Learn to install Google Tag Manager on your Shopify Store
If you are into ecommerce, chances are, you have heard of ‘Shopify’.
It is one of the most popular, ready made shopping cart solutions in the world. Hundreds of thousands of websites use ‘Shopify’.
Shopify directly integrate with Google Analytics.
The set up is pretty simple.
But when it comes to Google Tag Manager, there is no direct integration.
Follow the steps below to add Google Tag Manager on your Shopify Store:
Step-1: Create a new Google Tag Manager account.
If you already have the GTM account then login.
Step-2: Click on the ‘Admin’ link and then click on ‘Install Google Tag Manager’:
Step-3: Copy the first part of the GTM installation code:
Step-4: Login to your shopify store with Admin/full access.
Get the FREE E-Book (72 Pages)
Step-5: Click on ‘Themes’ under the ‘Online Store’ drop down menu:
Step-6: Click on the ‘Actions’ drop down menu and then select ‘Edit HTML / CSS’:
Step-7: Find and click on the ‘theme.liquid’ file:
Step-8: Paste the first part of the GTM container code as high as possible, in the head section of the HTML code of theme.liquid file:
Note: Needless to say but take a backup of your theme file before making any code changes.
Step-9: Navigate back to your Google Tag Manager and now copy the second part of your GTM installation code:
Step-10: Navigate back to your Shopify Admin and then paste the second part of your GTM installation code immediately after the opening body tag (<body>) in the same ‘theme.liquid’ file:
Step-11: Click on the ‘Save’ button.
Step-12: Open Google Chrome browser and then Install Google tag assistant extension from here.
Step-13: Navigate to the home page of your Shopify store and then click on the ‘Google Tag Assistant’ icon on the top right hand side, next to the browser address bar:
You should be able to see ‘Google Tag Manager’ tag under the ‘Result of Tag Analysis’ column (with blue/green icon next to the identified tags). This shows that Google tag manager is now installed on your Shopify store.
Note: The red, yellow, blue and green icons next to identified tags, have all got special meaning:
So if you see yellow or red icon next to identified tags then something is wrong with your GTM installation.
To learn more about Google Tag Assistant, read this article: Complete Guide to Google Tag Assistant
Caveats about using Google Tag Manager on a Shopify Store
#1 Do not use GTM to deploy Google Analytics tag on your Shopify store. If you do that then the cross domain tracking between your website and Shopify won’t work.
#2 Do not use GTM to install enhanced ecommerce tracking on your shopify store. Enhanced ecommerce tracking is already built-in Shopify. Even if you install enhanced ecommerce via GTM, it won’t work. Shopify won’t read your data layers. So don’t do that.
#3 Use GTM to deploy tags other than Google Analytics and Enhanced Ecommerce like ‘hotjar’, ‘Google Adwords conversion tracking’ etc.
Other Article you will find useful: Learn to correctly setup Google Analytics for Shopify Store while using Google Tag Manager
Do you know the difference between Digital Analytics and Google Analytics?
99.99% of course creators themselves don’t know the difference between Digital analytics, Google Analytics (GA) and Google Tag Manager (GTM).
So they are teaching GA and GTM in the name of teaching Digital analytics.
They just copy each other. Monkey see, monkey do.
But Digital analytics is not about GA, GTM.
It is about analyzing and interpreting data, setting up goals, strategies and KPIs.
It’s about creating strategic roadmap for your business.
Digital Analytics is the core skill. Google Analytics is just a tool used to implement ‘Digital Analytics’.
You can also implement ‘Digital analytics’ via other tools like ‘adobe analytics’, ‘kissmetrics’ etc.
Using Google Analytics without the good understanding of ‘Digital analytics’ is like driving around in a car, in a big city without understanding the traffic rules and road signs.
You are either likely to end up somewhere other than your destination or you get involved in an accident.
You learn data analysis and interpretation from Digital analytics and not from Google Analytics.
The direction in which your analysis will move, will determine the direction in which your marketing campaigns and eventually your company will move to get the highest possible return on investment.
You get that direction from ‘Digital analytics’ and not from ‘Google Analytics’.
You learn to set up KPIs, strategies and measurement framework for your business from ‘Digital analytics’ and not from ‘Google Analytics’.
So if you are taking a course only on 'Google Analytics’, you are learning to use one of the tools of ‘Digital analytics’. You are not learning the ‘Digital analytics’ itself.
Since any person can learn to use Google Analytics in couple of weeks, you do no get any competitive advantage in the marketplace just by knowing GA.
You need to know lot more than GA in order to work in digital analytics and marketing field.
So what I have done, if you are interested, is I have put together a completely free training that will teach you exactly how I have been able to leverage digital analytics to generate floods of news sales and customers and how you can literally copy what I have done to get similar results.
Here what You'll Learn On This FREE Web Class!
1) The number 1 reason why most marketers and business owners are not able to scale their advertising and maximise sales.
2) Why you won’t get any competitive advantage in the marketplace just by knowing Google Analytics.
3) The number 1 reason why conversion optimization is not working for your business.
4) How to advertise on any marketing platform for FREE with an unlimited budget.
5) How to learn and master digital analytics in record time.
My best selling books on Digital Analytics and Conversion Optimization
Maths and Stats for Web Analytics and Conversion Optimization
This expert guide will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of maths and statistics in order to accurately interpret data and take actions, which can quickly improve the bottom-line of your online business.
Master the Essentials of Email Marketing Analytics
This book focuses solely on the ‘analytics’ that power your email marketing optimization program and will help you dramatically reduce your cost per acquisition and increase marketing ROI by tracking the performance of the various KPIs and metrics used for email marketing.
Attribution Modelling in Google Analytics and Beyond
Attribution modelling is the process of determining the most effective marketing channels for investment. This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling. It will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to allocate marketing budget and understand buying behaviour.
Attribution Modelling in Google Ads and Facebook
This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling in Google Ads (Google AdWords) and Facebook. It will teach you, how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to understand the customer purchasing journey and determine the most effective marketing channels for investment.
Himanshu Sharma
Digital Marketing Consultant and Founder of Optimizesmart.com
If you are into ecommerce, chances are, you have heard of ‘Shopify’.
It is one of the most popular, ready made shopping cart solutions in the world. Hundreds of thousands of websites use ‘Shopify’.
Shopify directly integrate with Google Analytics.
The set up is pretty simple.
But when it comes to Google Tag Manager, there is no direct integration.
Follow the steps below to add Google Tag Manager on your Shopify Store:
Step-1: Create a new Google Tag Manager account.
If you already have the GTM account then login.
Step-2: Click on the ‘Admin’ link and then click on ‘Install Google Tag Manager’:
Step-3: Copy the first part of the GTM installation code:
Step-4: Login to your shopify store with Admin/full access.
Get the FREE E-Book (72 Pages)
Step-5: Click on ‘Themes’ under the ‘Online Store’ drop down menu:
Step-6: Click on the ‘Actions’ drop down menu and then select ‘Edit HTML / CSS’:
Step-7: Find and click on the ‘theme.liquid’ file:
Step-8: Paste the first part of the GTM container code as high as possible, in the head section of the HTML code of theme.liquid file:
Note: Needless to say but take a backup of your theme file before making any code changes.
Step-9: Navigate back to your Google Tag Manager and now copy the second part of your GTM installation code:
Step-10: Navigate back to your Shopify Admin and then paste the second part of your GTM installation code immediately after the opening body tag (<body>) in the same ‘theme.liquid’ file:
Step-11: Click on the ‘Save’ button.
Step-12: Open Google Chrome browser and then Install Google tag assistant extension from here.
Step-13: Navigate to the home page of your Shopify store and then click on the ‘Google Tag Assistant’ icon on the top right hand side, next to the browser address bar:
You should be able to see ‘Google Tag Manager’ tag under the ‘Result of Tag Analysis’ column (with blue/green icon next to the identified tags). This shows that Google tag manager is now installed on your Shopify store.
Note: The red, yellow, blue and green icons next to identified tags, have all got special meaning:
So if you see yellow or red icon next to identified tags then something is wrong with your GTM installation.
To learn more about Google Tag Assistant, read this article: Complete Guide to Google Tag Assistant
Caveats about using Google Tag Manager on a Shopify Store
#1 Do not use GTM to deploy Google Analytics tag on your Shopify store. If you do that then the cross domain tracking between your website and Shopify won’t work.
#2 Do not use GTM to install enhanced ecommerce tracking on your shopify store. Enhanced ecommerce tracking is already built-in Shopify. Even if you install enhanced ecommerce via GTM, it won’t work. Shopify won’t read your data layers. So don’t do that.
#3 Use GTM to deploy tags other than Google Analytics and Enhanced Ecommerce like ‘hotjar’, ‘Google Adwords conversion tracking’ etc.
Other Article you will find useful: Learn to correctly setup Google Analytics for Shopify Store while using Google Tag Manager
Do you know the difference between Digital Analytics and Google Analytics?
99.99% of course creators themselves don’t know the difference between Digital analytics, Google Analytics (GA) and Google Tag Manager (GTM).So they are teaching GA and GTM in the name of teaching Digital analytics.
They just copy each other. Monkey see, monkey do.
But Digital analytics is not about GA, GTM.
It is about analyzing and interpreting data, setting up goals, strategies and KPIs.
It’s about creating strategic roadmap for your business.
Digital Analytics is the core skill. Google Analytics is just a tool used to implement ‘Digital Analytics’.You can also implement ‘Digital analytics’ via other tools like ‘adobe analytics’, ‘kissmetrics’ etc.
Using Google Analytics without the good understanding of ‘Digital analytics’ is like driving around in a car, in a big city without understanding the traffic rules and road signs.
You are either likely to end up somewhere other than your destination or you get involved in an accident.
You learn data analysis and interpretation from Digital analytics and not from Google Analytics.The direction in which your analysis will move, will determine the direction in which your marketing campaigns and eventually your company will move to get the highest possible return on investment.
You get that direction from ‘Digital analytics’ and not from ‘Google Analytics’.
You learn to set up KPIs, strategies and measurement framework for your business from ‘Digital analytics’ and not from ‘Google Analytics’.So if you are taking a course only on 'Google Analytics’, you are learning to use one of the tools of ‘Digital analytics’. You are not learning the ‘Digital analytics’ itself.
Since any person can learn to use Google Analytics in couple of weeks, you do no get any competitive advantage in the marketplace just by knowing GA.
You need to know lot more than GA in order to work in digital analytics and marketing field.
So what I have done, if you are interested, is I have put together a completely free training that will teach you exactly how I have been able to leverage digital analytics to generate floods of news sales and customers and how you can literally copy what I have done to get similar results.
Here what You'll Learn On This FREE Web Class!
1) The number 1 reason why most marketers and business owners are not able to scale their advertising and maximise sales.
2) Why you won’t get any competitive advantage in the marketplace just by knowing Google Analytics.
3) The number 1 reason why conversion optimization is not working for your business.
4) How to advertise on any marketing platform for FREE with an unlimited budget.
5) How to learn and master digital analytics in record time.
My best selling books on Digital Analytics and Conversion Optimization
Maths and Stats for Web Analytics and Conversion Optimization
This expert guide will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of maths and statistics in order to accurately interpret data and take actions, which can quickly improve the bottom-line of your online business.
Master the Essentials of Email Marketing Analytics
This book focuses solely on the ‘analytics’ that power your email marketing optimization program and will help you dramatically reduce your cost per acquisition and increase marketing ROI by tracking the performance of the various KPIs and metrics used for email marketing.
Attribution Modelling in Google Analytics and Beyond
Attribution modelling is the process of determining the most effective marketing channels for investment. This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling. It will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to allocate marketing budget and understand buying behaviour.
Attribution Modelling in Google Ads and Facebook
This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling in Google Ads (Google AdWords) and Facebook. It will teach you, how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to understand the customer purchasing journey and determine the most effective marketing channels for investment.
Himanshu Sharma
Digital Marketing Consultant and Founder of Optimizesmart.com