GA4 stands for Google Analytics 4. The latest version of google analytics.
GA4 was launched in October 2020 and will become a default program on July 1, 2023.
After July 1 the existing data will last only 6 months and then it will be gone. Switching to GA4 will be the only way and existing analytics.
What is GA4?
Google Analytics 4 is an analytics service that allows you to calculate traffic and engagement on all parts of your apps and websites.
The best practice GA4 has to offer is that it collects data from your websites to create reports that are helpful in providing insights into your business.
Currently, most of the merchants are in touch with UA (Universal Analytics) the previous version of GA4. If you are thinking about switching to GA4 the first thing is to know the key advantages GA4 will have as compared to the UA.
What is UA?
UA stands for Universal Analytics. Universal Analytics is a version of google analytics that was in practice use before GA4 came into the picture. GA4 replaces Universal Analytics (UA) as the default for digital analytics measurement in GA.
What’s Changing In GA4?
- GA4 will be blank and there will be no previous activities so a backup of data will be the only option.
- GA4 will have a combination of Web & Mobile Data.
- Third-party cookies are going away, there will be only first-party cookies.
What are the benefits of GA4?
- The privacy control options are much better in GA4.
- The roll-up reporting is much more precise as compared to the UA.
- BigQuery free connection is provided by GA4.
- Predictive Analytics Capabilities are provided in GA4.
- Complex Conversions can be created in GA4.
- Exploration Report Templates are provided by GA4.
- The Event Tracking setup has become easier with GA4.
- The measurement model is at a higher level as compared to the UA.
- The Cross-Device Insights are more accurate as compared to UA.
- Certain types of events can be tracked automatically with GA4.
Who should switch to GA4 from UA?
If you are a new site owner then it does not make any sense to set up UA as it will be gone in a few days. Your new account will be set up to Google Analytics 4 by default.
If you are an existing site owner then you have time to dive into GA4 so start with backing up your data and try understanding GA4 in detail with that focus on third-party tools before switching to GA4.
It's not necessary that you switch right now but the sooner you switch to GA4, the sooner you'll have data populating in the GA4 property.
Hope you found the above helpful.