ChatGPT and AI are currently dominating the news headlines, with concerns about how they’ll affect your company in the future.
But one old stalwart that directly impacts your business today is getting a big update. Google Analytics has been helping businesses track and analyse website traffic since 2005, and arguably, its most significant update since then arrives this Summer.
Google Analytics 4 – or GA4 as it’s widely known – will replace the older version on 1 July 2023, meaning that businesses have just a few short months left to prepare, make the transition and utilise the many benefits of the new and improved analytics tool.
Why is GA4 important?
World-renowned management consultant Peter Drucker, once stated, “If you can't measure it, you can't improve it.”
And while he wasn’t speaking specifically about Google Analytics, his words ring true today. GA4 is important for several reasons.
Firstly, Google Analytics 4 is a significant upgrade from the previous version.
Users can enjoy much more accurate and detailed tracking of data as well as advanced analytics tools to help identify trends and spot potential opportunities.
Secondly, if you haven’t switched to GA4 yet and you’ve logged into your Google Analytics recently, you’ll be greeted by this warning:
“This property will stop processing data starting on July 1, 2023. To continue measuring website traffic, create a new Google Analytics 4 (GA4) property.”
That means, if you don’t change over to GA4 yourself, you risk losing vital data you’ve been generating in the past and up until 1 July 2023.
Thirdly, GA4 is more reflective of today’s world; mobile browsing and ecommerce are much more common now than in 2005.
Whether you’re a digital marketing expert or a small business owner, GA4 is the future of data analytics, and it’s arriving in less than two months.
What’s included in GA4?
Google Analytics 4 includes a whole host of impressive upgrades, allowing it to be fit for purpose in this smartphone and tablet use era.
Enhanced tracking capabilities
GA4 provides improved tracking capabilities compared to its predecessor, Universal Analytics.
It uses an event-based model, allowing you to track various user interactions and events across multiple platforms, such as websites, mobile apps, and offline interactions.
This enables you to better understand user behaviour and engagement across different touchpoints.
Cross-platform insights
In 2005, you could use desktop computers and laptops as the primary way to access the internet.
Fast-forward to today, and you could be paying for your coffee with your Fitbit or Apple Watch, buying clothes from a smartphone app, or streaming a movie on your tablet device.
With GA4, you can track user interactions across those different devices and platforms, providing a more comprehensive view of user journeys.
This is particularly valuable in today's multi-device and multi-channel world, where users may interact with your brand through various touchpoints before converting.
Ultimately, GA4 helps you understand the entire customer journey, from the first interaction to conversion, regardless of the device or platform used.
Customer-focussed approach
GA4 focuses on a customer-centric approach to analytics, emphasising the importance of individual users rather than just anonymous sessions.
It introduces the "User ID" concept, allowing you to track and analyse user behaviour and engagement over time, even if they switch devices or platforms.
This helps you understand user behaviour more minutely and personalise experiences based on individual user preferences.
AI-driven insights
Google Analytics 4 integrates machine learning capabilities to provide more advanced insights.
It includes features like predictive metrics, which use machine learning algorithms to forecast future outcomes based on historical data.
It also offers enhanced data analysis and exploration tools that leverage AI to uncover valuable insights and trends within your data.
Privacy and Compliance
Safeguarding your customer’s private data and complying with all privacy legislation should always be a top priority.
GA4 aligns with evolving privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
It provides options to configure data collection and consent settings, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations while still gaining valuable insights from your data.
Future-proofing
As the successor to Universal Analytics, GA4 is the direction Google invests in for the future.
It is continuously being updated and enhanced with new features and capabilities.
By adopting GA4 now, you can future-proof your analytics infrastructure and take advantage of the latest advancements in Google Analytics.
Unprecedented flexibility
GA4 offers flexibility in customising and creating reports through its flexible data model and powerful reporting interface.
Here are a few ways GA4 provides customisation options:
- Custom Dimensions and Metrics: GA4 allows you to define custom dimensions and metrics based on your specific business needs.
- Event-Based Tracking: GA4 uses an event-based model, allowing you to track and analyse various user interactions and events.
- Data Exploration and Analysis: GA4's reporting interface provides a user-friendly environment for exploring and analysing data.
- Advanced Analysis Techniques: GA4 incorporates advanced analysis techniques powered by machine learning.
- Data Export and Integration: GA4 enables data export and integration with other analytics tools and data warehouses.
Conclusion
Knowing your customers and website visitors better can turn clicks into sales.
As a result, Google’s GA4 update is a no-brainer for businesses, regardless of size.
You'll enjoy enhanced tracking capabilities, cross-platform insights, a customer-centric approach, AI-driven insights, privacy compliance, while also future-proofing your analytics needs.
It provides a more comprehensive and holistic view of user behaviour, enabling you to make data-driven decisions and improve your marketing and user experience strategies.
If you haven’t begun migrating to GA4 from Universal Analytics, we recommend you prioritise preparing data tracking and analysis processes for the transition, such as updating tags and tracking codes.
Do you need help with migrating to GA4?
Get in touch with our digital marketing team today: Call us on 028 9043 6655 or email us at support@simplyzesty.com.