You're probably very familiar with Universal Analytics (UA), the trusty old web analytics tool that we've all relied on and used for years. It seems incredible to believe that UA has been around since October 2012.

Ecommerce business owners and digital marketers around the world are very fond of this much loved analytics tool. Approximately 28 million businesses use Universal Analytics and this represents about 55% of all websites on earth.

Unfortunately, the sun is setting on UA. But guess what? There's a new sheriff in town. Google Analytics 4, or GA4 as it’s better known is the new and improved version, and you better pay attention because it's time to make the switch!

In this article I’ll break down some key differences between the old UA and the new GA4, and why upgrading is an absolute no-brainer for your business.

So, what's the big deal with GA4 anyway? Well, let’s get stuck in. UA tracks user interactions with the help of cookies, it gives you insights about many things including user behaviour, traffic sources, demographics, ecommerce transactions, etc. But GA4 takes this to a whole new level by focusing on customer journeys across multiple devices and platforms instead of just tracking sessions.

Privacy

The core reason you need to upgrade to GA4 is privacy. We all know that privacy is a hot topic these days, with strict regulations like GDPR in Europe shaking things up in recent years.

Unfortunately, because UA relies heavily on cookies, this isn't the best approach in our forward-thinking privacy-conscious world that we’re moving into. GA4 tackles this issue head-on with its event-based model, reducing cookie dependence and taking a privacy-centric approach to reporting and analytics.

Event based modeling

GA4 is all about events, these events are triggered when users take specific actions on your website, things like button clicks, video views, downloads, page scroll or when people view different pages.

This event-driven approach gives you much more flexibility in understanding how users engage with your website. It's like having an x-ray of every user interaction. Although you might not be able to tell exactly why someone made a specific action, you can make inferences and gain key insights which could be crucial to improving user experience and even conversion rates on your site.

Cross platform and device tracking

But that’s not all, GA4 is exceptionally good at tracking users across different platforms and devices. Think about it, how many devices do you own? People jump from their mobile phones to their laptops to their tablets like there’s no tomorrow.

UA really struggled to keep up and often left you with fragmented data. GA4 solves this problem by seamlessly integrating data from websites, mobile apps, and other digital platforms. Now you can finally get a complete picture of the customer journey, no matter where they go.

User experience

Not only is GA4 more powerful, but it's also user-friendly. The interface had a major makeover, making it much easier for e-commerce business owners, digital marketers and analysts to really dig their teeth into the data.

You can create custom reports and visualise your data in a way that makes sense to you, and gain deeper insights into what makes your audience tick. It's like having a data cockpit at your fingertips!

AI

GA4 taps into Google's advanced machine learning technology to provide predictive insights. You can anticipate user behaviour, make smarter marketing and business decisions and optimise for conversions.

Why do you need to upgrade to GA4?

Simply put, UA will stop collecting data from 1st July 2023. That’s right, and you won’t be able to import historical data from UA into GA4. That’s because GA4 is not an upgrade to UA. It’s been completely rebuilt from the ground up. It uses a totally different model. Google has added a number of new features to GA4 already and will continue to add more moving forward.

There is some good news, Google recently announced that they will extend access to UA data until the 1st July 2024. So, it will still be possible to see your data or export it to a Google sheet or something like Big Query where you can manipulate it to your heart's content.

Upgrading to GA4 is your ticket to navigating the ever-changing world of user privacy regulations. With browsers tightening their grip on privacy and cookies getting a bad rap, GA4's event-based model ensures that you stay compliant and maintain that all-important trust with your users.

Of the 28 million businesses that currently use UA, only around 6-8 million have migrated to GA4 - and that is a big mistake.

Some e-commerce business owners have left it very late and are now scrambling around to make the change before the deadline.

So, there you have it, the difference between UA and GA4 is like night and day. GA4 brings you advanced tracking, better privacy, cross-platform magic, user-friendly reporting, and the power of machine learning. Upgrading to GA4 is a smart move that future-proofs your analytics game and helps you make better data-driven decisions that drive real results.

Goodnight UA, you will be missed.

Don’t mourn for too long. The clock is ticking, if you haven’t done so already, you need to jump on the GA4 bandwagon before that ship has well and truly sailed.

If you own an e-commerce brand and need help with your Google marketing strategy, book a call with Joe, Dom, or Freddie today to learn more about how we can help you Soar!

Words by John O'Hara - Google Account Manager at Soar With Us