A guide to understanding and using GA4 for deeper customer insights and improved marketing strategies
Google Analytics has long been the go-to tool for businesses aiming to track their website performance. It provides invaluable insights into key metrics such as the number of visitors, traffic sources, page views, and bounce rate, helping website owners optimize their digital strategies.
As of July 1, 2024, Universal Analytics is no longer supported, marking a significant shift for users still relying on the old platform. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is now the standard, offering a more advanced, data-driven approach to tracking website performance.
Many businesses have hesitated to transition to GA4 or found its new interface challenging to navigate. However, with Universal Analytics officially retired, upgrading to GA4 is essential for continuing to monitor and analyse your website’s performance effectively.
In this blog, we’ll explore what GA4 is, how it works, and how you can leverage its features to benefit your business.
What is GA4?
GA4 is the latest version of Google Analytics, which offers a more advanced and insightful way to track user behaviour on your website. It is designed to help businesses gain a deeper understanding of their customers’ behaviour across different devices and platforms and offers more advanced tracking capabilities compared to Universal Analytics.
One of the biggest changes with GA4 is the shift towards an event-based model. Instead of just tracking page views and sessions, GA4 allows you to track specific actions that users take on your website, such as button clicks, form submissions and video plays. This gives you a more complete picture of how users are interacting with your website and allows you to track specific goals and actions that are important to your business.
How does GA4 work?
GA4 uses a new measurement model that is designed to be more flexible and privacy-focused. It allows you to collect data from different devices and platforms, such as mobile apps and web browsers, and combines the data to give you a more complete view of your customer’s journey.
Another key feature of GA4 is the ability to set up custom dimensions and metrics, which allow you to track specific data points that are unique to your business. For example, you could track the number of times a specific product is added to a user’s cart, or the number of times a specific page is viewed.
How can I make GA4 work for my business?
As a business owner, GA4 can provide you with a wealth of data and insights to help you make informed decisions about your website and marketing strategy. Here are a few tips on how you can fully utilise the new GA4 update:
1. Set up event tracking
One of the key features of GA4 is the ability to track specific actions that users take on your website. By setting up event tracking, you can track important actions that are relevant to your business e.g. button clicks or form submissions. This can help you understand how users are interacting with your website and identify areas for improvement.
2. Use the new reporting features
GA4 offers a range of new reporting features, including an updated user interface (you’ll get used to it, we promise!) and reports that are designed to give you more detailed insights into your customer’s journey. Be sure to explore these new features and use them to gain a deeper understanding of your customer’s behaviour.
3. Monitor cross-device tracking
With GA4, you can track user behaviour across different devices, which can provide valuable insights into how users are interacting with your brand. Be sure to monitor cross-device tracking and use the data to optimise your website and marketing strategy.
4. Learn from your data
Ultimately, the key to making GA4 work for your business is to learn from the data and use it to improve your website and marketing strategy. This means regularly reviewing your reports, analysing the data, and identifying areas for improvement.
For example, you may notice that users are dropping off at a specific point in the customer journey. By using the data from GA4, you can identify the issue and take steps to improve the user experience on your website.
It’s also important to keep in mind that GA4 is a powerful tool, but it can be overwhelming at first. If you’re new to GA4, it’s a good idea to start with the basics and gradually work your way up to more advanced features.
If you need support with using GA4, that’s where us Bright Sprouts come in! We can help you to use this new and exciting platform to improve your website and optimise your marketing.
Want to learn more? Fill out our contact form.
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