The newest iteration of Google Analytics popular ‘Universal Analytics’ platform has launched. Check out our quick guide below to find out more.
When ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus mused that “change is the only constant in life” it’s fair to say he wasn’t talking about Google Analytics; however the sentiment still applies, Google is constantly switching up their product offering and staying up-to-date on the latest can at times be challenging for marketers and business owners alike. The newest iteration of Google Analytics popular ‘Universal Analytics’ platform launched late last year, however many are yet to make the jump over the new generation product ‘Google Analytics 4’ (GA4). Is it time for your business to transition to GA4? Check out our quick guide below to find out more.
Wait let’s take a step back… how do I know what Analytics product I’m currently using?
If you set up your Google Analytics account prior to 14 October 2020 and haven’t switched over to GA4 already then you are likely still using Universal Analytics.
So what is the difference between GA4 and Universal Analytics?
The new platform addresses major shifts in the industry across the areas of consumer behaviour and privacy, add in a sleek new interface and the latest integrations across Google’s other marketing products (such as Google Ads) and you have GA4. ‘Smarter insights’ are a key selling point achieved through Google’s advanced machine learning models which can automatically alert you to significant trends in your data. This data is now ‘consumer-centric’, meaning behaviours are measured by consumer interactions instead of being fragmented by device or platform; this provides a more complete view of their journey across various platforms and stages of their search/purchase lifecycle, from acquisition to conversion and retention. GA4 also brings consumer and industry concerns around privacy to the forefront, allowing marketers to continue to adapt to a future with or without cookies or identifiers, utilising modeling where data is incomplete.
When do I need to switch?
The sooner the better! While Universal Analytics will continue to be supported for now, eventually you will need to change over as Google is no longer investing in future improvements to this platform. By running both Universal Analytics and GA4 at the same time you will get the benefit of tracking any data accumulated up until your business is ready to actively use the new platform.
How can I implement GA4 onto our website?
We thought you would never ask! Reach out and our team can help you make the changes needed to your website to track your visitors' data using GA4. Once this is set up and running, we can teach you how to navigate the platform and pull the information you need to know to get the most out of your marketing and digital efforts - or we can do this for you, easy!
In the great words of our good friend Heraclitus, “It is in changing that we find purpose”. Sure, upgrading to GA4 won’t help you find inner enlightenment, but it will assist you in the path towards tracking - and reaching - your online marketing goals.
