Google sunsets Universal Analytics for GA4

Google has announced that they are sunsetting their Universal Analytics (UA) platform, transitioning to an overhauled Google Analytics 4 (GA4). This move comes as a response to the changing landscape of data privacy and tracking needs.

What has Google announced?

Google will be sunsetting UA in July 2023. For standard customers, this will take effect from the 1st of July 2023, whilst Google Analytics 360 customers will be granted an additional three months, to 1st October 2023. Google has also announced plans to migrate all current UA tracking codes to the GA4 platform by the end of 2022.

What does this mean for marketers?

This news will come as a blow to many businesses who have come to rely on UA for their analytics needs. However, it is important to remember that UA has been succeeded by GA4, which offers many of the same features as UA, and several new ones. For businesses that rely on accurate data tracking, this transition will be crucial in ensuring that they continue to have access to the insights they need.

First, it is important to understand the differences between the two platforms and how they will affect your data collection and analysis. Next, you need to develop a plan for migrating your data and setting up new GA4 properties. Finally, you need to train your team on the new platform and create a process for monitoring and troubleshooting any issues that may arise. By taking these steps, you can ensure a smooth transition and avoid any disruptions to your business.

Google Analytics 4 is the new standard

GA4 promises to be a major upgrade from the previous versions. GA4 is designed to meet several key business objectives, such as driving sales or app installs, generating leads, and connecting online and offline customer engagement. The new version also includes several features that make it easier to use and interpret data, such as new reports and data visualizations. Here are several of the benefits offered by GA4:

• Insights across touchpoints: Get a complete view of the customer lifecycle with a measurement model that isn’t fragmented by platform or organized into independent sessions.
• Data-driven attribution: Assigns attribution credit to more than just the last click, helping you understand how different marketing activities collectively influence conversions.
• More valuable data: Machine learning generates predictive insights about user behaviour and conversions, creates new audiences of users likely to purchase or churn, and automatically surfaces critical insights.
• More actionable data: Expanded integrations with other Google products, like Google Ads, work across GA4’s combined web and app data, making it easy to use Analytics insights to optimise ad campaigns.
• Built for enterprise: New sub and roll-up properties in Analytics 360 allow you to customise the structure of your Google Analytics 4 properties to meet data governance needs.

How we can help

Are you ready to add GA4 to your site, but don’t have the internal resources or bandwidth to get it set-up? At Full Of Pixels, we understand the importance of accurate year-over-year data when making key business decisions and building advertising campaign strategies. 

That’s why we’re excited to offer our GA4 setup service to help get your site up and running with this powerful tool. Our team has the experience and knowledge necessary to get GA4 up and running on your site quickly and efficiently. We’ll also provide ongoing support and advice to help you get the most out of your data. With our help, you’ll be able to make better-informed decisions about your marketing campaigns and track your progress over time.