Google Universal Analytics died in July 2023. GA4 is now the standard but its learning curve is steeper. Without clean GTM implementation, you fly your e-commerce blind. Here's the stack we deploy at Kolonell on every African e-commerce site.
TL;DR
- Setup: GA4 + GTM + Next.js dataLayer + Consent Mode v2.
- 8 critical e-commerce events to track.
- GDPR/CDP compliance: Consent Mode + cookie banner.
- ROI: data-driven decisions from month 2.
Target architecture
`
[Next.js site]
↓
[dataLayer.push(event)]
↓
[Google Tag Manager]
↓
[GA4 + Meta Pixel + others]
↓
[Consent Mode v2 if user hasn't accepted]
↓
[GA4 Explorations + Looker Studio reporting]
`
Step 1 — install GTM
`tsx
import Script from 'next/script';
export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
return (