It’s your last chance to say goodbye to Universal Analytics

As a marketer, you might be aware of Universal Analytics (UA), the tool that has been the backbone of Google Analytics for the past decade. However, its days are numbered, and it’s time to say goodbye to UA. In fact, you’ve probably seen the big warning every time you try to use Universal Analytics. But don’t worry; this isn’t a bad thing.

Google has already introduced a new tool, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), that provides better insights, is more privacy-focused, and gives you a more comprehensive view of your customers. In this article, we’ll discuss why UA is ending, the benefits of GA4, concerns with GA4, and provide five key tips for switching to GA4.

When is UA ending?

Google has announced that it will end support for UA on 1 st July 2023 – so, you have very little time to get sorted if you don’t have your account set-up already. But what does this mean? It means that from July your UA account will no longer continue to track your data. Instead, you will have to use GA4. If you’ve been prepared, you should already have your account ready with some historical data from the past 6 months to a year.

If not, our advice is to contact someone for advice and get it set up as soon as possible so you don’t have any missed days of data. With a lack of historical data, you may also need to manually compare data with UA. This isn’t ideal as their methods of tracking are not identical, so there will be some discrepancies in data, however it may become necessary for some companies while they wait to build up data on GA4.

The many benefits of GA4

GA4 provides several benefits that make it a more successful tool than UA, such as:

– Better insights : More accurate insights into user behaviour across different devices and platforms are available in GA4. You can see how users engage with your website, mobile app, and even offline channels.

– Privacy-focused : GA4 is more privacy-focused than UA. It uses machine learning to analyse user behaviour instead of relying on cookies, which are often blocked by users or third-party software.

– Customer-centric : Analytics 4 gives you a more comprehensive view of your customers by combining user data from different platforms. This helps you understand how users interact with your business across different touchpoints.

– More Customisable: All reports and dashboards are fully customisable, with updatable metrics and table columns, so you can see the data you need to report on.

– Visualise data easily: Create ad hoc funnels and other graphs to visualise your data and share with your colleagues. These can be set-up to automatically update with new data.

– App and website data together: First introduced as Google Analytics Web + App, GA4 can easily link traffic from different data streams, better allowing for a cross platform user journey, without losing vital tracking info.

Are there any concerns with GA4?

Although GA4 has several benefits, there are some things that you should be aware of when using this new platform:

– Learning curve : As a new tool, there is clearly a learning curve for users. You’ll need to spend some time getting familiar with the new interface and features, either through using the platform or taking part in some online training. Alternatively, get in touch with an expert from a marketing agency like Next Chapter for advice and demonstrations.

– Data compatibility: GA4 uses a different data model than UA, which means that you may need to modify your existing data to work alongside GA4. As some metrics have now changed, the way you report may need to be updated alongside the new platforms. Bounce rate for example is gone, having been replaced with the more positive engagement rate.

– Work in progress : As a new platform, Google are still developing and tweaking the functionality. This means some aspects of UA may not yet be available or may have outright been removed. Keep up with the latest updates to the platform to avoid unwanted surprises and make use of new features.

Key dates to remember for the switchover

– 2020 – GA4 was launched as the new analytics reporting platform Analytics Web + App.

– July 2022 – Recommended deadline for setting up GA4 to have year-on-year data available when Universal Analytics (UA) gets switched off in July 2023.

– 1st July 2023 – UA properties will stop receiving data, so it’s essential to have GA4 fully configured, and reporting set up.

– 1st January 2024 – UA properties will be deleted, and all historic data will be lost, so it’s recommended to export all historic data before this date so you can refer back to it.

GA4 expert tips

Here are 5 examples of hidden features in GA4 which you can use to better interpret your data:

1. Debug View: Debug view is a hidden feature in GA4 that allows you to see how data is being collected on your website. It’s a great tool for troubleshooting data collection issues and identifying problems in your implementation. To access Debug View, click on the Admin button at the bottom left of the GA4 interface, then click on Data Streams under the Property column. From there, click on the Data Stream you want to debug, then click on Debug View.

2. Cohort Analysis: GA4 has a powerful cohort analysis tool that lets you group users based on shared characteristics, such as their acquisition source, device type, or geographic location. This can be useful for understanding user behaviour over time and identifying trends and patterns. To access Cohort Analysis, click on the Analysis button at the bottom left of the GA4 interface, then click on Cohort Analysis under the Analysis Hub section.

3. Event Sequencing: Event sequencing allows you to see the order in which users perform specific actions on your website. This can help you identify the most common paths users take on your site and identify potential bottlenecks or areas for improvement. To access Event Sequencing, click on the Analysis button at the bottom left of the GA4 interface, then click on Exploration under the Analysis Hub section. From there, select the event you want to sequence, and click on the “Add Sequence” button.

4. User Explorer: User Explorer is a hidden feature in GA4 that lets you see the individual actions taken by specific users on your website. This can be useful for understanding how specific users interact with your site and identifying opportunities for personalised marketing or outreach. To access User Explorer, click on the Analysis button at the bottom left of the GA4 interface, then click on User Explorer under the Analysis Hub section. From there, you can select specific users and see their individual actions on your website.

5. Custom Tables: Custom Tables allows you to create custom reports and dashboards in GA4, using a wide range of data sources and visualisation tools. This can be useful for creating customised views of your data, and identifying specific insights or trends that may be relevant to your business. To access Custom Tables, click on the Analysis button at the bottom left of the GA4 interface, then click on Custom Tables under the Analysis Hub section. From there, you can create custom reports and dashboards using a wide range of data sources and visualisation tools.

Need more advice or help setting up your GA4 account?

Get in touch with our SEO and reporting expertsat Next Chapter. We can help set up your new account if still needed, help map out any necessary events and can advise which metrics are best to report on for your stakeholders.

Let’s start a projectand get tracking together.