created by Emma Pawling /
Marketing Delivery Manager
As the existing platform will be discontinued, it is crucial that every website implements GA4 by June 30th 2023, to ensure uninterrupted data tracking.
As you may be aware, Google Analytics is transitioning from Universal Analytics (UA) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) effective 1st July 2023.
GA4 is the latest version of Google Analytics and boasts several advanced features, including comprehensive user behaviour analysis across devices, better integration with Google Ads, and enhanced data privacy controls.
What the switch to GA4 means for you and your business
If your website is still using the old Google Analytics UA tracking code after 30th June 2023, you will no longer be able to track data on your website. This means that you will lose insight into a lot of your website’s key metrics and user behaviour, such as most viewed pages, bounce rate and page value.
That's why we strongly recommend that you upgrade to the new Google Analytics 4 (GA4) tracking code as soon as possible.
Why do I need to switch to GA4?
Simply put, if you wish to continue tracking your website’s performance past 30th June 2023, you will need GA4. However, GA4 also offers several benefits that elevate it above its precursor:
Improved user behaviour tracking
GA4 offers a more comprehensive view of user behaviour across multiple devices, making it easier to understand how users interact with your website and which actions lead to conversions.
Better integration with Google Ads
GA4 integrates more seamlessly with Google Ads, allowing you to track and analyse the entire customer journey, from ad click to conversion.
Enhanced data privacy controls
GA4 offers better data privacy controls, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR.
More advanced event tracking
Unlike UA, GA4 automatically collects valuable data for certain actions and events on your website, for example, outbound link clicks, file downloads, page scrolling and more. This means less setup for you using Google Tag Manager.
It's important to note that UA will no longer receive updates or new features from Google, and over time it will become increasingly outdated. This means that you may miss out on new insights and features that GA4 offers.
Do I need to worry about my current data set?
Rest assured that your current data set in Universal Analytics (UA) will remain intact and unaffected. You will still have access to your historical data in UA and can use it for analysis and reporting purposes. However, please note that UA will no longer track new data starting from 1st July 2023.
When do I need to get GA4?
If you want uninterrupted access to website tracking data, you will need GA4 set up by 1st July 2023. However, GA4 tracks sessions differently to UA, which means having some historical data ahead of the switch will help you better contextualise your website’s performance.
To ensure that you continue to get the most out of your website analytics, we therefore recommend that you upgrade to GA4 as soon as possible.
How do I get GA4?
We understand that the thought of upgrading to GA4 and having to read endless articles about implementing new tags and triggers can seem overwhelming.
Our team can seamlessly integrate the new GA4 platform with your website, ensuring that you can continue to monitor your website's performance without interruption. We’ll make sure all your existing event and ecommerce tracking is successfully transferred, so you don’t miss a single piece of data that is valuable to your business.
So, don't hesitate to reach out to us and make the switch to GA4 today! Call us on 01202 684400 to discuss your requirements.
