to consider when deciding if GA4 is the right choice for you?

In just a few short days, Google will turn off the free version Universal Analytics (UA), which is currently used by over 28 million websites. Google will switch you over to Google Analytics 4 on July 1.

GA4 may be a powerful tool at a low price (at least the standard version is free), but it is not for everyone. It’s fundamentally different than UA, and you will need to learn a whole new system of tracking data. Even if you use GA4, it will require you to learn a whole new system. This is the ideal time to make sure that this new analytics software is right for you.

This is a guide for you to determine that.

Ga4 weak points

Sharon Mostyn is the CEO of Mostyn Marketing Group. She says that there are reasons to consider other options, depending upon your budget and on the type tracking you require. “The biggest issue I see with healthcare clients is Google’s blatant lack of HIPAA compliance. It’s good to look at alternatives.

GA4 is fundamentally different from Universal Analytics. It tracks events, not user sessions. Universal Analytics tracked user sessions in a similar way, but as a collection of hits.

GA4’s event-based tracking has many advantages. It allows you to track more user interactions. It provides more detailed information about the user’s behavior. Thirdly, it’s more future-proof as it relies less on cookies.

It’s not perfect. There are many other issues to consider, in addition to privacy. The first is to have control over your data.

No support

Mostyn says that there is a thresholding depending on whether Google Signals are enabled. If you want to see all your data, GA4 can be a little bit of a “black box.”

GA4 lacks dedicated support and onboarding. It is a huge amount of work to install and customize GA4 for large companies with complex data and websites.

All businesses should be aware that long-term storage of data now comes at a price. GA4 includes a free BigQuery connection, but there may be charges for processing and accessing your data.

Considerations

Consider these other factors when choosing a web analytics tool:

• Your business goals and objectives. How do you plan to use analytics? Are you looking to track certain metrics such as leads, sales or website traffic?
• Features & Functionalities Does the tool have features that you require, such as advanced analytics, event tracking, or integration with other tools?
• Learning curve. What is the learning curve? You need to spend hours in courses or tutorials.
• User-friendliness. How easy is the software to use? How easy is it to track metrics and generate reports?
• Cost. What is the price? Is there a trial or free version? Do you have to pay for maintenance or any other long-term fees?
• Future-proofing the platform Will it be able handle your changing business requirements?
• Support. Is support available? What is the fastest way to get assistance if there are problems?
• Data. How well does it handle large data volumes? How easy is it for you to export data?
• Integration stack. How easy is it to integrate with other marketing tools.

Consider these factors to help you choose the web analytics platform which best suits your needs and will assist you in achieving your business goals.

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