Google Tag Manager (GTM) is one of the most established and popular tag management solutions on the market, but it’s not the only player.
New players have entered the market, offering great tag management solutions that are on par or maybe even better than GTM.
Before we go into other tag management solutions, let’s go through what a tag management solution is, what they do, and the pros and cons of Google Tag Manager.
What Is A Tag Management Solution?
A tag management system (TMS) is software that can be used to manage tracking tags used in digital marketing.
Tags are used to both measure and optimize your website.
What Does A Tag Management Solution Do?
A tag management solution simplifies the management of digital marketing deployments and consolidates data sources to facilitate timely and personalized interactions.
According to Google, it’s easy to have redundant or incorrectly applied tags, which can distort your measurement and result in duplicate costs or missing data.
With a TMS solution, you can eliminate these problems and run your campaigns when needed.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Google GTM?
Pros
- Google Tag Manager is free and easy to implement. There is also documentation that can be found online from Google, blogs, social media, etc., that can help you set up GTM.
- GTM reduces errors since you’re managing tags in one interface.
- Quick deployment: Using GTM, digital marketers can quickly deploy and update tags, saving money and time without relying on dev.
- You can also maintain version control, return to previous versions if needed, and manage different versions of your tags.
- You can check for errors using preview mode and debug console to help identify and resolve issues before deploying tags to the live site.
- Third-party integrations: GTM seamlessly integrates with various third-party tools and platforms, making managing multiple marketing tags from a single interface easier.
Cons
- GTM can be a little technical, and if you don’t have a technical background, it may be difficult to set up. Understanding its concepts, data layer implementation, and tag configuration still requires some learning.
- GTM uses JavaScript; if a user has JavaScript disabled, some tags may not fire correctly.
- Potential for errors if it is not set up properly, including misconfiguration, or accidental tag deployments, which can harm tracking and data accuracy.
- Limited customization.
Alternative TMSs (Tag Management Solutions)
1. Tealium
Tealium is a software company specializing in tag management and customer data platforms (CDPs). It provides solutions that enable organizations to collect, manage, and leverage customer data across various digital touchpoints.