google analytics Archives - Big Bold Thinkers

Understanding the past is the only way you can shape the future. This is true even in technology where knowing and using your past data informs your future decisions. Such is the case with Google Analytics 4, the new version of Google Analytics that was released in October 2020.

There are things you’ll need to know about the new version in order to get the most out of it. In this article, we’ll go over the basics of this Next-Gen Analytics and how it’s different from its previous versions.

Keep reading to learn more about the new standard for data analysis.

What Is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is a free web analytics tool provided by Google that monitors and reports website traffic. It’s the most popular web analytics service on the internet.

Google Analytics 4 is the latest version of Google Analytics. It is a complete rewrite of the previous versions and does away with your old universal analytics property.

What’s New in Google Analytics 4

The main difference between Google Analytics 4 and the previous versions is that GA4 is an event-based data model while the older versions were property and hit-centric.

This means that in GA4, data is collected as events. This gives you a more complete picture of your data and how users interact with your website.

Another difference is that GA4 uses a machine learning model to generate insights and predictions. This is in contrast to the older versions which used rules-based models.

The machine learning model is more accurate and allows for more customization. You can also use it to create custom reports and dashboards.

Lastly, GA4 includes a new suite of measurement tools that weren’t available in the previous versions. This includes things like conversion tracking, funnel analysis, and cross-device tracking.

Conversion Tracking

Conversion tracking allows you to see how users interact with your website and convert into customers. You can track conversions at the page level, product level, and even at the keyword level.

This makes it easier to see which pages are converting well and which ones need improvement. You can also see which products are selling well and which ones need more exposure.

Funnel Analysis

Funnel analysis allows you to see how users interact with your website and where they drop off. This can be helpful for identifying areas of your website that need improvement.

Therefore you would want to start by looking at the pages with the highest drop-off rate. From there, you can try to improve the design or content on those pages to increase conversion rates.

Cross-Device Tracking

Cross-device tracking allows you to see how users interact with your website across different devices. This includes things like desktop, mobile, and tablet.

If one device has a high drop-off rate, you can try to improve the user experience on that device. For example, if mobile has a high drop-off rate, you can try to improve the mobile design or make it easier to navigate.

What Type of Data Does GA4 Collect?

GA4 collects the same type of data as the older versions. This includes things like page views, unique visitors, session duration, bounce rate, and conversion rate.

However, GA4 also collects a few new types of data. One is user-engagement data which tells you how users interact with your website. Another is event-level data which gives you more information about specific events that happen on your website.

Lastly, GA4 collects property-level data. This is data that’s specific to your website or app. It includes things like page load time and site speed.

What Are Some Events in Google Analytics 4?

Events in GA4 mean anything that happens on your website or app. This can be anything from a pageview to a click on a button. There are three main types of events in GA4:

Engagement Events

These are events that tell you how users interact with your website. They include things like page views, unique visitors, and session duration.

Conversion Events

These are events that tell you how users convert on your website. They include things like a purchase made, signup completed, and lead generated.

Custom Events

These are events that you create yourself. They can be anything you want. For example, you could create a custom event for when a user views a product page or add to cart.

Why Upgrade to Google Analytics 4?

There are several reasons why you should upgrade to Google Analytics 4 ASAP.

The main one is there will be no overlap in data collection. You will not be able to import data from the older versions into GA4. This means that to start collecting an archive of data, you will want to upgrade right away so you have a bank of info before the old version becomes obsolete in 2023.

Secondly, you will want to run both versions side by side during the transition period. This will allow you to compare data and see which version is more accurate.

You may find that some features are not yet available in GA4. This is normal and to be expected with a new release. Google is constantly working on adding new features and improving the existing ones.

Overall, Google Analytics 4 is a more accurate and complete picture of your website data. It’s the new standard for data analysis and should be used by all website owners.

How to Upgrade to Google Analytics 4

If you’re using an older version of Google Analytics, you can upgrade to GA4 in two ways.

The first way is to create a new property in your Google Analytics account. This will allow you to run both versions side by side and compare data.

The second way is to start from scratch with GA4. To do this, you will need to create a new Google Analytics account and add your website to it.

Once you’ve done this, you can start using all the new features GA4 has to offer.

Need Help Converting To and Understanding GA4?

Google Analytics 4 is an invaluable tool for all website owners. If you’re not using it to the fullest of its potential, you’re missing out.

Connect with us at Big Bold Thinkers for help with all things Google Analytics 4. We can help you convert to GA4, understand the new features, and make the most of this powerful tool. Send us an email today and let’s get your project started!

Why is using Google Analytics important?

Let’s say you have set up an exhibition. You have a place established and people have started visiting. Some are leaving early while some are staying back longer. Some have shown interest in the displays while some are just merely looking. Some came to know about you through colleagues while others saw the banners outside.

Now, if you had the data of the people visiting you – why some left early and why some didn’t show any interest, then you can easily figure out your areas of improvement and work towards setting up an exhibition that has people talking about it for days.

Similarly, if you can figure out ways to improve your website to earn more profits, wouldn’t that be sweet? Enter Google Analytics – a tool that lets you find out what is working well, and more importantly, what isn’t!

Google Analytics is not important if you don’t like improvement or growth.

What are the benefits of using Google Analytics?

Data

Data drives the world and Data is only useful if you can make sense of it. Google analytics presents the data in various forms: lists, charts, graphs, pie charts, spreadsheets, and more—allowing you to see how your website is performing.

Reporting

The platform not only gives you data but also lets you draw conclusions from it. By comparing metrics within the data, you can gather further insights and identify causes and correlations—another reason why Google Analytics can benefit your business.

Real-time observation

Whatever data you’ll see in Google analytics is ongoing and in real-time. This means that you can create reports, compare metrics, and check performance on whatever basis you want—hourly, daily, monthly, yearly. You can also take note of peak times for your target audiences, such as whether certain pages, SEM campaigns, or blog posts gather more interest at certain points of the week, month, or year.

It’s free

Google won’t charge you anything for using their platform. You don’t need to purchase, subscribe, or provide credit card information. All you need is a Gmail account and the ability to install a tracking code on your website, and you’re ready to go.

What are your best tips for getting the most out of Google analytics?

Monitor bounce rate to increase your conversion rate.
Identify slow-loading pages to enhance user experience.
Use the internal site search to optimize your customers’ experience.
Analyze your users’ behaviour to better meet their needs.
Measure overall organic traffic to better understand your users
Use reports of landing pages to directly improve conversions.
Analyze different traffic sources to cover more ground.
Define several conversion goals to get the complete picture of your user’s behaviour.
Analyze social media performance to enhance conversion.
Measure the quality of SEO traffic to further optimize your SEO strategy.

What should small business owners know about Google analytics to be successful?

Leads, conversions and profits – that’s what every business owner, big or small is looking for! If used properly, Google Analytics can actively increase your conversion rates. There are direct and indirect benefits of using Google Analytics. And when you know exactly where and what to look at, you might be surprised by the insights you’ll get.

Using custom segments

Google Analytics has a feature called segments that make it easy to see how different groups of visitors interact with your website. Right out of the box, you can instantly check on several different default segments including mobile traffic, direct traffic, bounced sessions, converters and new users.

Setting up annotations

Google Analytics throws a lot of data at you, and it’s easy to forget about important findings. Annotations are essentially digital post-it notes that let you mark important notes on various traffic reports. You can mark the sudden surge in social media traffic, momentary dip in organic traffic etc. and come back to it whenever you want.

Comparing historical traffic

Google analytics lets you compare traffic from different periods of time. By regularly comparing your traffic, you can know where your business stands at that particular time and accordingly direct your team about the next step.

Apart from the aforementioned technical bit, you should know how to interpret the findings from Google analytics – only then can you turn failures into opportunities.

Tag: google analytics

Google Analytics 4: Get to Know the New Standard for Data Analysis