Pitfalls of Running Multiple Analytics Packages

It is generally discouraged to have multiple analytics packages running on the same website, especially if there is no direct benefit or specific metric which the secondary package would be collecting. At the State of Illinois we have established Adobe Analytics as our Enterprise Standard for website analytics and reporting and have enabled it on all AEM websites. We have also extended Adobe Analytics to any application, non-AEM website or 3^rd party hosted Illinois website which agencies have indicated. We are creating an Enterprise Single Pane of Glass report for the entire State and for Agencies to leverage when performing their reporting. Reports are automatically generated and use the same metrics and targets across every entity an agency has for easy comparison and summations.

Running both Google Analytics (GA, particularly GA4) and Adobe Analytics on the same website, while technically possible, is generally not recommended for most organizations due to several significant drawbacks:

• Data Discrepancies and "Two Sources of Truth":
  • Differing Methodologies: GA and Adobe Analytics have fundamental differences in how they define and collect data (e.g., sessions vs. visits, event-based vs. hit-based tracking). Even for seemingly identical metrics like page views, you will almost certainly see different numbers between the two systems.
  • Attribution Models: They often use different default attribution models and calculation methods, leading to varying insights on marketing channel performance.
  • Consent Management: How each tool handles user consent (especially with strict privacy regulations like GDPR/CCPA) can lead to significant variances in the data collected if not configured identically and carefully. GA4's Consent Mode, for example, can impact data collection differently than how Adobe processes consent.
  • Confusion and Lack of Single Source: These discrepancies can cause considerable confusion among stakeholders, erode trust in data, and make it difficult to establish a single, authoritative "source of truth" for your website's performance. Analysts may spend undue time explaining why numbers don't match rather than focusing on insights.

• Increased Implementation and Maintenance Complexity:
  • Double Tagging: You'll need to implement and maintain separate tracking codes for each system. This often means duplicate efforts for every new tracking requirement, event, or custom dimension.
  • Tag Management Systems (TMS): While a TMS (like Google Tag Manager or Adobe Launch) can help, you still need to configure and manage tags for both platforms within the TMS, adding layers of complexity to your data layer and tagging strategy.
  • Technical Expertise: Both GA (especially GA4) and Adobe Analytics require significant technical expertise for proper implementation and ongoing maintenance. Running both means needing to be proficient in the intricacies of two complex systems. Adobe Analytics, in particular, is known for its steep learning curve and reliance on skilled developers for custom implementations.

• Impact on Website Performance:
  • Page Load Time: Loading and executing two separate analytics libraries and their associated data collection calls can increase page load times. This negatively impacts user experience, potentially leads to higher bounce rates, and can affect SEO rankings. While modern asynchronous loading minimizes some impact, two systems will always be heavier than one.

• Duplication of Effort and Reporting Overload:
  • Redundant Reporting: Many core reports and metrics will overlap, leading to redundant analysis and potentially conflicting conclusions if discrepancies aren't thoroughly understood.
  • Analyst Burnout: Teams may find themselves stretched thin trying to manage, analyze, and report from two different platforms, reducing their ability to focus on deep insights and strategic recommendations.

While some large enterprises might run both for very specific, complementary use cases (e.g., leveraging Adobe's advanced segmentation for customer journey analysis while using GA for quick marketing campaign performance checks due to its seamless integration with Google Ads), it requires a very mature analytics team, robust governance, and a clear strategy for how each tool serves distinct business needs without creating unnecessary overhead or confusion. For most organizations, choosing one primary system that best fits their needs is a more efficient and effective approach.

Finally, DoIT does not support any analytics platforms other than Adobe Analytics.

It’s for these reasons that we strongly encourage agencies to remain with a single website analytics package for their entire site analytics use and only to leverage other analytics packages for specific advertising pushes in isolated areas of their sites when they must engage with advertising vendors. If you feel you must have a secondary analytics package enabled, please submit an IT Service Request.