Business Case
Lustre Rentals, a growing event rental company, needed help implementing Google Analytics 4 (GA4) with custom conversion event tracking for their website. The goal was to better track customer interactions, including Wishlist submissions and contact form completions while laying the groundwork for future Google Ads campaigns. We were engaged to implement the solution within a deadline of less than a week with multiple technical roadblocks to overcome.
Lustre Rentals had no existing setup and they required a robust analytics solution to track specific user behaviors, particularly around their Wishlist tool, which was central to their business. Additionally, their website was built on Squarespace, and they still needed to integrate Google Analytics. The challenge was to quickly implement a full GA4 setup, complete with custom events, and prepare the site for future paid media campaigns.
Technical Roadblocks and Solutions
1. Non-Native Wishlist Event Tracking
– The Wishlist feature on the Lustre Rentals website was built with GoodShufflePro, a third-party tool that didn’t natively support Google Analytics tracking. This meant that default GA4 events could not track Wishlist submissions, which was key to understanding customer interactions and conversion rates.
– Solution: To address this, we created custom conversion events within Google Tag Manager (GTM) to track the Wishlist tool. This involved setting up JavaScript triggers that would fire when users completed key actions within the tool—such as starting the Wishlist submission process and completing it. By doing this, we ensured that every stage of the user’s journey was captured accurately in GA4. Additionally, we configured these events to feed into Google Ads for future ad campaign performance tracking.
2. Limited Access to Website Codebase in Squarespace
– The Roadblock: Squarespace websites offer limited access to the backend code, which can make complex tracking implementations difficult. Since Lustre Rentals was built on Squarespace, direct modifications to the site’s header or adding multiple custom scripts wasn’t an option.
– Solution: We used Google Tag Manager (GTM) as a workaround to implement all the necessary tracking without modifying the Squarespace codebase. We added a single GTM container code snippet into the website’s header (the only modification required in Squarespace), which allowed me to manage and update all tracking events dynamically through GTM. This eliminated the need for continuous changes to the Squarespace site itself and provided flexibility for future updates without code-level access.
3. Pre-existing Google Analytics Account with Existing Tracking Gaps
– The Roadblock: Lustre Rentals already had a Google Analytics account set up with Tanner (a marketing contact), but no tracking events or data had been configured yet. There was also some confusion about whether a new account setup was needed for GA4 or if the existing account could be used.
– Solution: We worked within the existing Google Analytics account by being added as an admin. From there, we configured the necessary GA4 properties and conversion tracking without disrupting any pre-existing settings. This ensured continuity for the company and saved them time, as they did not need to recreate any existing configurations.
4. Preparing for Google Ads with an Incomplete Setup
– The Roadblock: Lustre Rentals had not yet set up their Google Ads account or begun using paid ads, but they wanted to make sure the groundwork for tracking was laid in advance to avoid missteps when launching future campaigns.
– Solution: We set up GA4 to track and collect data from all relevant events and linked them to Google Ads, even though the campaigns weren’t running yet. This way, when the campaigns did go live, Lustre Rentals would already have a complete, functional tracking system in place. This ensured that they could track conversions from day one and optimize their ad spend efficiently.
The Approach
1. GA4 and Google Tag Manager Setup:
We integrated GA4 with Lustre Rentals’ Squarespace website using Google Tag Manager. By using GTM, we were able to bypass the limitations of Squarespace’s codebase and implement a scalable tracking solution without needing to edit the website’s source code regularly.
2. Custom Event Tracking:
– Wishlist Tracking: Custom events were created in GTM to track the Wishlist form—both the initial interaction and the final submission.
– Contact and Quote Form Tracking: Events were also set up for “Request a Quote” and “Contact Us” button clicks, as well as when users submitted the contact form.
3. Google Ads Integration:
Although Google Ads campaigns weren’t yet active, we pre-configured all necessary tracking in GA4 and GTM to ensure that once campaigns were launched, conversion data would flow seamlessly into both Google Analytics and Google Ads.
Results
The entire implementation was completed in less than three days. With GA4 and custom event tracking live, Lustre Rentals gained:
– Full visibility into user actions such as Wishlist submissions and contact form completions.
– Clear insights into how users interact with their site, helping them refine their marketing strategy.
– Pre-configured tracking for future Google Ads campaigns, allowing them to optimize ad spend from the start.
Summary
Despite the technical challenges presented by a non-native tracking setup and limited access to the site’s code, the project was delivered on time and within budget. Lustre Rentals gained insight into critical user interactions, optimized their future Google Ads campaigns, and began gathering data-driven insights to grow their business.