Aug. 3, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Click Rain. 

The world of marketing is ever-changing and, oh boy, a big shift is on the way! You may have heard that Google is sunsetting Universal Analytics and officially transitioning to Google Analytics 4 next year. But what exactly does that mean for your business, and how can you prepare?

Quick lowdown

Universal Analytics is the main platform used by businesses and marketers everywhere to track Google Analytics data, and it probably is being used on your website now. However, in October 2020, Google Analytics 4 was released in a beta version, and Google recently announced it will be shifting entirely over to GA4 on July 1, 2023. This means if you do not have GA4 set up on your website by then, you will no longer have any tracking data coming through.

The transition from UA to GA4 is a major shift in the industry and will take time and effort to adjust to the new data model and platform structure. Everything from how UA and GA4 collect and report on data is fundamentally different, even how goals and event tracking are set up is different. But not all is lost — GA4 offers new metrics and features that will help improve web reporting for your business. Let’s look at a few examples.

With change, comes opportunity

GA4 is transitioning to an event-driven data model rather than a web session-driven data model, meaning the current metrics we use to measure site performance might differ or cease to exist. This is a significant change in how we look at data, but GA4 also introduces new metrics, reports and technology that appear to be an upgrade from what we’re used to seeing.

Built-in event tracking: Right out of the box, we now can ollect information on scroll depth, outbound clicks, site search, video engagement and file downloads without the need for additional tracking or modified code.

Engagement reports: These reports, according to Google, help us better understand user behavior by measuring the level of engagement. They contain metrics such as engagement rate, average engagement time, user stickiness, most popular pages and more.

Custom reports: Universal Analytics lacks the ability to customize tables or metrics being shown in reports, presenting you with data whether you find it important or not. With GA4, you’ll be able to remove metrics that aren’t relevant to your business. Another great feature in GA4 is the ability to create collections, allowing you to save the reports you look at most frequently or categorize reports based on who views them, for example the sales or marketing teams.

Insights and predictive metrics through AI: Google’s machine-learning technology provides insights that detect unusual changes and emerging trends in data; it even can predict future user behaviors to identify actions that could lead to conversions. These insights live within the platform and are accessed through the insights dashboard.

Time to take action

The switch to GA4 is inevitable and approaching quickly. With the sunset of Universal Analytics, all past data will no longer be accessible through the platform. Your website is a big part of your marketing mix, so you’ll want to ensure your business is prepared. The best course of action is to set up and implement GA4 on your website and app as soon as possible so you have historical data when July 1, 2023, arrives.

It has taken Google years to develop this new version of analytics, and it will continue to take time to grow and evolve. The marketing world is a dynamic environment, so it’s important to stay updated on new trends and technologies. If you want a partner to walk alongside you, Click Rain is here to assist. Reach out at [email protected] to get started with GA4.

Click Rain will host a virtual Business Sense Workshop through the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, to talk all things Google Analytics 4. Find information and register for the event here.