Every business owner has the same goal – to understand their customers better so they can offer them the services and products they’ll pay top dollar for. Google Analytics is one data-driven method to help you better understand the people who visit your website. And best of all, it’s totally free.
If you have a website, you probably already have an earlier version of Google Analytics embedded into your website. Unfortunately, as of July 1, 2023 this version (called UA or GA3) will no longer collect data about your customers.
You need to upgrade to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) if you want to keep learning:
- The keywords website visitors use to find your site
- What devices they’re viewing your site on
- If they come to your site through a paid ad, social media, organic traffic, email newsletter, another website, or some other way
- What pages they click on
- What pages make them leave
But Do I Really, Really Need to Migrate to GA4?
Yes. We understand that you have a lot of other responsibilities you would rather spend your time on, but your business will suffer without the vital information that GA4 can provide.
Google isn’t updating its Analytics platform just for fun. They’re doing it to make sure they, and you, are aligned with new privacy laws and policies. According to Google, GA4 includes many improvements over the earlier version. What won’t change is that it will continue to collect website and app data so you can understand how your customers interact with your website.
But here’s what the new version will do that’s new or improved:
- Help you understand the website patterns of customers who opt out of cookies and data collection
- Focus on events rather than sessions
- Provide predictions about what customers might do in the future, including potential purchasing, signing up for newsletters, or taking other actions
What Do Events Mean in GA4?
If you’ve been reading your current analytics reports, you’re probably familiar with the concept of “sessions.” A session includes everything a particular user did when they visited your website, including how much time they spent on the site, what they clicked on, and what page made them leave the site.
However, GA4 will no longer track sessions. And while that might scare you at first, it’s actually a good thing. Instead of just telling you what pages users visit, GA4 will allow website owners to know exactly what a user clicks on within a webpage. It’s a more laser-focused way to learn what specific parts of a web page are triggering action or frustrating users.
GA4 classifies these actions as “events.” They may include:
- Clicking on a button within a webpage
- Signing up for more information
- Putting an item in a shopping cart but abandoning it before checkout
- Making a purchase
- Clicking on your social media icons
Google will automatically collect certain events for you when you migrate to GA4. Automatic events include:
- Completing forms
- When a user opens an app after a notification
- When a user scrolls through 90% of a webpage (that means you’ve done something right to keep them interested)
- How much of a video a user watches
Once you migrate to GA4, you can also set up custom events. Custom events may answer long-burning questions you’ve had about your customers.
SEO Design Chicago Can Help You Migrate to GA4
At SEO Design Chicago, we can help you migrate to GA4, set up custom events and goals, and analyze your analytics reports. Then, once you understand what your customers like and don’t like about your digital platforms, we can help you decide what to do with that information.
We have a team of experienced specialists who can tackle any issue, from creating high-quality content and redesigning your website (or just parts of it) to improving the checkout experience. Whatever you decide to do with your website, you should absolutely migrate to GA4. You’ll be glad you did when you see the new and improved insights you will be able to gain from it.
Contact Us Today!