Getting Started with Google Analytics 4

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Eleanor Bennett, Digital Marketing Specialist at Logit.io

Do you prefer the old version of Google Analytics or the new version of Google Analytics, and why?

I much prefer using the older version of Google Analytics as there are preset reports in the places where I would expect them (the event report springs to mind).

When I recently assisted a new user in setting up their Analytics account, by default they were led to create an Analytics 4 profile with no opportunity to go back to the older version and previous tracking setup.

This meant that they were unable to access many of the reports readily available in the previous edition, and they had to install Google Tag Manager. For their website, Tag Manager would be seen as unnecessary as they were not planning on adding extensive third party code in the future. The addition of this added unnecessary code and led to slowing down of the site.

When installing Google Analytics, do you prefer using Google Tag Manager, installing the code directly or using a plugin?

I prefer to install the code directly onto my website. I’ve used a mix of sites from pre-built templates through to sites built from the ground up and being able to add the code myself saved on complexities and running into tracking issues down the line.

For example; I had previously tried to install Tag Manager on a Shopify hosted site and ran into numerous issues due to the fact that supporting installation documentation wasn’t up to date with the current version of Tag Manager.

In 2017, Shopify saw Tag Manager implementation as a premium feature and only allowed for installation of this for their “Plus” users.
By being able to bypass Tag Manager or other external tools I save myself from running into blockers such as these.

What tips and tricks can you recommend in the new Google Analytics?

New Google Analytics users may find scroll events and general click activity of interest as part of this edition of the platform. The focus on real-time activity is very strong in this version of Google Analytics so if your business goals or metrics align with real-time metrics then you may find this useful.

Overall, I would recommend that users run both new and old analytics views for their sites, otherwise they could be losing out on vital custom event data (due to how the parameters are now tracked) and the typical views many marketers have come to rely on for reporting.

Do you prefer the old version of Google Analytics or the new the version of Google Analytics, and why?

We love the new version of Google Analytics because we can now get a clearer picture of what’s driving engagement and purchases for our clients. Here are our top three favorite features:

a) App+ Web Analytics – In the past, we weren’t sure if customers started with the website and then went to the app. Now we know that for one of our clients 21% start with the app and then go to the website to make a purchase.

b) Funnels – The best new feature we like is the way it tracks the different funnels. We can clearly see where they enter the funnel and where they drop off. This way we can double down on what works and replace what is not working in our funnel.

c) Funnel Actions – Finally, we can now see the exact actions that were taken in the funnels. This way we can better understand why they converted or did not convert.

When installing Google Analytics, do you prefer using Google Tag Manager, installing the code directly or using a plugin / 3rd party tool of some sorts?

The advantage of using Google Tag Manager is that we don’t need to install multiple tracking codes. The other thing we like about Google Tag Manager is that we can get really granular on what we can track. We can customize the data that will be sent to Google Analytics. For instance, we can set up and track basic events like document downloads, scrolling percentage for a specific web page, outbound link clicks, or button clicks.

However, there is a definite learning curve, and we sometimes get stuck with Google Tag Manager; thus, we often have to reach out to Google support. The good news is that the new Google Analytics has a new feature that allows us to do this without using Google Tag Manager. If we need to install more than three tracking codes, then using Google Tag Manager is a must. Having too many tracking codes will often slow down the website speed of a website. Moreover, if we know that the client is going to be doing a lot of online marketing, then we make sure to use Google Tag Manager.

This way we can get very detailed insights into the behavior of their users and we can get better at driving conversions. However, if it’s less than three tracking codes, then we often prefer to use a 3rd party plugin called Tracking Code Manager.

This plugin makes it easy to copy and paste the code that we need on the website. Thus, allowing us to complete our work faster than with Google Tag Manager. The majority of our customers don’t need more than three tracking codes. As a result, we only use Google Tag Manager if we really have to.

What tips and tricks can you recommend in the new Google Analytics?

a) App + Website – This new Google Analytics now lets you see combined data from both your website and app. However, it’s important that you also separate the data by clicking on the “Add Comparison” button. This way you can see which marketing channel is working best to help you acquire new customers. This is a critical distinction to make.

b) Enhanced Measurement – In the past, we would have to use Google Tag Manager to track scroll percentages, downloads, and video views. Now it’s just a matter of turning on the feature. As a result, make sure to turn this feature on.

c) Ad-hoc Analysis – You are no longer limited to pre-defined reports. This new feature allows you to drag and drop multiple variables. This way, you can visualize the data on the canvas.

d) Custom Funnel Analytics – You can analyze your closed funnels and your open funnels. In a closed funnel, you enter the funnel from the very beginning. In an open funnel, you might enter the funnel in steps 2, 3, or etc. Which users are converting better for you? In your closed funnels or open funnels?

Do you prefer the old version of Google Analytics or the new version of Google Analytics, and why?

I upgraded a few of my websites to Google Analytics 4 right after it was announced. Though I like some GA4 features such as automatic event tracking (of clicks, video, site search, etc.), I still prefer using Universal Analytics for the main reporting. I think GA4 will roll out more features and will need to have more guides before marketers will be able to fully switch to it.

When installing Google Analytics, do you prefer using Google Tag Manager, installing the code directly or using a plugin?

I used Google Tag Manager for installing a GA4 code to my websites. It’s very easy there as GTM has added new event types – GA4 tag and GA4 event. Even though they’re currently in beta, they work pretty well from what I can see.

What tips and tricks can you recommend in the new Google Analytics?

One thing that I found really interesting and counter-intuitive is that you need to add event parameters as custom definitions so that they’re reported on your specific Event page. I’d definitely recommend saving at least ‘page_location’ as a custom definition as this way you’ll know where your event actually happened.

Do you prefer the old version of Google Analytics or the new version of Google Analytics, and why?

The initial look at Google Analytics 4 was a shock, since so much of the interface and user experience changed. As I have worked with it more, I have come to like the version of Google Analytics 4 with its pivot to a focus on the engagement of website customers, not just straight traffic numbers. GA4 is going to force all marketers to rethink attribution and reporting, which in the long run is a good thing. Every website is going to have to change their digital strategy with the move to a cookie-less world, and GA4 will become the key piece to understanding data. GA4 also means that every website has access to different modeling of sales attribution. This fundamental change to how you approach data will be a shock for a lot of websites, but the sooner you embrace the change, the easier your transition will be.

When installing Google Analytics, do you prefer using Google Tag Manager, installing the code directly or using a plugin / 3rd party tool of some sorts?

I prefer installing directly on the page – it’s an easier install for anyone, even a novice installing GA for the first time. Since GA4 is allowing people to edit events within the GA interface, GTM isn’t a necessity for event tracking like it was before. GA4 allows people to troubleshoot tags right in GA, which is a huge timesaver and one less reason to use GTM. This accessibility to editing data should help people customize data without having coding skills. If your website has a lot of complex events to tag and you have resources, then GTM remains the perfect solution. For most businesses, the native on the website install will do all the things they need. You shouldn’t be using a third-party tool to install Google Analytics. You have no control over if that tool breaks, which means you may lose data you can’t get back.

What tips and tricks can you recommend in the new Google Analytics?

Before clicking the upgrade button in GA, create a new GA4 property that can run in parallel. This allows you to play around in the new system without ruining your data. Make a list of the 10 places you visit in the standard Google Analytics account, and then work to find those same data points in GA4. Google isn’t forcing upgrades right now, so use this time to become comfortable with the new interface with a property you are going to throw away so you don’t have worries about messing up historical data. Then when it’s time to upgrade you’ll know where to find data right away.

Do you prefer the old version of Google Analytics or the new version of Google Analytics, and why?

While I was quite used to the old version of Google Analytics I must say the new GA4 is better due to improvements in reporting, a full cross-channel perspective on the client lifecycle (really missed this one before), and having a more in-depth view of the customer behavior thanks to additional variables.

When installing Google Analytics, do you prefer using Google Tag Manager, installing the code directly or using a plugin / 3rd party tool of some sorts?

I used the Google Tag Manager to set up my tags so I’m only using the UA ID of my property, and didn’t touch the gtag.js. While in the transfer phase from Universal Analytics to GA4 I still kept the old version running including the old properties for the meanwhile until the full transfer was made.

What tips and tricks can you recommend in the new Google Analytics?

There are still some getting used to the new update, so it might be best to keep the old version still running in parallel as you adapt to the new one. By doing so you can cross-check information within both versions.
Explore the pre-built events, and try to create/edit events. This can now be done straight from the UI without the need to go into the code.

Try out the “enhancement measurement” feature” (new in GA4). It increases the functionality and decreases the number of custom tagging for you to keep up with – great for those who often experience information overloads.