In the world of digital analytics, everything starts with data collection. It drives insights, shapes decisions, and fuels your digital strategy. But remember, it’s not just about having data; it’s about having reliable and accurate data. If you collect poor data, you can only get poor insights.
Here’s why validating your data is paramount, using Google Analytics as an example.
Why validate your data?
- Informed Decisions: Your analytics data guides critical business decisions. Accurate data ensures your decisions are grounded in reality, not guesswork.
- Optimized Campaigns: Valid data helps you understand what’s working and what’s not. This insight empowers you to optimize your marketing campaigns for better performance.
- Trust and Credibility: Trust is a precious commodity. Accurate data bolsters your credibility, whether you’re presenting to clients, stakeholders, or your own team.
Google Analytics Example
Imagine you’re tracking conversions on your e-commerce site. You notice a sudden drop in conversion rates, and panic sets in. Without validation, you might make misguided changes to your website or campaigns.
Here are the key steps to validating your Google Analytics data and implementation
- Check your implementation: Ensure that your Google Tag Manager container and Google Analytics tags and triggers are implemented and firing correctly. Sometimes your site can change and cause your triggers to not fire correctly.
- Use Preview mode in GTM: In GTM you can check what tags, triggers, and variables are firing on your site. There is also a Chrome extension called Tag Assistant that does the same thing.
- Perform regular maintenance checks: If you are like most sites your site code is changing all the time. Unless you have a dataLayer, your tags and triggers need to be maintained so they continue to work as expected.
Data validation in Google Analytics ensures your insights are on point and actionable, helping you maintain strong data.
Remember, the digital landscape is ever-evolving and your site is always changing. Consistently validated data not only reflects your past performance but paves the way for future growth. Validate, trust, and let your data steer you toward success.