Making the Switch: Everything You Need to Know About GA4

Google recently announced that it will replace Universal Analytics with Google Analytics 4 by July 1, 2023. GA360 Universal Analytics will be replaced by October 1, 2023.

The change comes in response to changes in Canadian privacy law and the shift to users expecting more protection and control of their data. But the change to Google Analytics 4 will affect both Canadian and American users equally.

Halmyre is here to help our clients and network better understand the shift and to prepare their organizations for a smooth transition.

What is GA4? 

Google Analytics 4 is designed with privacy at its core to provide a better experience for both GA4 customers and their end users. Below are some of the main differences between the old and new systems:

• Event-based: Universal Analytics is session-based, while GA4 is event-based. In other words, the ability to track events like button clicks, video plays, and more is built in with GA4, while these functions require advanced setup in Universal Analytics. This change comes from the premise that page views aren’t the sole important metric.
• Cross-device tracking:UA was built around desktop web traffic, while GA4 gives businesses visibility into the customer journeys across all of their website and apps.
• Machine learning: GA4 uses machine learning technology to share insights and make predictions.
• Privacy-friendly: UA data relies heavily on cookies; GA4 does not use cookies at all.

What does this mean for you?

Universal Analytics will be depreciated by July 1, 2023, and will stop processing data even earlier. This means you will no longer be able to access historical data on website performance on your current Google Analytics account.

Halmyre recommends that organizations set up GA4 now, before June 1, 2022. This will give you time to learn the new user interface and remap all your goals to the new platform, and it will give the platform time to collect at least a year’s worth of data before the switch.

We are here to help! Contact us now for an estimate.

*Make sure to book before May 1, 2022 to have the project done in time for June 2022.

About Ursula Green

Halmyre Vice-President Ursula Green, CM is a chief experience officer and is deeply committed to working for our clients' clients. She is an expert in strategic customer-centric service design, analysis and ideation. Ursula is a member of the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) 2020--22 and is an active member of the CMA - Customer Experience Council. Previously, Ursula has worked for a wide range of brands from household names such as BMW, Mastercard, Home Depot and Canon to service-based organizations such as Women's College Hospital and Confederation College.