Every business will use Google Analytics regularly to track what exactly is going on with their website. To keep up with the ever-changing behaviour of consumers, Google has introduced a new Google Analytics interface, GA4, which will soon replace the current Universal Analytics (UA). In this article, our Digital Account Manager, Harriet Hunt, will give you all the need-to-know details of GA4 and why you need to be setting it up sooner rather than later.
What is GA4?
For those wondering what GA4 is, it’s the fourth version of Google Analytics and has been designed to provide a more complete user journey than the current and previous analytics have been capable of.
The benefits of GA4
- The ability to see a complete user journey allows for more accurate reporting on unique website and app users.
- The robust cross-platform insight helps to improve understanding of customer journey and experience, as well as increasing the understanding of marketing campaigns across devices and platforms.
- A new set of engagement metrics allows for more accurate measurement.
- User data can be used to create audience lists, which can then be linked to Google Ads for a more personalised approach.
- GA4 presents a much cleaner overview, using widgets to display information, making it easier to spot trends and anomalies in data.
Why do you need to set GA4 up now?
Although the current Universal Analytics is still running, when Google swap to GA4 your account will automatically become a GA4 account, but your past data will not be carried over. With no backdated data it will be difficult to analyse behaviours and month-to-month comparisons moving forward.
We recommend setting up GA4 alongside UA so that your business can start collecting data on the GA4 platform ahead of time, leaving you with months of data when the switch-over happens. This will allow you to continue to analyse data and give you time to get used to the new platform, making the switch-over as seamless as possible.
At Mobas, we offer GA4 audits which include the set-up of GA4 on your Google Analytics account, as well as the setting-up of event-tracking to align with your current Google Analytics goals. Speak to the Digital Marketing Team today to find out how we can help you.
