GA4 Integration: What do you need to know and why is it crucial?
The deadline is almost upon us! Google will replace the current version of Google Analytics (Universal Analytics or UA) with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) on the 1st of July, 2023. To ensure access to historical data, you must migrate your analytics before then!
Don’t care why, but just want to know how? Click here.
Google originally released GA4 in 2021 to capture complicated customer journeys – today customers are jumping from apps to social media platforms to webpages and everywhere in-between. Google Analytics 4 assist in tracking this and allow you to gain more accurate insights into where your customers are coming from, who they are and how to find more people like them.
This is one change that you really need to embrace – here’s just a few reasons:
User-centric Approach
The GA4 migration provides a user-centric model that unlocks a treasure trove of insights into individual user journeys across devices and platforms. Failing to migrate means losing out on a comprehensive understanding of user behaviour, making it harder to optimise experiences and drive conversions.
Event-driven Data Collection
Don’t get left behind with outdated tracking methods. GA4 emphasises event-driven data collection, which offers a level of granularity that legacy tracking falls short of. Every interaction counts, and with event tracking, you can capture valuable user actions and measure specific behaviours aligned with your business objectives. Delaying the migration means missing out on detailed insights that can fuel your growth and inform strategic decisions.
If you’re not tracking the data – how do you know who is and who is not buying?
Streamline Data Setup
GA4 streamlines the data setup process, but failing to migrate before the deadline means losing valuable historical data and insights. Take the necessary steps to add the GA4 tracking code to your website and ensure a seamless transition. (Take a look how here: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9744165?sjid=3829997761252160665-AP#finish-creating-property&zippy=%2Cin-this-article)
Leverage Machine Learning
The power of machine learning awaits within GA4. GA4’s AI-driven features can revolutionise your data analysis, uncovering hidden trends, predicting user behaviour, and providing actionable insights. By delaying the migration, you risk falling behind in leveraging these advanced capabilities and gaining a competitive advantage in your industry.
Protect Data and Ensure Compliance
Data privacy is paramount, and GA4 is designed to meet evolving privacy regulations. Failing to migrate means putting your business at risk of non-compliance with regulations like GDPR (In the European Union) and CCPA (In the United States). GA4 incorporates privacy-focused features, such as enhanced consent controls and data retention settings, empowering you to prioritise user privacy while still extracting valuable insights. Take action now to ensure your data practices align with legal requirements and maintain the trust of your customers.
You will only have access to previously processed and historical data until the end of the year and Universal Analytics will stop creating new data at the end of July, which means the sooner you migrate to GA4.
If you’re feeling worried about migrating and the implementation process or are unsure of where to start or what to do next then look no further. The good news is that here at Pitstop Marketing, we have the knowledge and expertise to help you migrate to GA4 successfully, we’ve also included some helpful links below that explain a bit more about the migration and how to do so with your account!
Google Analytics Blog: https://blog.google/products/marketingplatform/analytics/prepare-for-future-with-google-analytics-4/
How to change your Google Analytics Account: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10759417?sjid=3829997761252160665-AP
If you would like further assistance or have any questions, feel free to send them through to us and we will see what we can do to help!