16 Aug Google Analytics 4: An Update for the Future of Your Business

The main platform in marketing for today’s consumer is online, and a major component in understanding the success of advertising toward a target audience is in analytic insights. In recent years, Universal Analytics has been commonly used to observe data from desktop web, independent sessions, and cookies. This measurement is rapidly becoming obsolete­–enter Google Analytics 4. Google Analytics 4 operates across platforms, doesn’t rely on cookies alone, and uses event-based data to deliver user-centric measurement.

Now… what the heck does all that mean?

To anyone but tech-focused folks, this sounds like a lot of cyber buzz words, so let’s simplify it. Let’s start with what this technology does: put simply, Google Analytics 4 is designed to support your business by tracking data in a secure, anonymous, and effective manner to understand your customer.

The goal is to get an understanding of how consumers think and operate so businesses like yours can adjust for an easier, more impactful experience. For example, analytics can track how users move through your website so you can have better insight on how to simplify that process. Easier navigation of a website means more time spent on the page, leading to more time browsing products, ultimately translating to more sales. From the behaviors monitored, Google Analytics 4 also generates predictive insights about users, creating new audiences likely to engage with your business as well.

Additionally, Google Analytics 4 uses algorithms to analyze your advertising. In turn, this will give insight on what times, platforms, messages, etc. are most impactful for your target audience. This will improve your advertising and your ROI. Google Analytics 4 has expanded integrations with other Google products, like Google Ads, to work across combined web and app data to optimize campaigns.

That all being said, tracking is a concern many people have today. However, Google Analytics 4 keeps compliance in mind with high-level privacy controls. Businesses can manage and minimize the collection of data while still preserving measurement capabilities.

As of July 1, 2023, all standard Universal Analytics properties will no longer process hits, and 360 Universal Analytics properties will do the same on October 1, 2023. After that, you’ll have at least 6 months to analyze previously collected data. But why wait? Many companies are already seeing major results from using Google Analytics 4 because it delivers a greater value from data, easily activates insights, improves ROI, measures engagement with privacy in mind, and helps understand consumers.

Now you might be thinking, “This all sounds great, but I have enough going on with my business operations…” That’s where we come in!

If you’d like assistance analyzing your online impact and your consumer base, deciphering how that translates into effective marketing strategies, developing creative content, and promoting your business, call Crystal directly at (248) 866-3257 or click here to get started.