Google Analytics 4 training Chris N. West

Google Analytics 4 training

Is it Worth Switching to Google Analytics 4?

Did you know that you only have until July 1, 2023, to switch to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) before Universal Analytics (UA) and GA360 officially retire? Yes, you’ve heard it right!  GA4 is a new Google product that enables the collection of Web and App data independently or as a single continuous property. It aims to develop a single, integrated program to understand better how customers move through the buying process. Simply put, you can analyze the traffic to your website or application, research the traffic sources and conversion rates of your web pages, and track the entire visitor journey ALL from your Google account. If you use Google Analytics but haven’t upgraded yet, you must understand what Analytics 4 delivers and how it differs from Universal Analytics. Before UA stops working, you’ll have plenty of time to familiarize yourself with the service.  But of course, it’s completely understandable that this sudden change might overwhelm you and other marketers. That’s why I’m here to help! If you’re looking for a GA4 consultant or a Google Analytics 4 training you can trust, you can reach out to me or read through this article and get the help you need.  With the right transition knowledge and strategy, just imagine the new and incredible opportunities waiting for your business or organization.   

How does Google Analytics 4 Work?

The new Google Analytics provides a privacy-focused approach and a machine learning-based strategy for presenting cross-platform insights and reports.  GAFA giant, on its new platform, described GA4 as an improved tool that uses machine learning as its foundation to source helpful information from your website automatically. It will provide a complete and deep understanding of your customer’s behavior across devices and platforms. Right away, you’ll also see a lot of changes to the way it looks and how the navigation functions. The tool’s fundamental goal is to change presenting data so that users—particularly the user journey from initial visit to ultimate conversion—will be the focus. You can rely on GA4 even if the market changes, like limitations on cookies and identifiers, lead to gaps in your data because it is privacy-centric by design.  

8 Main Benefits of Google Analytics 4

Now that you have a basic knowledge of what GA4 is, it’s time to understand what sets this apart from the Universal Analytics we’ve been using for a long time now.   The following are the top 8 benefits your business can get from switching to Google Analytics 4: 
  • 1- More Customizable User Interface

The more customizable tool’s interface is one of Google Analytics 4’s most exciting features. This was an issue in the past, but Google has identified and addressed it.   You can now alter the time range of your data reports. This also means you won’t have to spend a lot of time playing with the tool’s UI to obtain the necessary information quickly.
  • 2- Better Real-Time Reporting

In comparison to Universal Analytics, Google Analytics 4 offers improved real-time reporting. To learn more about what users are doing on your website (or in your app), you may drill down in real-time reporting and even see what specific users are doing.    Utilizing the new DebugView, which displays a stream of test events you provide to Google Analytics, you can also test your implementation in real time.
  • 3- Respect for the Privacy of Users

One of the most important reasons GAFA create GA4 is to adhere to Internet users’ privacy rules. Because of poor performance in this area, Universal Analytics has received harsh criticism up to this point. Thus, GA4 will now enable you to…Anonymize your IP address and set up the data retention period. 
  • 4- Improved Tracking of Customers’ Journey

Using a single set of dimensions and metrics, more intelligent integration is possible with GA4 with both online and app data examined. You’ll have the resources to better track and stitch together user experiences across different platforms. 
  • 5- More Powerful Audiences for Marketing Campaigns

With the addition of new, more powerful measurements in GA4 and more powerful analyst tools and integrations, marketing campaigns will be able to reach more powerful audiences, improving your return on investment.
  • 6- Machine Learning for A More Predictive System

As a result of artificial intelligence based on machine learning, Google Analytics 4 integrates a new prediction system of user behavior. You can now set up automatic alerts that will notify you once a new, interesting trend is perfect for your strategy. 
  • 7- No More COOKIES

Google Analytics 4 will crunch historical data and track your customer’s journey using conversion modeling and Machine Learning (ML). GA4 will continue to assist you in making data-driven decisions for your marketing initiatives, now without the use of third-party cookies.
  • 8- Maximum Integration with Google Advertising Platforms

The seamless integration of the tool with Google’s advertising tools is the last, but certainly not the least, promise of Google Analytics 4. The aim? To dramatically boost the ROI of your efforts by assisting you in better tracking their success.   The user properties, which describe the gender, city, interests, and status of the client, are one of the new features added to GA4 (new, old, recurrent…). You can use these features in your Google digital advertising campaigns as audiences or audience segments for the best targeting of your primary target.

Now, Is it Worth Switching to GA4?

With all that’s been mentioned above, one can undoubtedly say GA4 is something worth trying. Still, it’s crucial to allow yourself extra time to familiarize yourself with the changes before switching to the most recent version.  Since it is an entirely new analytics tool created from scratch, it may take some time to familiarize yourself with it and explore the new features and reports. That said, I can help. As a Google Analytics trainer, I help businesses and organizations make the most of these powerful marketing tools. If you’re looking for the best GA4 training or an affordable GA4 course in Houston, I got you covered.  Reach out today, and let’s explore Google Analytics 4 to its full potential!