Tag Manager offers an intuitive and simple-to-use platform that eliminates the need for technical coding in tag deployments and management. Once set up, GTM is easy to use, where even non-technical marketers can enable tags and test each modification without the assistance of the IT team.

• GTM consolidates end-to-end tag management into a single interface, enabling quickly deploying any number and kind of tag. Managing all the titles available from a single location also doesn’t impact page load speed too.
• The smooth and error-free deployment saves time while enhancing the accuracy of data tracking and management. Another significant benefit of GTM is its ability to control and tailor tags and create custom events according to specific requirements.
• It streamlines integration with third-party applications, allowing collaboration with other powerful tools to elevate tracking and management on a single platform.
• GTM’s access control and version control provide greater oversight of tags and add convenience. One can easily set specific user permissions and control the modifications made with tag creations, macros, and rule modifications. As for version control, GTM makes returning to the former version easy, making new installations complications-free.
• With extensive online documentation, anyone can learn and master Google Tag Manager. Furthermore, it’s free – yes, completely free

Cons of Google Tag Manager: Where It Falls Behind

The idea behind GTM was to democratize the power of tag management and allow the majority to reap the benefits of a streamlined tracking solution.

“However, there are cases where GTM can be pushed to its limits, resulting in slightly skewed results. These situations can be problematic, particularly in industries where data accuracy is paramount”, says one of the SEO executives at Samskriti Business Solutions, a digital marketing agency in Hyderabad working with diverse clients across all niches, shared insights on the challenges faced. Here are a few problematic areas he encountered all the way:

• Problems with JavaScript Disabling: GTM relies on JavaScript for dynamic user interaction tracking. However, when websites disable JavaScript, tags may not fire correctly, leading to incomplete data collection and inaccuracies. Critical features like active event tracking and custom variables may fail, impacting insights.
• Not a DIY-Level Tool: Despite simplifying tag management, GTM requires technical expertise for flawless implementation. Misconfigurations and accidental tag deployments can occur, leading to invisible accuracy issues. The lack of dedicated support team to seek help can cause delays and problems that are difficult to fix.
• Difficulties in Implementing Complex E-commerce Setups: GTM may face challenges when implementing intricate e-commerce tracking setups. Customized data layers and event triggers, especially in high data volume scenarios may skew the data.
• Lack of Reporting Capabilities: GTM excels in tag management and data collection but lacks built-in reporting. Users may need to rely on external tools for comprehensive reporting, which could be a drawback for those seeking an all-in-one tag management and reporting solution.

Competition for Google Tag Manager:  Worthy Alternatives

While the individual drawbacks of using GTM may not be deal breakers on their own, they can hinder the overall performance that businesses aspire to achieve when considered collectively. For instance, a client of ours at Samskrit encountered challenges related to the precision of data collection. In contrast, others grappled with issues during the tracking setup, a crucial component for their analytical needs.

A regular business may tolerate problems posed by JavaScript disabling, insufficient debugging tools, technical glitches, or lack of dedicated support. However, as a business expands, these seemingly minor issues accumulate, exacerbating more substantial challenges like inaccuracies in data handling for larger datasets, intricate configurations in e-commerce frameworks, or complicated tag ecosystems.

In light of these considerations, businesses may explore more advanced and refined tag management solutions that offer versatile options and efficiently fulfil their requirements. The market provides many viable options if you’re seeking an alternative to Google Tag Manager.

As a digital marketing agency in Hyderabad specializing in SEO, SMO, and PPC services, Samskriti has adeptly utilized a variety of tag management and tracking solutions for both our domestic and international clients over the years.

Tealium, Ensighten, Magic Pixel, TagControl, Piwik Pro, Blue Triangle Platform, Impact Radius, Segment.com, Amplitude Analytics, Mixpanel, Heap, and Adobe Analytics are among the most potent tag management and analytics solutions available. Each of these solutions varies in capabilities, feature sets, efficiency, depth, and the robustness of their offerings, giving businesses the freedom to choose the best option that aligns perfectly with their current requirements.

These platforms offer a versatile range of features to address the diverse needs of businesses. From comprehensive tag management to robust analytics capabilities, organizations can tailor their approach based on specific goals and preferences. The proper solution selection involves considering factors such as the scale of operations, desired features, and the overall efficiency required.

In the upcoming blogs, we’ll examine the pros and cons of these alternatives to Google Tag Manager. If you have any queries about selecting the ideal analytics solution for your specific requirements or if you’re in search of a digital marketing agency with expertise in web analytics services, feel free to contact us here.