Alison Head of Projects
You may or may not already know that on the 1st July 2023 the current Google Universal Analytics will no longer process any new data and the new Google Analytics 4 property is going to take its place. The good news is that Google Analytics 4 is here to make tracking your website easier, but the bad news is that it won’t carry across your current analytics data. We want to make sure your website is ready for the change by migrating across to the new Google Analytics 4 property. We’re here to help you understand the next steps you should take.
What is Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics?
Universal Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic.
Google Analytics 4, also known as GA4, is a new and improved version of Universal Analytics. It’s been introduced to effectively collect and analyse data – using all the good parts of Universal Analytics and adding additional, advanced features that aim to improve the data collecting service.
The main difference between GA4 and Universal Analytics is that where Universal was built to collect a series of page views, GA4 has been built to analyse anything from page views to clicks, form submissions and even custom events that you can tailor to your conversional requirements.
GA4 can:
- Collect a lot more data than Universal Analytics
- Give you a lot more insight into what people are doing on your site or app
- Be used to track just about anything – not just web traffic
Why should I move to GA4?
Well to put it plainly GA4 is more powerful, more flexible and more accurate.
If you want to be able to analyse useful data from your site or app then you should move to GA4 – you’ll get the chance to access all the new features and capabilities, but you’ll also be able to take advantage of GA4’s continued learning and improvement.
Also if you don’t want to risk losing your data you should make the move as Google will be discontinuing Universal Analytics in July 2023, so you’ll have to upgrade anyway.
Think about it this way, if you move your tracking now it means you’ll have a year’s worth of data in a new platform, rather than having to put up with a blackout period during your transition. It also gives you a chance to get used to the new system and see how you like it.
How do I migrate to GA4?
Migrating to GA4 will involve a lot of documentation and information, which can be quite overwhelming if you’re not a Google Analytics whizz. Which is why Eat Marketing is here to take the load off of you and help you do this.
When should I move to GA4?
Now!
If you want to save the ‘future you’ a lot of stress and headaches then implementing GA4 now is your best bet. Getting us to help you migrate to GA4 properly makes the move a lot easier for you. Once it’s properly set up we can help you set your own custom events and more.
If you don’t want to risk losing your data and need help with the migration process, contact Alison today to discuss the next steps on your GA4 migration: +44 (0)845 835 4661.
