Summary
Errors in Google Analytics can commonly occur; sometimes, they are caused by carelessness and incorrect code input.
When your Google Analytics is not functioning properly, this can affect how you monitor your business performance and marketing.
Knowing how to fix these common errors can make things easier for you when it happens. It also helps you avoid committing these mistakes.
The latest figures from E-commerce Foundation for B2C eCommerce quoted $2.2 billion worldwide last 2015. This means that if I have a small business and don’t promote and create enough efforts online, my business will most likely fall behind.
Fortunately, Google Analytics does a pretty good job of providing us with the data we need to know how our business is doing online. However, because this analytics tool can be tricky, you may encounter some errors.
Let’s talk about the common errors you may come across in Google Analytics. Along with their causes and possible solutions for them.
Custom Campaigns Not Being Tracked
Custom campaigns allow you to track referral traffic to your website. These are useful because they can help understand how your content attracts visitors. This also helps you track the ROI of your campaigns.
Through the Google and Mobile URL Builder Tools in custom campaigns, you can select an additional parameter extension to help Google Analytics identify where your visitors are coming from.
The Possible Cause
When Google Analytics isn’t tracking your custom campaigns, the most probable reason is that you forgot or didn’t know how to set it up. Other possible reasons why your custom campaigns are not tracked are the following:
- The modified URL is copied and pasted incorrectly
- You forgot to add parameters to the campaign URL
- Wrong URL is used in the builder tool leading to a different landing page
The Solution
If you forgot to set up your custom campaigns, this step-by-step process on how to do it is simple.
1. Go to the Campaign URL Builder in Google.
2. Type in the requested fields while following instructions onscreen.
3. Use the created URL with your desired parameters for your campaign
4. The parameters will be sent to your Google Analytics when a visitor clicks on the referral link.
5. You can see the data within your campaign reports.
You can rerun the URL through the builder tool and check if you copied and pasted the incorrect modified URL. If you did, just re-input the correct URL of the landing page and rerun it through the builder tool.
Offline Campaigns Not Being Tracked
Because digital marketing has been the trend for businesses today, offline campaigns in magazines and newspapers are often neglected. Many brands and business owners think that there’s no possible way this can be tracked, but not doing so can be a problem for your analytics.
The Possible Cause
A possible cause why offline campaigns are not tracked is that most business owners do not know they can by checking on magazines, radios, and televisions.
The Solution
To track offline campaigns, all you have to do is to set up unique elements to these offline adverts. These elements can be either of the following:
- Discount code or a vanity URL
- A unique link to a different landing page
- Individual campaign URL for another custom campaign
The unique elements presented can help you track traffic generated by offline campaigns.
A Google Analytics Account is Set Up but Does Not Show Any Record
When you set up a Google Analytics account, you want to use it to evaluate your business’ performance online. However, there can be times when any records do not show up.
The Possible Cause
A probable reason this happens is that your Google Analytics code is not installed or incorrect.
The Solution
To check whether the right code is installed, all you have to do is click on the “Admin” section on the right top-level menu. From there, click “Tracking info” and then “Tracking code,” which you can see in the Property column.
Cross-Domain Tracking Errors
Cross-domain tracking means monitoring the movement of your visitors along with all your sales or conversion funnels. When errors occur, new sessions can be logged even if they’re just your old visitors moving across.
The Possible Cause
An inaccurate or inadequate setting of cross-domain tracking is the most common reason for these errors.
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The Solution
Using Universal Analytics, a possible way to handle and correct cross-domain tracking errors is utilizing the autoLink Plugin. With this, Google Analytics can see the links which include your specified domains. The clicks generated on the links of the domains are considered cross-domain traffic.
Google Tag Manager can also help you implement tracking your cross-domains. There are generally two ways on how to do this.
1. Link Click or From Submit – lets Google Analytics know when a link or a form is clicked or submitted.
2. Auto Link Domains – easier setting up and utilizing cookie values.
Having a Very Low Bounce Rate
Bounce rates are often constant and stay between 40 to 80 percent for several sites. If you see that your bounce rate is very low, or if it suddenly dropped, you should start to feel alarmed.
The Possible Cause
At least three possible issues can lead to very low bounce rates. Let’s look at each.
1. Duplicate Code Snippets
Duplicate code snippets can generate multiple triggers when there should only be one when this happens.
2. Google Analytics and GTM Crossover
When you unintentionally install Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, these analytics tools can send identical triggers.
3. Non-Interactive Events
Elements on your web pages such as pop-ups and chat windows can also send multiple triggers when they’re not set up as non-interaction events.
The Solution
The first thing to do is to check that you don’t have duplicate code snippets for a single property on your site. Also, remember only to install either Google Analytics or the Google Tag Manager.
Additionally, if you have activated pop-ups and chat windows on your page, ensure that you have set them up as non-interaction events.
Results from Other Properties Showing in Data
Suppose you manage multiple properties or websites on one Google Analytics account. In that case, you might notice that your data reveals information that should be for your other property.
The Possible Cause
The most probable cause for this is that you unintentionally copied a code snippet that should have been the code of another property.
The Solution
It’s easy to sort out this error. All you have to do is log in to your Google Analytics account and click the following in the proper sequence.
1. Admin
2. Account
3. Property
4. Tracking Info
5. Tracking Code
Under the tracking code, you can see the codes you have to check if they are correct for the properties on your specific site.
If you’re using WordPress Analytics Plugin, click on the following in the right sequence:
1. WordPress Dashboard
2. Analytics
3. Settings
4. General
Google Campaigns Showing 404 Errors
404 errors are something you don’t want to see anywhere. These are a nuisance to anyone, especially when they appear on your Google Analytics data.
The Possible Cause
A possible cause of why 404 errors show up in your Google Campaigns is when you paste the incorrect link while setting up the campaigns for your Google Ads.
The Solution
To prevent 404 errors from showing up, you can check whether you have inputted the right link in your Google Ad Campaigns. The easiest way to do this is by accessing the Developer Tools while using Google Chrome as your browser.
Tags Not Firing
Tags in Google Analytics is a little JavaScript code that communicates unique user information from the digital environment to the Google Analytics servers.
The Possible Cause
A possible cause why your tags are not firing is assigning a too specific tag to a URL rule. Tags may also not fire when the tag manager container was added to your site when it should not have been added.
The Solution
You can fix this by going back and editing your tag so that the domain variations can fire your tags. After changing, don’t forget to publish again.
When tag manager containers are wrongfully added, and you’re using Google Chrome, click on the Tag Assistant to help you manage and fix the error.
Google Analytics Errors Can Be Avoided
Mistakes in Google Analytics are common. Some errors occur because of carelessness. However, they can be avoided by checking if the codes are correct.
Ensure that your Google Analytics accurately monitors your business performance. This will help you identify what areas you need to improve to drive more traffic and success to your business!
In the comment section below, let me know whether you have encountered an error in Google Analytics and how your business recovered.
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