Google announced that starting on July 1, of next year, Universal Analytics properties won’t process new hits on the Google Analytics platform. UA reports will still be available for viewing for a period of time after July 1, but all new data will flow into the new Google Analytics 4 properties.
Don’t wait until the deadline and make the switch to GA4 now. Making decisions based on your data will be easier if you have 12 months to compare. In addition, Google Analytics 4 has many more features to help you drive your business forward with data, including:
Mobile application support
Of course, the main departure from UA comes in the additional support of mobile applications that GA4 provides. This allows you to use GA4 properties for both an app and/or a website. It’s convenient and helpful to use the app support from GA4 with the increase in mobile app users. New data streams come from platforms like IOS and Android when you switch to GA4 with the mobile app support feature.
Event-based hit types
One of the biggest changes from UA to GA4 comes in the form of hit types. Now, GA4 has event-based hit types and the idea is that all interactions on a website or app will categorize as an event. Meaning, events no longer have a category, action or label.
This change also affects active user calculations. GA4 considers a user active when they launch the app or website in GA4. However, a user must initiate an event for UA to consider them active. Active user counts will go up following this change.
Parameters & user properties
Google Analytics 4 allows you to send additional pieces of information with each new event. These new parameters allow you to get more information regarding actions a user took and can provide further insight into a specific event. In addition, defined, custom parameters send with each hit, like the value of a purchase or if they used a coupon.
Additionally, GA4 logs user properties that can help identify segments of your user base. This means you get more information about the users that interact with your app or website. This could include their preferred language, geographic location, or any other custom information that would be useful to your needs.
Benefits of making the switch to GA4
Switching from UA to GA4 allows you to collect more meaningful data. The enhanced parameters customization focuses on your specific needs. The data itself becomes more usable and easier to describe with the allowed creation of custom parameters that can give you more freedom when it comes to putting your data to use.
The world is shifting towards mobile applications and websites working together, so functionality is more important than ever. Make your business more accessible and easier to use by switching to Google Analytics 4.
