If you are in the marketing world, I’m sure by now you have heard of the new Google Analytics 4 update. This new property has already launched and on July 1, 2023, current Google Universal Analytics properties will no longer process data. The new GA4 property has many new features to help businesses track their data. This will be a mandatory upgrade as the current Universal Analytics program will be closing and replaced with GA4. 

This requirement may seem like a big change, but Google promises useful features and much-needed additions to data tracking. It’s important to note that if you don’t make this switch, you will not be able to continue tracking data with Google. It is best to explore the new features and begin preparing for the upgrade to better understand your traffic and data. 

What is Google Analytics 4

All businesses that track data with Google Analytics are aware of Universal Analytics – a program to track and store online business’ website traffic. GA4 is an upgraded version of this software that bridges the gap between website and app data. It also offers a few more special features that will be listed below. 

Google Analytics 4 Features

There are many exciting features in this upgrade, but there are a few that are special to mention. The overall wide range increase of data is extremely helpful and useful. 

1. All new AI-powered insights and predictions can highlight trends in traffic, such as increased interest in a specific product. It can also predict potential conversion rates, sales, and overall outcomes. Essentially, taking the guesswork out. This kind of information helps businesses plan their marketing efforts more efficiently by helping them promote the best products and reach the right audiences. 
   
   
2. More control over user data is a feature that can come in handy. GA is phasing out the old third-party cookies and focusing more on first-party data. This cookieless feature comes with granular data controls that are equipped to help keep users in line with important regulations and laws. User data removal requests will be easier to remove due to this and the new consent mode that helps obtain user approval for analytics and ads. 
   
   
3. You’ll be able to see the customer’s lifecycle in one place. You get a more comprehensive view of users’ engagement with your website through different channels and devices. From beginning to end, you can see which channels are driving traffic to your website and also the actions and conversions that take place. All of this data is collected and laid out in a way that teaches you the high-traffic areas bringing in more conversions to your site overall. 
   
   
4. Say goodbye to spammy interruptions in your marketing, deterring traffic and making it impossible to obtain accurate data. Spammers can no longer send fake data to GA accounts. This new feature utilizes a private key that is only allowed to send data to a GA4 property. This is not publicly accessible and is meant to stop spam in its tracks. 

Although there are MANY other features of this new program, these are a few of the top additions that we are excited to see! 

Do you HAVE to upgrade to Google Analytics 4?

Yes. As mentioned, this is a free program to collect vital data for your business. Technically you do not have to, but if you currently use Google Analytics, you will have no website data tracking for your business after July if you choose not to upgrade. 

We suggest making the switch as soon as you can. Get acquainted with the new system and explore the features for yourself! This is an exciting update with many different useful systems that will help improve your business overall. 

If you decide to get GA4 soon, this program will run alongside your current Universal Analytics program until it shuts down. This gives you the advantage of comparing and having more time to adjust to the new software of GA4. It will also allow companies to have past data to compare. So, if you start now, you will have a collection of previous months past data to reference.

Setting up Google Analytics 4 and applying it to your business can be easier than you think. You can reach out to us at BoBella, and we can help you switch or create a new account with this software if you don’t track data currently. We are a highly qualified and trained marketing agency that specializes in these kinds of systems. 

If you would like to begin your switch to Google Analytics 4, reach out to BoBella Brands today!