Recommended Stack

Technology recommendations based on your organization's needs.

By Company Stage

Startup (Pre-seed to Series A)

Goals: Quick setup, low cost, actionable insights

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Analytics    │  GA4 (Free)         │
├───────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│  Tag Mgmt     │  GTM Web            │
├───────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│  Reporting    │  Looker Studio      │
├───────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│  Consent      │  Cookie Notice      │
├───────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│  Cost         │  ~$0/month          │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Why this works:

• Zero cost analytics
• Quick to implement
• Sufficient for early metrics
• Scales to next stage

Growth (Series A to C)

Goals: More granular data, better attribution, scaling

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Analytics    │  GA4 + BigQuery     │
├───────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│  Tag Mgmt     │  GTM Web + Server   │
├───────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│  Reporting    │  Looker Studio +    │
│               │  Custom Dashboards  │
├───────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│  Consent      │  CookieYes/Cookiebot│
├───────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│  Cost         │  ~$200-500/month    │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Why this works:

• Raw data access via BigQuery
• Better data control with server-side
• Custom reporting flexibility
• Proper consent management

Enterprise

Goals: Full control, compliance, integration

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Analytics    │  GA4 360 or Adobe   │
├───────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│  Tag Mgmt     │  GTM Server-Side    │
├───────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│  Reporting    │  Tableau/Power BI   │
├───────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│  Consent      │  OneTrust/TrustArc  │
├───────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│  Data         │  BigQuery/Snowflake │
├───────────────┼─────────────────────┤
│  Cost         │  $10K+/month        │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Why this works:

• SLAs and support
• Advanced attribution
• Enterprise integrations
• Compliance features

By Use Case

E-commerce

| Component | Recommendation | Why | |-----------|----------------|-----| | Analytics | GA4 with Enhanced E-commerce | Full purchase funnel visibility | | Attribution | Google Ads Data-Driven | Better ROAS understanding | | Tag Mgmt | GTM with Server-Side | Performance + first-party | | Reporting | Looker Studio + BigQuery | Custom revenue reports |

B2B SaaS

| Component | Recommendation | Why | |-----------|----------------|-----| | Analytics | GA4 + Amplitude/Mixpanel | Product + marketing analytics | | Attribution | Multi-touch attribution | Long sales cycles | | Tag Mgmt | GTM Web | Standard marketing needs | | Reporting | Product analytics tool | Feature usage focus |

Lead Generation

| Component | Recommendation | Why | |-----------|----------------|-----| | Analytics | GA4 | Form and engagement tracking | | Attribution | Google Ads + CRM integration | Lead quality visibility | | Tag Mgmt | GTM Web | Marketing pixel management | | Reporting | CRM dashboards | Revenue attribution |

Media/Publishing

| Component | Recommendation | Why | |-----------|----------------|-----| | Analytics | GA4 + BigQuery | Content performance at scale | | Engagement | Scroll depth, time on page | Reader engagement metrics | | Tag Mgmt | GTM Server | Ad tech performance | | Reporting | Custom dashboards | Editorial insights |

Migration Paths

From Universal Analytics

UA Configuration
      │
      ▼
GA4 Setup (parallel)
      │
      ▼
2-4 weeks validation
      │
      ▼
GA4 Primary
      │
      ▼
UA Sunset

From Adobe to GA4

Adobe Analytics
      │
      ▼
Requirements mapping
      │
      ▼
GA4 + BigQuery setup
      │
      ▼
Parallel tracking
      │
      ▼
Data validation
      │
      ▼
GA4 Primary

Adding Server-Side

GTM Web (current)
      │
      ▼
Server container setup
      │
      ▼
Migrate GA4 to server
      │
      ▼
Migrate marketing pixels
      │
      ▼
Optimize client container

Decision Framework

Choose GA4 if:

• ✅ Google Ads is primary ad platform
• ✅ Budget-conscious
• ✅ Standard web/app analytics needs
• ✅ BigQuery access valuable

Choose Adobe Analytics if:

• ✅ Large enterprise with complex needs
• ✅ Existing Adobe ecosystem
• ✅ Need advanced segmentation
• ✅ Custom variable requirements

Choose Product Analytics if:

• ✅ SaaS product focus
• ✅ Feature usage tracking priority
• ✅ User journey mapping needed
• ✅ A/B testing integrated

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