What is DataLayer

Have you heard of dataLayer? If you’re involved in digital marketing or web analytics, you probably have. But for those who haven’t, dataLayer is a JavaScript object that sits on a website and captures data about user interactions, such as clicks, pageviews, and transactions.

DataLayer is an incredibly powerful tool for website owners and digital marketers, as it provides granular data that can be used to optimize website performance and marketing campaigns. But did you know that dataLayer can also be used to track competitors?

By analyzing the dataLayer of a competitor’s website, you can gain insights into their marketing strategies and tactics. For example, you can see which campaigns they’re running, which landing pages they’re using, and which products or services they’re promoting. You can also see which user segments they’re targeting, which channels they’re using to drive traffic, and which messages are resonating with their audience.

Of course, analyzing a competitor’s dataLayer is not easy. It requires knowledge of web analytics and data analysis, as well as access to the dataLayer itself. But for those who are able to do it, the insights that can be gained are invaluable.

If you’re interested in learning more about dataLayer and how it can be used to track competitors, I recommend checking out some of the resources available online. There are many blogs, articles, and tutorials that cover this topic in depth. And if you’re looking for a more hands-on approach, consider reaching out to a web analytics or digital marketing agency that specializes in competitor analysis.

In today’s hyper-competitive digital landscape, any advantage you can gain over your competitors is worth pursuing. And with dataLayer, you may just have that advantage at your fingertips.

Here you can find my codes: GoogleColab

First, I would like to explain the key parameters provided in dataLayer/adobedtm in the purchasing process at one of the airline website that will be used to create these reports. These parameters include:

• “pageid” – This parameter indicates the current page of the purchasing process, and will take the value “CONFIRMATION” at the last step after making the payment.
• “tTLPnrValue_lc” – This parameter represents the total value of the purchase in the local currency. It will be used to measure the effectiveness of website traffic management and campaign planning in achieving business goals designated for specific directions (origin & departure ports).
• “origin” – This parameter indicates the origin port of the flight. It will be used to control the effectiveness of the offer in terms of price optimization for individual destinations (origin & departure ports) depending on the travel period.
• “destination” – This parameter indicates the destination port of the flight. It will be used to control the effectiveness of the offer in terms of price optimization for individual destinations (origin & departure ports) depending on the travel period.
• “travelPeriod” – This parameter indicates the travel period. It will be used to control the effectiveness of the offer in terms of price optimization for individual destinations (origin & departure ports) depending on the travel period.

How can we use datalayer for analysis

It is possible that analyzing the data provided in the dataLayer/adobedtm during the purchasing process of a website can provide insights into the campaign process for competitors. However, it is important to note that the data available in the dataLayer/adobedtm may be specific to the website and may not be directly comparable to data from competitors’ websites.

Furthermore, even if the data is comparable, it may not be sufficient to fully understand the campaign process for competitors. Competitors may use different marketing strategies and tactics that are not reflected in the data available in the dataLayer/adobedtm.

Therefore, while analyzing the data provided in the dataLayer/adobedtm may provide some insights into the campaign process for competitors, it should be used as only one of many sources of information when trying to understand competitors’ marketing strategies and tactics. Other sources of information could include public marketing materials, market research reports, and competitor analysis tools.

The dataLayer is typically implemented in the code of a website using JavaScript. To access the dataLayer, you can use the browser’s developer tools to inspect the page’s source code and look for the dataLayer object. Once you locate the dataLayer object, you can view the values of the individual parameters within it.

If you have access to the web analytics tool that the website is using, such as Google Analytics, you can also view the dataLayer values within the tool’s interface. In Google Analytics, for example, you can use the “Real-Time” reporting section to view the current values of the dataLayer parameters as users interact with the website.

It’s important to note that not all websites use a dataLayer, or they may use a different method of passing data to web analytics tools. In those cases, you may need to consult with the website’s developers or technical team to learn how to access the data you need.

If you are trying to monitor your competitors’ dataLayers, the process will be more challenging. You will not have direct access to their website’s source code, and they may be using different web analytics tools or data collection methods that you are not familiar with. However, there are a few potential strategies you could try:

1. Use browser plugins or third-party tools: Some browser plugins and third-party tools allow you to inspect the data being sent by a website, including dataLayer values. For example, the “Tag Assistant” Chrome extension from Google can help you check if Google Analytics and other Google tags are installed on a website and if they are working properly. There are also third-party tools such as Ghostery and Tag Inspector that can help you monitor tags and data collection on competitor sites.
2. Analyze their web analytics reports: If your competitors are publicly traded companies or have disclosed their web analytics data in some way, you may be able to gain insights from their web analytics reports. You can look for patterns and trends in their data that might give you an idea of what types of data they are collecting and how they are using it.
3. Reverse engineer their code: While it is not recommended to try to copy a competitor’s code, it is possible to use browser developer tools to inspect their JavaScript code and try to understand how they are collecting data. This approach requires some technical knowledge and may be time-consuming, but it could give you insights into how your competitors are tracking their website users.

It’s important to note that monitoring your competitors’ data collection practices should be done in an ethical and legal manner. You should not try to steal or copy their code, and you should respect their data privacy policies.

Now, I will propose specific reports that will enable controlling the effectiveness of website traffic management and campaign planning, as well as controlling the effectiveness of the offer in terms of price optimization for individual destinations.

1. Website Traffic Management and Campaign Planning Report:

• This report will show the total revenue generated from different origin and destination ports, as well as the total number of purchases made for each port.
• It will also show the revenue and number of purchases for each campaign, so we can see which campaigns are driving the most revenue and purchases.
• The report will be available in all 3 currently used web analytics systems.

1. Price Optimization Report:

• This report will show the average price of a purchase for different origin and destination ports, as well as the average price for different travel periods.
• It will also show the total number of purchases for each combination of origin and destination ports and travel periods.
• This report will help us identify any pricing discrepancies between different ports and travel periods, so that we can optimize prices to maximize revenue.
• This report will be available in all 3 currently used web analytics systems.

In both reports, I would suggest that we use the KPI’s like Revenue, Number of purchases and Average price as it will give us a clear idea about how the offer is performing, how much revenue we are generating and how many purchase are being made.

To Summarize, The reports that I have proposed will give us a comprehensive view of how our website traffic management and campaign planning efforts are impacting our business goals, and how our pricing strategy is affecting our revenue. By identifying any issues and trends in these areas, we will be able to make data-driven decisions to optimize our website and improve our overall performance.

For the codes and how i extract json files and which python libraries i used please reach me for using  contacts.