Google Analytics 4 (previously called “App + Web”) is a new type of property that leverages Firebase, a data logic and data structure that differs significantly from Universal Analytics. Google Analytics 4 uses an event-based data model rather than the session-based data processing model that Universal Analytics property has used since its inception in 2005.
The new analytics property has several advantages over Universal Analytics, such as improved privacy of end-users and enhanced integration with machine learning technologies and capabilities for better reporting.
Additionally, GA4 also comes out of the box with improved, seamless integrations with Google’s tools such as Search Console and the Google Ads advertising platforms. This change will help enhance analytics and enhance campaign performance and marketing ROI.
With the recent announcement that Google is sunsetting Universal Analytics by July 1, 2023, now is as good a time to set up for the future with Google Analytics 4 for all of your web properties. From July 1, 2023, UA will stop processing new hits to your web properties as only the GA4 will be functional.
GA4 comes with machine learning capabilities that UA didn't have. It also provides marketers with enhanced measurement of cross-platform data, thereby unveiling a more complete picture of the customer journey across different devices. These and other many other features are not available on UA.
YoY analysis is an integral part of overall analysis for many businesses. Collecting historical data on how your web properties perform is critical to this kind of analysis. However, GA4 will only use the data it has collected (it does not carry over the data tagged and collected by UA). As such, if you need historical data, you should set up GA4 today and start collecting data immediately.
Sign in to your Analytics account attached to your website. Navigate to the Universal Analytics property of your website by clicking the "Admin" button and, on the property column, selecting the Universal Analytics property of your site from the property dropdown.
For some properties, an option to upgrade to GA4 is available under the Property column. If you have that option available, click the "Upgrade to GA4" and follow the prompts. If your property does not have the "Upgrade to GA4" option, you can create a new property. In doing this, you'll automatically create a GA4 property for your website.
After creating a GA4 property, the setup assistance activates enhanced measurement automatically, allowing you to collect the same data that UA collects. GA4 works automatically with gtags.js, and the setup assistant will give you an option to enable data collection using existing tags. You can also enable data collection by creating new tags and adding them to your website in a similar fashion to the old UA.
Add "Data Streams" by going to the property column and selecting Data Streams. After that, click "Add Data" to start tracking the type of data you want to track. Then enter the domain and name the data stream. Finally, click "Create stream."
All Google Analytics 4 properties will have summary cards providing an overview of performance. For more in-depth understanding, users will only need to click the scorecards.
The report page will give the vast majority of answers you may seek from GA4. For instance, you’ll understand where your users come from, the best ads campaigns, the content driving content to your site, etc.
At any moment, you will be in a position to see a snapshot of live user engagement using the Realtime Report.
GA4 will give website users an understanding of user engagement, acquisition, monetisation, and user retention, which will help businesses optimise their web properties to improve the overall profitability throughout the lifecycle.
GA4 is pivotal in tracking customer engagement throughout the customer journey. Some of our customer engagement strategies that we track with GA4 include:
To enhance customer engagement, you need first to create opportunities for your business to engage with customers. We create a plethora of customer engagement opportunities, all of which we can track using Google Analytics. It can be something as simple as a thumb up/down scoring system on your blog posts.
The process of personalising customer experience involves working with your customer to meet their needs better. To this end, you need to engage your customer through preference selection and tools such as profile creation. We measure all of these aspects of customer engagement using Google Analytics.
Customer feedback is an important part of customer engagement. As such, we solicit feedback from your customer base using feedback buttons and other strategies.
As the name suggests, loyalty programs enhance brand loyalty among your customers and clients. To optimise all aspects of loyalty programs and their effectiveness, we track the programs using Google Analytics.
Google Analytics 4 is not only useful in tracking traffic numbers and sources using your website. Over the years, we’ve found it indispensable in tracking the effectiveness of marketing strategies. Whether you want to understand how effectively you engage with your customers or the return on investment from your ad campaigns, you cannot go without Google Analytics.
Let ETRAFFIC help you transition from the session-based analysis of Universal Analytics to the event-based analysis that comes with the new Google Analytics 4. Move to the future with GA4
In many aspects, yes it is. It integrates advanced technologies including machine learning and cross-platform measurement, which are new to marketers.
Yes. If you’ve been using Universal Analytics to track customer engagement (CE), you’ll need to transition to Google Analytics 4 to keep tracking CE past July 1, 2023.
Yes. From July 1, 2023, Google will only process new hits to your app and web properties using GA4.
As a trusted marketing agency we deliver proven marketing strategies to help your business grow. Stay in touch with ETRAFFIC on all our socials.
Copyright © 2022 Website Design by ETRAFFIC
As a trusted marketing agency we deliver proven marketing strategies to help your business grow. Stay in touch with ETRAFFIC on all our socials.
Copyright © 2022 Website Design by ETRAFFIC
