In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, staying on top of the latest analytics tools is crucial for success. 

Google Analytics has long been a staple for marketers, providing valuable insights into website traffic, user behaviour, and campaign performance. However, with the introduction of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), marketers are faced with the need to embrace the new possibilities it offers. 

In this blog post, we will compare GA4 and Universal Analytics to help you make an informed decision for your marketing strategies.

1. The Shift towards GA4: Understanding the Need for Change

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) was created due to the change in digital marketing. People now use different devices like smartphones and tablets to interact with brands, making things more complicated. GA4 helps by tracking users across these different devices, so marketers can understand their whole journey. 

Also, mobile apps have become ever more popular, so GA4 uses a new way of tracking called event-driven data collection. This means it pays attention to specific things users do, like clicking or filling out forms. This helps marketers understand how people use apps and make improvements. 

GA4 also uses machine learning, which means it can learn from the data and give marketers helpful insights and predictions. This helps them make better decisions, personalise experiences, and make their marketing campaigns work even better. 

GA4 was created because marketers needed a modern and flexible tool to keep up with the changes in digital marketing.

2. Key Differences: 

In GA4, the way data is collected and tracked is different from Universal Analytics. Instead of just counting how many pages people view on a website, GA4 focuses on tracking specific actions and interactions users have, like clicking on something, filling out a form, or watching a video. 

This gives marketers a more detailed picture of how users engage with their websites or apps. By collecting this event-driven data, marketers can understand user behaviour better, find important moments in the user journey, track specific actions that lead to sales, and measure engagement beyond just counting pageviews. 

This helps marketers optimise their campaigns, create personalised experiences, and make better decisions based on what users want. GA4 can also track interactions across different devices, like phones and tablets, giving a complete view of how users move between platforms. 

Overall, GA4 provides marketers with more insights and information about user behaviour, helping them make smarter decisions and improve their marketing efforts.

3. User-Centric Focus: 

GA4 has special features that focus on you, the user. It helps marketers understand how you interact with websites or apps in more detail. Instead of just looking at the pages you visit, GA4 looks at specific things you do, like clicking on buttons, filling out forms, or watching videos. 

This helps marketers see how you move through their websites or apps and what actions you take. They can learn more about your preferences and make sure their campaigns and experiences match what you like. 

GA4 also keeps track of how you use different devices, like phones and tablets, so marketers can understand your whole journey. With GA4, marketers can get a better understanding of you as a user and make improvements to give you a better experience.

4. Enhanced Data Analysis: 

GA4 has cool features that help marketers make better decisions using data. It can analyse a lot of information and give useful insights. This helps marketers understand what’s working and what’s not in their marketing strategies. 

They can see which campaigns are bringing in more customers, which ones are making people buy things, and what changes they can make to get even better results.

GA4 uses smart technology to find patterns and trends in the data, so marketers know what actions to take to improve their marketing.

5. Reporting and Visualisation: 

GA4 has a new and improved look that makes it easier for businesses to use. The interface, or how it looks on the screen, has been updated to be more user-friendly. This means that companies can find the information they need quickly and understand it better. 

The updated interface organises data in a clear and simple way, so businesses can see important information at a glance. This helps them make better decisions about their marketing and understand how their website or app is performing. 

With the updated interface of GA4, businesses can save time and effort by navigating through the data more easily and using it to improve their online presence.

6. Integrations and Data Export: 

GA4 works together with Google Marketing Platform to make things easier for businesses. 

The integration with this platform allows all the different tools and services from Google to work together smoothly. This helps businesses manage their marketing campaigns more effectively. For example, they can easily see how their ads are performing, analyse customer behaviour, and make improvements based on the data. 

7. Transitioning from Universal Analytics to GA4: 

To switch from Universal Analytics to GA4, here are some helpful tips to make it easier:

• First, it’s important to plan ahead and understand what you want to achieve with GA4. Take the time to learn about its new features and how they can benefit your business.
• Second, make sure to set up GA4 alongside Universal Analytics so you can compare the data and ensure a smooth transition. This way, you won’t lose any important information.
• Third, update your tracking codes and make sure they’re properly installed on your website or app. This will ensure that GA4 collects the data you need.
• Fourth, take advantage of the data import feature to bring historical data from Universal Analytics into GA4. This will provide a complete picture of your analytics over time.
• Finally, train yourself and your team on how to use GA4 effectively. There are resources available, like online tutorials and support, that can guide you through the process. By following these steps and taking your time to adjust, you can smoothly transition from Universal Analytics to GA4 and continue making data-driven decisions for your business.

8. The Future of Analytics:

GA4 is an important tool for the future of marketing strategies. It helps businesses understand their customers better and make smarter decisions. 

With it, marketers can see how people interact with their websites or apps and learn what they like. This information helps them create personalised experiences and improve their marketing campaigns. 

GA4 also uses smart technology to analyse data and find trends, which helps marketers know what actions to take to get better results. As marketing continues to change, GA4 will keep evolving to meet the needs of businesses. 

It’s like having a crystal ball that helps marketers predict what their customers want and how to reach them. So, if businesses want to stay ahead in the world of marketing, GA4 is key.

Conclusion:

Universal Analytics will die at the end of June 2023. Not switching is no longer an option!

However, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is user-friendly and gives a better understanding of how people interact with your website. It provides insights into what’s working and what’s not in your marketing efforts, and helps you make better decisions, based on data, to improve your campaigns.