If you’ve been playing hide and seek with Google’s new version of Analytics, it’s time to give up the game and make the switch.
Change can be daunting, especially a change as significant as the move to Google Analytics 4, but doing so will enable you to better understand your website and marketing efforts, leading to more informed decision-making and, eventually, better ROI.
But what is Google Analytics 4? And why do you need to switch to it?
What is Google Analytics 4?
GA4 is Universal Analytics revamped.
Previously, the Google Analytics we’re all used to (Universal Analytics) focused on collecting and analysing data based on hits and web sessions, otherwise known as page views or events.
In contrast, all Google Analytics 4 measurements are events, making it easier to fully understand how your website is performing and track the entire lifecycle of your customers.
With Google Analytics 4, you’ll be provided with more in-depth insights and reports and get a whole host of new metrics to play with, including new engagement metrics. You’ll also be privy to predictive insights, helping you understand how your customers may behave in the coming weeks and months, allowing you to market accordingly.
That’s great, you may be thinking, but why do I need to switch if Universal Analytics works for me?
Why do I need to switch to GA4?
To put it simply, you don’t have much choice in the matter!
Universal Analytics will stop working on 1st July 2023, and you’ll be left with a blank slate in GA4 from then on! Your historical data will be available for six months after this point, but then, poof! Gone.
Switching over to Google Analytics 4 now will save you a whole lot of hassle. Not only will you be given a great head start when it comes to learning the ins and outs of the new dashboard and metrics, but it’ll also mean you’ll rack up a good few months of data collected by GA4, so you don’t have to start from scratch next year.
Don’t panic though, you don’t need to scrap UA right now! You can have both running simultaneously for the time being, making the transition a little easier and a lot less daunting.
Help! How do I make the switch?
If all of that is as clear as mud, don’t worry – you’re not alone!
This big of a change can be incredibly stressful, especially if you don’t feel like you’re a GA4 expert just yet.
Here at WP Fiddly Bits, we’re helping our clients to make the move in the most seamless way possible. We’ll back up your UA data, set up your website in Google Analytics 4 and help you begin to understand this new method of data collection.
You’ll be an expert in no time!
If you’d like some support in moving over to the world of Google Analytics 4, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Alison Rothwell
Alison is the Director and Founder of WP Fiddly Bits, the WordPress Website Maintenance experts, and contributes to the WP Fiddly Bits WordPress blog. She also uses her background in marketing to help clients get found everywhere online.
