Google Analytics has long been the go-to tool for website owners and digital marketers to measure website traffic, user behavior, and other important metrics to help make decisions to reach their goals. However, like most technology in our modern-day world, the analytics landscape has been rapidly changing, and Google has recently launched a new version of its analytics platform: Google Analytics 4 (GA4). So, what is GA4, and should you use it? In this article, we will discuss what GA4 is, what makes it so different, and how you can implement it into your business.

What is Google Analytics 4?

GA4 is the newest version of Google Analytics, which was launched in October 2020. It is designed to help businesses better understand their customer’s behavior across multiple platforms and devices, including websites, mobile apps, and even offline interactions. One of the key features of GA4 is its ability to unify data across different platforms and devices, providing a more complete view of the customer journey. This is achieved through a new event-based data model, which replaces the session-based data model used in previous versions of Google Analytics. GA4 also introduces several new features, including machine learning-powered insights, cross-device reporting, and a simplified setup process. These features aim to make it easier for businesses to understand their customers and make data-driven decisions.

Should You Use Google Analytics 4?

Now that we know what GA4 is, the next question is – should you use it? The answer, as with most things in the world of analytics, is “it depends.” If you’re currently using Google Analytics and are happy with the insights and data it provides, there’s no need to switch to GA4 right away. Google has announced that they will continue to support Universal Analytics through July (the previous version of Google Analytics), so you can continue using it as long as it meets your needs before it sunsets. If you’re looking for a more advanced analytics platform that can provide a more complete view of your customers’ behavior across different platforms and devices, GA4 is an excellent choice. Here are some reasons why you want GA4:

  1. Better Cross-Device Tracking – In today’s world, customers interact with businesses across multiple devices and platforms, making it difficult to track their behavior accurately. GA4’s new event-based data model provides better cross-device tracking, allowing you to understand how customers interact with your business across different devices and platforms.
  2. Machine Learning-Powered Insights – One of the most exciting features of GA4 is its machine learning-powered insights. These insights provide a deeper understanding of your customers’ behavior, allowing you to identify trends and patterns that you might have missed otherwise.
  3. Improved Data Privacy – GA4 is designed with data privacy in mind, providing businesses with more control over the data they collect and how they use it. This includes the ability to delete user data on request, ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
  4. Simplified Setup – Setting up GA4 is easier than ever before, with a simplified setup process that can be completed in just a few clicks. This makes it easier for businesses of all sizes to get started with advanced analytics and make data-driven decisions.
  5. Future-Proofing Your Analytics – Google has made it clear that GA4 is the future of Google Analytics, and they will continue to invest in its development and improvement. Switching to GA4 now will future-proof your analytics and ensure that you’re ready for whatever changes come next.

How To Switch To Google Analytics 4.

If you’ve decided that GA4 is right for your business, the next step is to switch to the new platform. The process is very detailed and requires precision and technological savvy, so if these terms don’t accurately describe you, or if you’re not 100% confident in your familiarity with Google’s tools, it is highly recommended that you hire a professional digital marketing team to assist you with this. If you’re interested in what all it entails, a quick overview of the process looks something like this:

  1. Create a new GA4 Property – The first step is to create a new GA4 property in your Google Analytics account.
  2. Set Up Tracking – Once you’ve created a new GA4 property, the next step is to set up tracking for your website or app. This involves adding the GA4 tracking code to your website or app and configuring the events that you want to track.
  3. Configure Data Streams – GA4 allows you to track user behavior across multiple platforms and devices, including websites, mobile apps, and even offline interactions. To do this, you need to configure data streams for each platform or device that you want to track.
  4. Migrate Data from Universal Analytics – If you’re currently using Universal Analytics, you can migrate your data to GA4 using the Data Import feature. This allows you to preserve your historical data and continue to track your website or app using the new GA4 property.
  5. Set Up Custom Reports and Dashboards – Finally, you can set up custom reports and dashboards in GA4 to track the metrics and KPIs that are most important to your business. This can help you gain deeper insights into your customers’ behavior and make data-driven decisions.

CloudMellow Digital Marketing & Technology

Google Analytics 4 is a powerful analytics platform that offers a more complete view of your customer’s behavior across multiple platforms and devices. While it’s not necessary for everyone to switch to GA4 right away, it’s worth considering if you’re looking for more advanced analytics capabilities and better cross-device tracking. CloudMellow is a digital marketing and technology company that specializes in Google Analytics software and can make sure that your company’s transition over to GA4 is as efficient, accurate, and convenient as possible. For more information about our company and the services we provide, please visit our website today.