You Must Switch to Google Analytics 4 by July 1, 2023: What New Features and Options Does It Offer?

If you run your own website, you’re most likely using Google Analytics. Until July 1, 2023, the older version, Universal Analytics—which has been on the market for many years—will still be operational. After that date, new data will be collected exclusively through the latest Google Analytics 4 platform, which introduces several changes and new features. What should you know about it?

Google Analytics 4 isn't really that new; it was officially launched back in 2019, and ran in parallel with the original Universal Analytics. Many website owners and operators have already switched to GA4, but some are still using UA. That will come to an end on July 1, 2023, however, as Universal Analytics is officially being phased out. What does this mean in practice?

You will still be able to log in to your Universal Analytics account the usual way starting July 1, 2023; however, From now on, you'll only see your historical data there, no new traffic data will be recorded in it going forward. You'll only see that data in Google Analytics 4.

Didn't have time to create an account? Google will create one for you

Creating a new Google Analytics 4 account is actually quite simple; all you have to do is go to Universal Analytics and the „GA4 Property Setup Assistant“ feature“.

If you haven’t had time to create and configure your GA4 account by July 1, 2023, don’t worry. Google will automatically create one for you, copying the settings from Universal Analytics. However, since GA4 introduces some new features and options, It may not be configured correctly right away. Therefore, be sure to check that the individual settings are configured according to your requirements.

Our Advice: If you're not very familiar with Google Analytics, have professionals set it up and optimize it for you. We'd be happy to help you with this—just contact us.

What's New in Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 uses a new data model. While Universal Analytics was based on page views and sessions, Events and parameters form the foundation of GA4. It works quite simply: every single user interaction on your site is recorded as an event, in which You can evaluate many valuable parameters.

Thanks to this new data model, Google Analytics 4 is able to provide a comprehensive overview of user behavior. Another major advantage is that you can track data from both your websites and apps in a single environment. This wasn't possible in Universal Analytics. This allows you to a better overview of key metrics and detailed analyses won't take up that much of your time.

And, of course, another major advantage of GA4 is also a more intuitive user interface, which even beginners will find easier to navigate.

Data Modeling Using Artificial Intelligence

Google Analytics is now also increasingly relying on artificial intelligence. GA4 introduces a very interesting feature called "blended data" – Modeling Missing User Data Using AI. In practice, this means that if a user on your site refuses to allow cookies, Google Analytics will estimate the missing data so that you don't lose out on a lot of important analytical information.

Fun Fact: Using artificial intelligence, GA4 can even predict future events. For example, what is the probability that your visitors will make a purchase, and what will your projected revenue be?.

More Advanced Activity Tracking

With Google Analytics 4, you can track a single user's activity across multiple devices more accurately. This allows you to New Google Signals Feature, which collects data about a specific person who is signed in to their Google Account.

Some metrics have been removed, while others have been added

Developers at Google determined that some of the metrics used in Universal Analytics are no longer very relevant today, so they did not include them in GA4. These include, in particular, bounce rate, conversion rate, or number of pages per session. On the contrary, new metrics have been added, such as sessions with interactions or interaction time.

Important Information: Some metrics in Google Analytics 4 work a little differently than in Universal Analytics. For example, GA4 evaluates sessions and conversions differently than UA. For this reason, you may see slight differences when comparing data from UA and GA4 for the same time period. A complete comparison of how metrics work in both versions of Google Analytics You can find it HERE.

What should you keep in mind when setting up Google Analytics 4?

Configuring data streams is essential for GA4 to function properly. A website isn't the only possible data source; an iOS or Android app, for example, can also serve as one. Google Analytics 4 has several predefined events, but these are often not sufficient. To analyze the behavior of your website visitors or app users as accurately as possible, it is advisable to create new events tailored to your needs.

New events can be created directly in GA4, but also the traditional way through Google Tag Manager. It is also important to properly configure conversion events and create your own publications to make your analyses easier.

When properly configured, Google Analytics 4 will help you analyze user and customer behavior with exceptional accuracy, allowing you to manage your advertising budget more effectively and Optimize websites or apps so they generate higher profits for you. Contact us, have your GA4 account customized to meet your needs and take your business to the NEXT LEVEL!