is Google Analytics 4? What you should consider

Google will officially end Universal Analytics (UA), this Saturday July 1. If you still haven’t switched to Google Analytics 4(GA4), Google can do it for.

GA4 is an analytics platform that is powerful – but does it meet your needs, even though it’s free?

GA4 is fundamentally different than UA. You will need to learn a completely new way to track data and new user interfaces. Even if you have been using Google Analytics since years, GA4 will be a completely new system for you to learn.

This is the time to make sure that this new system of analytics 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. “I’m seeing this with many healthcare clients, where Google has stated blatantly that we are not HIPAA-compliant. 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 model has many advantages. It:

• You can track more user interactions.
• More detailed data on user behavior.
• It is less dependent on cookies and therefore more future-proof.

There are some disadvantages with GA4.

Controlling your data is a concern that goes beyond privacy concerns.

No support

Mostyn explained 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 free trial or plan? 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.

What should you consider? What you should consider first appeared on Search Engine Land.