The free mannequin of Google Analytics, Frequent Analytics, is actually essentially the most broadly used web analytics decision. The platform is so widespread that it dominates 86% market share, making Google the market chief. Nevertheless although many consider Google Analytics the same old, there are causes to ask if it is the wonderful various in your promoting setup—notably since Google launched the sunset of Frequent Analytics.
On July 1, 2023, Frequent Analytics properties will stop processing new hits, forcing prospects to change to its successor, Google Analytics 4. Whereas this may increasingly more and more appear to be a pure improvement, entrepreneurs should not be fooled.
The coaching curve will most likely be steep—Google Analytics 4 is sort of a very new platform and nonetheless rising. On excessive of that, Google Analytics risks dropping the shoppers’ perception as a consequence of gray areas throughout the likes of privateness and knowledge possession.
With a privacy-focused future ahead, now may very well be the time to hunt choices that greater steadiness data assortment with compliance. With an accurate analytics platform, entrepreneurs make your data assortment appropriately: predictable and sustainable. In any case, entrepreneurs and analysts want to course of user-level data whereas developing perception with their friends.
On this text, we’ll dive into the issues with Google Analytics 4 from an individual perspective and from a privateness and compliance standpoint, so you may as well make an educated alternative sooner than switching platforms.
Individual perspective: Google Analytics 4 is a step inside the mistaken path
Google Analytics 4 introduces an altered reporting and measurement experience that is neither correctly understood nor broadly accepted by the promoting neighborhood.
From an individual experience perspective, many uncover GA4 troublesome to navigate. Nevertheless previous that, there are a bunch of challenges with the attribute models. Enable us to dig deeper into these limitations:
There is not a straightforward methodology emigrate your data
Migration is a flowery course of and should be deliberate rigorously. Sadly, Google Analytics 4 does not make it any less complicated. With out data or tag migration, all historic data from Frequent Analytics will not be going to be transferred to the model new platform.
The issue solely grows with the group’s measurement—you will have a complete lot of tags to maneuver. So, if entrepreneurs ought to start accumulating data from scratch, they might as correctly swap to a model new analytic software program program.
Not-so-intuitive particular person interface
Most likely essentially the most distinguished drawback entrepreneurs and analysts will seemingly encounter with Google Analytics 4 is the unfamiliarity with the model new interface.
A model new dashboard has quite a few immediately apparent variations from what entrepreneurs are used to working. Hit varieties are necessary to how Frequent Analytic properties cope with all stats. Hit varieties embody internet web page hits, event hits, eCommerce hits, and social interaction hits.
GA4 doesn’t have any concept of profitable form like Frequent Analytics makes use of. All of the issues in Google Analytics 4 is categorized as an “event.” This is usually a giant distinction.
To make sure that entrepreneurs to have success on the model new platform, they need to adapt shortly to maintain up the an identical momentum they’d with this earlier platform.
Limits on personalized dimensions
A personalized dimension is an attribute that entrepreneurs can configure of their analytics software program to dive deeper into their data. It gives the selection to pivot or section this data to isolate a specific viewers or web site guests for deeper analysis.
GA4 actually permits for personalized dimensions to section tales, nevertheless there is a strict limit. You can solely have as a lot as 25 user-scoped personalized dimensions and as a lot as 50 event-scoped personalized dimensions per property.
Lack of personalized channel grouping
Channel groupings are rule-based groupings of selling channels. When customized, these groupings allow entrepreneurs to hint the effectivity of those channels successfully.
In distinction to Frequent Analytics, GA4 doesn’t suggest you possibly can create personalized channel groupings inside the new interface. In its place, entrepreneurs will solely be succesful to make use of their default channel groupings.
Motivations behind the fast deadline
The deadline Google has left the analytics neighborhood to behave is startling. There are lots of speculations as to why that is maybe, along with:
- Google might have been dissatisfied with the speed of adoption for Google Analytics 4 and decided to behave decisively.
- Google circumventing among the many approved heat that Frequent Analytics is coping with inside the EU.
- Google wanting to cut costs and rid itself of technical debt associated to 1000’s of web websites with legacy choices put in. Since GA4 is designed to help Google’s selling group, it ensures additional earnings than the rivals.
Now there is a concrete deadline to make the swap, entrepreneurs may need to decide whether or not or not they want to start adjusting to Google Analytics 4 or start afresh with a model new platform.
Privateness and compliance: Google Analytics 4 has a protracted methodology to go
If a company operates in quite a few worldwide areas, promoting teams will need to take note of the fairly just a few challenges ensuing from the obligations of every native data privateness authorized tips and worldwide guidelines.
Data security legal guidelines constantly altering and tight security guidelines solely complicate points extra. Learning the tea leaves, we take into account GA4 will not be going to last prolonged in Europe. Proper right here’s why:
Google Analytics violates European regulation
Google makes it robust to collect data per the Primary Data Security Regulation (GDPR), which objectives to revive administration of personal data to prospects and prospects. The regulation requires you to amass categorical consent when processing personal data. Failure to regulate to this provision could find yourself in hefty fines and even prosecution.
The newest alternative of the Austrian Data Security Authority (DSB), states that the utilization of Google Analytics constitutes a violation of GDPR. Which implies organizations engaged in gathering, storing, and processing details about EU residents have to manage their insurance coverage insurance policies and introduce important technological changes to be GDPR-compliant.
There is not a transparent guideline the place the knowledge is expounded by Google Analytics
A Google data implies data is transferred to the closest Google Analytics server hub. However, the knowledge is also saved in a geographic location that does not have ample privateness security to the EU.
Newly launched choices in GA4 partially cope with this concern by allowing the first part of data assortment (and anonymization) on European servers. However, data can, and most actually will, be despatched to the U.S.
The way in which ahead for promoting requires prospects’ consent
Whether or not or not or not it is the knowledge top quality, software program limitations, lack of privacy-friendly choices, or transparency in coping with data, we take into account entrepreneurs will seemingly consider switching platforms.
Piwik PRO excluds the privateness and compliance factors associated to Google Analytics, allowing entrepreneurs to collect data predictably and sustainably. The particular person interface and have models are similar to Frequent Analytics, so entrepreneurs and analysts actually really feel at dwelling when switching to our platform.
If you should research additional about Google Analytics choices or get additional knowledge on the Piwik PRO Analytics Suite, go to piwik.skilled.
Nonetheless undecided? Attempt our article on addressing the problems about switching to an alternate analytics decision and the analytic mindset you should be taking: Switching from Google Analytics—proper right here’s what you will need to know.