Prepare for the future with Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Google announced last year that they are sunsetting Universal Analytics in July of 2023. This means if you’ve been holding out on switching to Google Analytics 4, your time is almost up. We strongly encourage you to make the switch to Google Analytics 4 as soon as possible. Here is all you need to know about GA4 and its Features. What is GA4 Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google’s web analytics platform. It was launched in October 2020 and represents a major upgrade to the previous version, Universal Analytics. GA4 is designed to provide a more comprehensive and integrated view of user behavior across multiple devices and platforms, including websites, mobile apps, and offline interactions. It includes new features such as enhanced measurement of events and conversions, improved machine learning capabilities, and more flexible data tracking and reporting options. What is the Difference Between Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4? GA4 is a more advanced and future-focused version of Google Analytics that provides more accurate and user-centric data collection, better reporting, and enhanced privacy controls. While UA still has its uses, Google is pushing users to migrate to GA4 in order to take advantage of its advanced features and capabilities. GA4 is Event Based Google Analytics 4 (GA4) uses an event-based data model, which means that events are the primary unit of data collection. In GA4, an event is any interaction that a user has with your website or app, such as a button click, form submission, or video view. Each event is composed of parameters that provide more detailed information about the event, such as the category, action, and label. By collecting and analyzing these events, GA4 provides more granular insights into user behavior and allows you to track user interactions across the entire customer journey, from acquisition to conversion. Why did Google Decide to Change? Google decided to change Google Analytics with the introduction of GA4 for several reasons, including: Evolving user behavior: Enhanced privacy controls: Shift towards machine learning: Streamlined and customizable reporting: Key Business Benefits of Google Analytics 4 Here are some key business benefits of Google Analytics 4 (GA4): User-centric measurement: GA4 provides a more user-centric approach to data measurement, allowing businesses to track and analyze user behavior across multiple devices and platforms. This enables a better understanding of the customer journey and helps businesses optimize their digital experiences to improve customer engagement and conversion. Advanced machine learning capabilities: GA4 incorporates more advanced machine learning capabilities than Universal Analytics, including predictive metrics and AI-powered insights. This helps businesses identify trends and patterns in their data, providing valuable insights that can inform marketing and advertising strategies. Enhanced privacy controls: With increased concern over user privacy, GA4 provides businesses with more advanced privacy controls to help them better protect user data and comply with data privacy regulations. Streamlined reporting: GA4 provides a more streamlined and customizable reporting interface than Universal Analytics, allowing businesses to create more detailed and granular reports that better align with their specific needs and goals. Integration with other Google marketing tools: GA4 integrates more easily with other Google marketing tools, such as Google Ads and Google Tag Manager, enabling businesses to create more effective and targeted campaigns. Improved cross-device tracking: GA4 provides more advanced cross-device tracking capabilities than Universal Analytics, allowing businesses to track user interactions across multiple devices and platforms.