(And How Byte-Saurus IT Can Get It All Working Right)

Let’s be real — Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a headache.

You log in expecting beautiful charts. What you get is a confusing mess of missing conversions, weird numbers, and absolutely no idea if your tags are even working. Sound familiar?

If GA4 feels broken, you're not alone. We've helped tons of small businesses troubleshoot event tracking, Tag Manager weirdness, and integration fails. Here’s a breakdown of the most common problems we see — and how to fix them.

😩 The Most Common GA4 & Tag Manager Issues

🚨 1. Your Data Doesn’t Match Other Platforms

One minute, Facebook says you got 300 leads. GA4 says… 82. What gives?

Why does it happen?
GA4 tracks things differently from Universal Analytics. It’s event-based, not session-based. That means it logs interactions like clicks or form submissions, not full sessions like before.

What to do:

• Make sure you're comparing the same metrics (event completions vs sessions).
• Use Google’s DebugView to watch real-time data flow and confirm events are firing.
• Double-check your event names. form_submit is not the same as Form_Submit.

Helpful read:
How GA4’s tracking model differs from Universal Analytics

🔍 2. Conversions Aren’t Showing Up

You’ve marked an event as a conversion. So… where is it?

Why does it happen?
GA4 doesn’t automatically count events as conversions — you have to mark them explicitly. And even if it’s marked, if the tag didn’t fire or the event name is off, it won’t track.

What to do:

• Go to Admin → Events, then toggle the correct event to “Conversion.”
• Test your setup using GTM Preview Mode or the GA Debugger Chrome extension.
• Confirm your form/button triggers the correct tag in GTM.

Still stuck? Byte-Saurus IT can troubleshoot your conversion setup and fix it fast.

🤖 3. Your GTM Tags Aren’t Firing

Google Tag Manager is installed… but your tags are radio silent.

Why does it happen?
It could be a misconfigured trigger, a missing variable, or you just forgot to hit “Publish.” Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.

What to do:

• Open Preview Mode in Tag Manager and test the page.
• Make sure the GTM container ID on your site matches your Tag Manager setup.
• If you’re using a cookie consent banner, check whether it's blocking GTM from firing without permission.

Helpful read:
How to use GTM Preview & Debug Mode

🔌 4. Integrations Are Falling Apart

Your Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, or CRM data doesn’t match up with GA4. UTM links aren’t being picked up. Leads aren’t tracking right.

Why does it happen?
Cross-platform integrations require precise event names, synced timing, and working tags. If anything is out of sync, your numbers go sideways.

What to do:

• Pass parameters using GTM’s data layer for consistency across tools.
• Verify your GA4 property settings for cross-channel attribution.
• Make sure your ad platforms and analytics are using consistent naming + UTM values.

Not sure where the problem is? We offer full analytics audits for small businesses, and we explain everything in plain English.

🛠️ Why Work with Byte-Saurus IT?

We love this nerdy stuff, so you don’t have to. Byte-Saurus helps business owners and marketers:

• ✅ Set up GA4 and Tag Manager the right way
• ✅ Track key actions like form fills, scroll depth, file downloads, and purchases
• ✅ Fix broken or missing tags
• ✅ Build dashboards that don’t require a PhD to read
• ✅ Make sure your analytics match your real-world performance

We don’t just copy-paste instructions — we tailor your analytics setup to your business goals.

🚀 Ready to Stop Guessing and Start Tracking?

If your GA4 or Tag Manager setup is stressing you out, Byte-Saurus IT can help.

📞 Book a free consultation now
📘 Or check out more web & analytics tips on our blog