The world of digital marketing is about to witness a significant turning point: Google has announced that all Universal Analytics (UA) services will cease functioning starting July 1, 2024. This change marks the end of an era for many professionals and companies who have relied on this tool to analyze and understand the traffic of their websites.
Universal Analytics was introduced in 2012 as an evolution of Google Analytics, quickly becoming in fact, the standard for web data collection and analysis. However, with the advancing technology needs and the increasing attention to user privacy, Google has decided to replace Universal Analytics with the new Google Analytics 4 (GA4) platform, first announced in 2020.
Why is Universal Analytics being discontinued?
The main reason behind Google's decision to discontinue Universal Analytics lies in its limitations in terms of privacy and functionality compared to GA4. Universal Analytics relies primarily on third-party cookies and session-based identifiers, which are increasingly blocked or restricted by modern web browsers for privacy reasons. Additionally, UA does not natively support cross-platform data collection, an essential requirement in the mobile and app era.
Google Analytics 4, on the other hand, offers more privacy-oriented data collection, does not depend only on cookies, and supports a holistic view of the user across devices and platforms. GA4 also uses machine learning to fill data gaps caused by cookie blocking, giving analysts a more complete understanding of user behavior.
What does this mean for Universal Analytics users?
For current UA users, the move to Google Analytics 4 is not only inevitable, but urgent. After July 1, 2024, Universal Analytics will stop processing new data, and while historical data will remain accessible for a limited period after that date, it’s best to begin the migration as soon as possible.
Migration to GA4 requires carefully planned configuration and activation. Users will have to familiarize themselves with a new interface and different reporting metrics. It is essential that companies begin testing and adapting their configurations in GA4 to ensure that the data collected is accurate and that the reports meet their analytical needs.
What changes?
Let's see some of the main differences and innovations introduced with GA4:
Data Model: GA4 uses an event-based data model, unlike UA which uses a session- and pageview-based model. This means that GA4 can track any interaction as an event, making data collection more flexible.
Privacy and Anonymity: GA4 places greater emphasis on user privacy. It was designed to be more compliant with privacy regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA. For example, GA4 does not store IP addresses and offers easier management of user consent.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: GA4 incorporates artificial intelligence to generate insights and predictions, such as the probability of customer abandonment or potential customer lifetime value.
App and Web Integration: Unlike UA, GA4 can be used to track both websites and mobile applications in a single property, facilitating integrated performance analysis across different platforms.
Customizable Reports and Flexibility: GA4 offers fully customizable dashboards and reports. Users can create customized reports that best meet their specific needs.
Data Retention Duration: In UA, data retention can be set to an unlimited period. In GA4, the maximum data retention period is 14 months, although you can adjust this value.
Metrics and Dimensions: Some common metrics and dimensions in UA have been removed or changed in GA4. For example, “Bounce Rate” has been replaced by metrics like “Engaged Sessions.”
Event Limits: GA4 has no limits on the number of event types that can be tracked, unlike the restrictions found in UA.
Next steps for digital marketers:
Training: Invest time in understanding new GA4 features and metrics.
Setup: Set up and configure GA4 carefully to ensure all necessary data is tracked correctly.
Test: Monitor and verify the accuracy of the data collected in GA4 to identify and resolve any issues.
Consultation: Consider consulting with a GA4 expert to optimize the use of the new platform.
In conclusion
The transition from Universal Analytics to the new Google Analytics 4 is much more than a simple technical upgrade and for many, this transition proves to be a difficult undertaking.
Of course, GA4 offers a more modern platform that is better aligned with today's data analytics needs. But behind this potential there are also significant difficulties.
The loss of historical data and configuration complexities represent obstacles that are not always easy to overcome.
The need to manually define custom events requires high technical skills, often becoming a laborious and demanding process.
Despite Google's efforts to provide support documentation, many users complain about the lack of complete and detailed guides, further complicating troubleshooting and advanced configuration without resorting to external resources.
Even the integration with Google Tag Manager, designed to simplify work, sometimes proves to be a source of frustration. In fact, some users have encountered difficulties in configuring tags and triggers, causing further data loss or incorrect tracking.
Finally, despite the challenges, GA4 represents a window into the future of web analytics. It's a transition that requires commitment, perseverance and, in some cases, the support of experts. We invite companies to consider this transition not only as a necessity imposed by circumstances but as an opportunity to improve their analytical skills and adapt to the new digital realities.
E-Business Consulting is a marketing agency active since 2003 specialized in consultancy activities in order to guide companies in the processes of digital transformation and training in new technologies. Call now for a free no obligation consultation.