Procrastinators beware! On July 1, 2023, standard Universal Analytics (also known as Google Analytics 3) properties will stop processing hits, and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) will be the only option. But it’s a mistake to wait until next year or the last possible moment to migrate your data. How to Ensure A Smooth Transition .
Hopefully, you set up GA4 and turn it on for your business by June 30, 2022, so you won’t lose YoY reporting capabilities. But you’re not done yet.
If you want to make the transition as painless as possible, it’s time to get moving on the full migration.
Data privacy expectations are changing. Get the full picture of where we are now, what’s to come, and how to plan for the future.
The GA4 data migration process
You ne to get comfortable with the new. There are significant differences between Universal Analytics/GA3 and GA4, so don’t expect to be able to just flip the switch: it’s not just a shinier version of the same thing. GA4 is built on brand new architecture and includes new features and significant UX changes.
This would make sure that job function email lists prospectively lock your marketing messages right on target. You may speak to specific roles in each company and let your messaging resonate directly with the needs and responsibilities job function email list of those being spoken to. This kind of precision drives the engagement way higher, as well as boosts conversion rates, enabling you to fully tap into the power of email campaigns and get better results from outreach efforts.
Basically, if you don’t start getting familiar with GA4 now, you’re not going to be able to use it effectively once you have no other choice. Plus you’ll get access to those new features like additional ways to analyze your data.
If you did miss the June 30th cut-off, it’s even more critical to get GA4 set up, particularly because many sites will put code freezes into effect for Q4. Setting up GA4 is a multistep process, so code freezes may further delay activation and every day represents another data loss.
The longer you delay
All of that sounds very doom and gloom, but there’s a significant silver lining: all of the new stuff is available in GA4! Let’s take a look at some of the new features you can expect to see once you’re all set up.
GA4 vs. Universal Analytics: How is measurement changing in GA4 and what’s new?
The first announcements about GA4 referr to the new platform as Web + App, and that reflects one big change: you can now access web and app measurement together under one roof by adding different data streams to your GA4 instance.
Adding a Data Stream in GA4
Measurement is probably where you’ll notice the difference between GA4 and Universal Analytics the most.
First of all, what is currently known as sessions and pageviews in Universal Analytics will be characteriz as one of many different kinds of events (goals) in GA4. You can use many of the same triggers and variables you utiliz in Universal Analytics for GA4 event tracking with Google Tag Manager.
Another noteworthy difference is the wider use in GA4 of advanc data-driven attribution (DDA), which is currently the default attribution model in Google Ads. DDA takes multiple signals into account by analyzing all of the relevant data about touchpoints that l to conversion to make sure your measurement better reflects the true incremental value of your campaigns while respecting user privacy.
In this example, the combination of Ad Exposure #1 (Paid Search), Ad Exposure #2 (Social), Ad Exposure #3 (Affiliate), and Ad Exposure #4 (Search) leads to a 3% probability of conversion. After Ad Exposure #4 does not occur, the probability what is a landing page and why use them in … drops to 2%, meaning that Ad Exposure #4 drives +50% conversion probability. Those learn contributions are us as attribution weights and will help you make more inform decisions in your future planning.
Privacy is definitely a focus in GA4
The new platform provides better privacy controls to users and is built to comply with existing privacy laws. GA4 does not rely only on cookies to track behavior across platforms, instead using event-bas data modeling for reporting and measurement across channels and devices. Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 will not store IP addresses and will incorporate future solutions from Google’s Privacy Sandbox.
One bonus feature for marketers is free access to BigQuery, Google’s data warehouse that was previously only available for paying customers via GA360. There are some data limitations in the free version, including a limit of exporting one million events per day vs. a billion with GA360, but it’s still a significant value add for most marketers.
GA4 uses machine learning to provide smarter insights bas on the data you’ve collect. These prictions can be us to better understand your audience; in particular, they’ll help you figure out which campaigns are effectively connecting with users that are more likely to purchase.
There are three versions
Purchase Probability: Customize a list of individuals who are likely to purchase in the next 7 days
Churn Probability: Similar to purchase singapore number probability, but focus on customers that are unlikely to take action in the next 7 days
Revenue Priction: Prict the amount of revenue driven by users over the next 28 days
Not all of these metrics are completely new; you may have seen them in the paid version of GA360 or in Universal Analytics. But the process of setting up these lists and using these tools should be smoother and more seamlessly integrat with Google Ads.
Where can I learn more about GA4
You should start learning how to use all of these features in GA4 as well as the fundamentals of the platform now. Luckily, Google is offering free online courses and a Google Analytics 4 certification, so you should take advantage of the opportunity to set yourself up for success through this transition. We repeat: they’re free!
What do I ne to do to prepare for the GA4 migration
July 2023 may seem far away, but it will be here before you know it. You’re going to ne time to plan your GA4 migration, and that timeline can vary depending on site and tracking complexity. We recommend a buffer of about three months, but again, that depends on your priorities.
Factor in time with your development team for a code freeze, which will delay updates requir for GA4.
Review your existing Universal Analytics events and decide which events you want to migrate over to GA4. This is an excellent opportunity to start with a clean slate and exclude any events that are no longer in use or outdat.
Figure out a system for event names in GA4 and implement the brand new names since it’s not a 1:1 match with Universal Analytics.
If you’re using a Tag Management System
If you’re on an ecommerce platform like Shopify or Magento, consider purchasing a GA4 plugin or extension to spe up the implementation process. Many GA4 plugins offer plug-and-play solutions to build the data layer requir for ecommerce tracking.
Plan out how you want to structure your account architecture for GA4. This is especially important if you own multiple domains and want your data segment out instead of roll up into a single GA4 property since GA4 no longer offers the ability to create separate “views” of your data unless you’re on GA360.
