Setting up web analytics looks simple. Create a GA4 property, add the snippet, done. But a default installation is full of gaps: missing conversions, no filters, no attribution strategy.
Here is what a proper setup actually looks like.
Start with a measurement plan
Before touching any code, define what you are measuring and why. What are your key business goals? What user actions indicate progress toward those goals? A 30-minute measurement plan saves days of rework later.
The four essentials every setup needs
1. Conversion tracking. GA4 will not automatically track purchases, leads, or sign-ups. Every key action must be explicitly configured as a conversion event, tested in DebugView, and validated against your backend.
2. Cross-domain tracking. If users move between your marketing site, checkout, or app, cross-domain configuration is essential, or every session will appear broken.
3. Internal traffic filters. Your own team’s visits will inflate every metric if you do not filter them out from day one.
4. Consent Mode v2. In the EU and UK, you are legally required to respect cookie consent. Consent Mode v2 allows GA4 to model data for users who decline, so you do not lose visibility entirely.
Use GTM for everything
Deploying tags directly in your codebase creates a dependency on developers for every change. GTM gives marketing teams the ability to deploy, test, and manage tags independently, without a single code deployment.
Ready to build a setup that actually works? Let’s talk.