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It is now or never (well almost). According to Google, they will discontinue the recording of tracking data from their Universal Analytics planform and it will be replaced by Google Analytics 4. This is a bold step to a new dimension of how user analytics will be captured, and according to Google;
“Google Analytics 4 is designed with your key objectives in mind — like driving sales or app installs, generating leads or connecting online and offline customer engagement.”
This article is for you if you own or manage a website and;
- You’re not sure if you have Google Analytics installed
- You’re sure that you have Google Analytics installed but don’t know which version
- You want to ensuring that your website analytics is future-proof
f you are using the HubSpot CMS, additional setup might be needed to get your Google Analytics 4 to start working.
Before we jump in, it is important to observe the importance of website analytics from a customer centric perspective.
You’ve probably seen the term “inbound” mentioned on our website. Becoming Inbound as a customer relationship building philosophy means attracting and retaining customers by creating a valuable experience from start to finish. For the marketer, attracting customers online is an important touchpoint in the customer journey. As a site note, here is a link to our three part series explaining why every marketing manager needs a CRM.
Integrating the customer experience is critical and data is needed for this. The number of visitors to a website (and any other digital platform) cannot be counted like the number of feet that walk into a shop. And this is where website analytics comes in. Tracking the activity of visitors to your website allows you to see peoples behaviour on your website and knowing this is extremely valuable to the marketer looking to optimise their customers experience and generate sales.
Let’s jump into what makes this Google update so important!
What is Google Analytics?
Universal Analytics
Google launched Google Analytics in 2005 and has since become a known ‘secret’ weapon in the marketers arsenal. Originally named Universal Analytics (UA), this website integration gave marketers the ability to track various website user metrics as they visited their website. A game changer at the time – the more you know, the better you can grow. Over the years the platform has evolved and Google have recently released its fourth iteration of this famous free analytics platform so these are exiting times.
Google Analytics 4
In this latest evolution, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is different to its predecessors in a number of ways. The most important to the future-ready business, is that it is a new platform will be completely replacing the old analytics UA. It’s officially out with the old and in with the new.
Website owners to make the switch now, it is now or never (well almost) and the sooner the better. In order for Google Analytics 4 to work on your website, it needs to be set up manually – your website will not automatically switch over to GA4 when Google sunsets UA.
⚠️ Don’t wait until the last minute, once installed, GA4 will begin collecting data and so when the official transition happens, you will have historic tracking data for your website/s in the new platform.
Important dates
Google in a recent update, have set the date for the end of the Universal Analytics data recording;
“All standard Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new hits on July 1, 2023”
This means that Google will sunset (end) all Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023. If you have UA installed on your website, it will stop collecting data on that date. You will have a minimum of six months thereafter to view your past data. It is advisable to plan your move to GA4 now.
Key benefits unlocked by the GA4 platform are:
- Understand your customers across touchpoints
- Improve ROI with data-driven attribution
- Measure engagement and conversions with business and compliance needs in mind
- Get greater value from your data
- Easily activate your insights
- Address your enterprise measurement needs
If you are using 360 Universal Analytics properties, that will stop processing new hits on October 1, 2023.
FAQs
Can you have GA4 installed while your UA tracking is still active?
Yes, this is possible and it is recommended.
Do I have to switch and what if I am happy with the UA on my current site?
Google will completely stop the data collection for UA and this switch to GA4 is the only way to continue using Google’s analytics services on your website.
Header photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
