While Constant Contact provides valuable insights into email campaign performance, integrating Google Analytics can provide greater insight. Here is how you can add Google Analytics, step by step.
Let's dive in!
- Set Up Google Analytics
- Create UTM Parameters for Your Campaign Links
- Add UTM-Tagged URLs to Your Constant Contact Emails
- Final Thoughts
Before we dig in I want to show you something. I promise it's worth it...
Google Analytics is great, but also complex and a bit clunky. If you just want a straightforward dashboard with the insights you need, GA is not a great place to start. Additionally, Google doesn't care about privacy and GA requires an annoying cookie banner.
That's why I built Simple Analytics, a privacy-friendly and simple analytics tool - no personal data, no cookies, just the insights you need in a straightforward dashboard.
Here is how it looks vs GA. Feel free to check our live analytics to get an idea for your project. (It is free btw)
All right, enough about us. Now let's get into answering your question!
Set Up Google Analytics
Before diving into the integration, ensure you have a Google Analytics account set up for your website. If you're new to GA, here's a brief overview:
- Visit the Google Analytics Website: Go to Google Analytics and sign in with your Google account. If you don't have one, you'll need to create it.
- Create a New Property: Follow the on-screen instructions to set up a new GA4 property, selecting "Web" as your platform.
- Note Your Measurement ID: Once your property is configured, you'll receive a Measurement ID (formatted as "G-XXXXXXXXXX"). Keep this ID handy for your tracking needs.
Create UTM Parameters for Your Campaign Links
To track the performance of your Constant Contact campaigns in Google Analytics, you'll need to create UTM-tagged URLs for each link within your emails. Here's a simple way to do this:
Use a UTM Builder: Utilize an online UTM builder like the Google Analytics Campaign URL Builder. Fill in the necessary fields:
- Website URL: The webpage recipients will land on.
- Campaign Source: Identify the source of traffic (e.g., constantcontact).
- Campaign Medium: The medium through which the message is conveyed (e.g., email).
- Campaign Name: A name that helps you identify the specific campaign.
Generate UTM-Tagged URLs: The tool will generate a URL with your UTM parameters appended. Use these URLs for links in your Constant Contact emails to track interactions in GA.
Add UTM-Tagged URLs to Your Constant Contact Emails
When creating or editing an email campaign in Constant Contact:
- Insert Links: Replace standard URLs with your UTM-tagged URLs for any links you want to track through Google Analytics. This includes CTAs, images, or text links directing to your website.
- Be Consistent: Use a consistent naming convention for your UTM parameters across different campaigns to simplify analysis in GA.
Final Thoughts
Adding Google Analytics to your website can give you great insights. However, ask yourself: is Google Analytics the right tool for you?
GA is an overpowered solution for straightforward analytics. If you're looking for a simple and intuitive dashboard with the insights you need, there are better alternatives. Yes, I’m talking about my own product (Simple Analytics), but there are others out there as well.
I hated using Google Analytics for my projects. It's clunky, there are hundreds of dashboards and it doesn't look appealing. Also Google doesn't care about privacy or ethics. That's why I decided to build my own and more intuitive web analytics tool.
If this resonates with you, feel free to give Simple Analytics a spin. You just need to add the script to your website and off you go. This takes about one minute- and there is a free version as well!
Enjoy!