Why Learning Google Analytics is Worth Your Time as a Developer
When your tech skills meet marketing
Image by AS Photograpy from Pixabay
If you're going to build forms, you might as well go a step further and connect them to a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) account and learn the fundamentals of GA4 while you’re at it.
I recently had a real world example of this while working with Ninja Forms in WordPress. I set up a form that didn’t just collect data, but actually tied into a Google Tag Manager (GTM) custom tag that hooked into the a GA4 account. The whole process gave me a deeper appreciation for the overlap between development skills and marketing analytics.
Here’s what happened and why you should care.
The Real-World Example: Ninja Forms + GTM + GA4
I had a client using Ninja Forms on their WordPress site, and they wanted to track/verify specific form submissions in GA4. As part of the discovery process, I created a custom tag in GTM instead of relying on an built-in integration:
Step 1: In GTM, I created a new tag for the specific form submission event.
Step 2: I connected it to the right GA4 account by entering the measurement ID (double-check this using the wrong one means your data could end up in someone else’s property).
Step 3: I tested the entire setup with Tag Assistant for debugging. This made it easy to see whether my tags were firing properly and sending the event data to GA4 in real time.
Once it was working, my form submission triggered an event in GA4.
Why Learning GA4 Matters
1. Added business value
The economy for engineers isn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows right now. The last thing we need is to bury ourselves in another shiny new JavaScript framework with little business impact. Learning GA4, specifically events and key events helps you complement your tech skills with business insights. That makes you harder to replace and more valuable to any team.
2. Diversified skills
If all you know are traditional development skills, you’re playing a risky game in today’s and tomorrow’s market. Adding analytics skill and knowledge spreads your skill set out and can open unexpected opportunities.
3. Easy crossover from coding
GA4 and GTM concepts often overlap with software development practices. For example, naming conventions in coding apply here too: naming an event "event_a" is as unhelpful as calling a variable const x. Good naming makes your data instantly understandable, and developers can pick this up quickly.
Quick Tips for GA4 + GTM Success
These are lessons I learned while working with Ninja Forms and GTM:
Use incognito mode for testing – This might alleviate some pain points when trying to view events in GA4.
Check for no-code solutions first – Form plugins like Ninja Forms have built-in GTM or GA4 integrations. If not, you can still inject custom JavaScript in your tags.
Verify your measurement ID – Using the wrong one can send your data to another GA4 account entirely.
Final Thoughts
Learning GA4 is one of those small but powerful moves that makes you more valuable. And as my Ninja Forms + GTM project showed me, the skills you already have as a developer make this fairly easy to pick up.
So… how are you leveling up your skills in this crazy market?
Thank you, Devontae!