Google has announced that as of 01 July 2023, no new data will be processed in the standard properties. What does this mean for your website and what preparations do you need to make?
As of July 2023, traditional implementations of Google Analytics should no longer show hits. The deadline for properties in Google Universal Analytics 360 is October 01, 2023. You also have six months after July 01, 2023 to export the data from Universal Properties.
Therefore, it is important to switch to GA4 in time and set up the appropriate properties. But first, let’s look at the exact changes that will occur with Google Analytics 4.
- Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 is cross-platform, i.e., for websites, applications, etc.
- GA4 sets a user focus, Universal Analytics sets a session focus
- GA4’s structure eliminates the data view and filter, instead providing the ability to filter directly in the report/analyses
- More comprehensive and complex analytics will be possible
- This adds new tools, procedures, funnel analyses, user lifetime analyses, etc.
- Standard interactions (click, scroll, etc.) can be customized “out of the box”
- Standard targets can be easily defined and activated in GA4 via the menu under Events
Even though conversions are always difficult at the beginning, switching from Google Universal to GA4 brings many advantages. The advantage alone is that GA4 no longer relies on cookies and thus greatly increases data protection. But even with GA4 you have to be legally careful and get the permission of the visitors.
And even though there are some critics in the background who don’t welcome the change to GA4, the switch will be completed in 2023. So if you want to continue using Google Analytics, you should be prepared for the changes.
