Why Do You Need to Migrate Universal Analytics to GA4?

We all know the importance of analytics in the modern world. The data that is extracted from analytics is called the new oil for modern business. Hence understanding the importance of data and analytics, Google has come up with a significant update in Google analytics 4 tool.

Universal Analytics, the current Google analytic tool, will no longer be available from 1st July 2023. Google has set an end date for Universal Analytics (UA) and has come up with a new version of data recording and analysis: Google Analytics 4(GA4). 

According to Google, GA4 will bring evolution in measurement standards and uncover innovative aspects in analysis. Hence, Let’s compare google analytics 4 vs universal analytics, and understand why you need to migrate universal analytics to GA4. 

Let’s Dive in!

What is Google Analytics 4? 

Introduced in October 2020, Google Analytics, aka GA4, is the latest version of the Google Analytics platform. The innovative Google Analytics is designed and developed to provide advanced analytic capabilities using AI and ML technologies.  

The all-new Google Analytics 4 can handle user tracking challenges across various devices and platforms. Moreover, embedded with advanced technologies, Google Analytics 4 delivers users a more intuitive, insightful, and user-friendly experience.

The next-generation Google Analytics 4 enables a deeper understanding of the customer journey from ad campaign to conversion. Additionally, the insight, reports, and data in GA4 provide more visibility than the previous version of UA. 

Comparing Google Analytics 4 VS Universal Analytics 

Migrating to Google Analytics 4 is advantageous and productive for digital marketing teams and companies. The modern features offered by Google Analytics 4 are comparably advanced and more innovative than UA, which elevates your data insight capabilities. 

Hence, let’s explore more about Google Analytics 4 by comparing Universal analytics.  

What are the Features that Remain the Same? 

After the introduction of GA4, users might learn about the significance of the latest version. And the users who have already used GA4 might have experienced no change in reporting and data features. 

Users might think that GA4 has more reporting features; however, the same features exist in UA, which are just hidden in different tabs. Everything the users measure in UA can measure in GA4. Moreover, users can run the same reports in GA4 which they can run in UA.  

The second thing in common between GA4 and UA is pricing. There is no change in pricing from Google on the update of the Google Analytics tool. As UA is available for free, GA4 is also a free tool for users.  

Lastly, the interface is alike. There might be slight changes in features and icon places, but the design has mostly stayed the same. Users that are friendly with UA accounts can use GA4 relatively easily. 

 What are the changes in features of GA4 VS Universal Analytics? 

GA4’s introduction has made marketing teamwork seamless, unified, and more transparent than before. There are many features of GA4 that UA needs to have rafts. Hence, let’s take a look at a few of them. 

Mobile app and Website Tracking – Migrating to google analytic 4 will be the best thing for users as new features can seamlessly unify the data of mobile apps and website tracking on one platform.  

Nonetheless, the mobile tracking data was also available on UA tools, but users must create a separate property. However, with GA4, users can track everything on one platform resulting in more visibility and a comprehensive picture of customer navigation.  

Enhanced Privacy Policies – Google has gone to great lengths to make Google Analytics 4 as efficient and privacy-centric as possible. Users can collect user data without third-party cookies or IP addresses. 

Moreover, to comply with changing data protection laws, GA4 includes privacy-focused features. It offers features including the option to specify data retention periods, deletion upon user request, and centralized consent management. These privacy features are meant to help organizations adhere to privacy regulations while giving users more control over their data.

Machine Learning Data-Driven Insights – One aspect users are particularly excited about in GA4 is ML-driven insights. The embedding of Machine Learning across GA4 tools can aid users and companies in predicting what action a customer might take in the future. 

The three main predictive metrics the user can track in GA4 are as follows: 

• Uncover Purchase Trends
• Churn Probability
• Predictive Revenue Analysis 

The all-new GA4 will help market researchers with the probability of chance of customers purchasing within seven days. While churn probability will assist companies and researchers with the likelihood that customers might not be active for at least next week. And predictive revenue analytics, as the name suggests, will help estimate the amount a user will generate in the next 28 days.  

Moreover, many other features of GA4 include a customized dashboard, intuitive search bar, integration with other Google products, and more than differentiate GA4 from UA. 

Conclusion – 

Users of UA may feel few features of GA4 are daunting, though it shows the significance of new features and their power and robustness. Regardless, Google Analytics 4 migration is complex and complicated, but a migration tool can help users migrate the data automatically from UA to GA4. 

We, Webteasor Technologies, have already migrated to Google Analytics 4 setup. However, the article has gone through the extraordinary learning of GA4 and a comparison of Universal Analytics vs Google Analytics 4. Have you?