UA V/s GA4: Understand the two analytics Platform

Are you keen on GA4 the latest Google analytics property rolled out by Google? Well, Google Analytics 4 originally called mobile+ web is all set to change your Google analytics experience. How Mobile +Web? Well, you heard it right the new property can track App and web visits in a single analytics property. Isn’t Google analytics makes better sense now?

Typically Google announced that GA4 will be rolled out on July 1, 2023. So, Universal Analytics (UA) will no longer be used in collecting data and drawing insights. It makes us wonder why switching GA 4 is the latest and most reliable option for your business. Worried about the GA4 developments? Don’t worry we have got you covered.

We know you have a lot of questions running through your mind. How it will affect my business? What’s the difference between the two? It’s time to get your questions answered. So, let’s understand how Google Analytics 4 is crucial and different from Universal Analytics. Without further ado, let’s check out our list of important differences below and keep you updated on them.

· App Tracking:

One of the most amazing features that can blow your mind away is that now you can track website and mobile app data in the same property. Well, GA4 leverages this new feature making it quite easier to combine data and analyses results and that too at one platform. Well, traditional Universal Analytics doesn't offer that feature. GA4 is all set to enhance experience and results according to your requirements.

You can navigate to Account>Property>Data streams. As you have a single property for each data stream (website and mobile apps). You can adjust filters throughout your reporting to view and analyze your data efficiently.

· Users:

If you have worked before on Universal Analytics, you might be aware of how users are defined in Universal Analytics. They have two user metrics: Total Users and New users whereas Google Analytics has confirmed to introduce three user metrics: Total users, Active users and New Users.

So, Active user is the primary user metric in GA4 which is defined as a user who visited the website and has engaging sessions throughout the website. This seems to be an exciting yet important update making it easier for your business to analyze the active users and target the right audience.

· Data Collection and Privacy:

Google Analytics 4(GA4) makes the data deletion process much easier. Now admins can delete data as per the requests of the users. Along with it, GA4 provides customized data retention options. The default time you can store data is 2 months but you can extend it according to your needs to the extent of 14 months. Sounds interesting right? Well, these notable features were introduced to ensure data collection and privacy of the users in real-time.

· Difference measuring models:

UA and GA4 take into consideration, different measurement models. Unlike UA, GA4 captures any transaction as an event. UA uses a measurement model based on sessions and page views.

Events in GA4 are grouped into:

Ø Automatically collected events- When you install GA4 these are events collected automatically.

Ø Enhanced Measurement Events- These include scrolls, outbound clicks and video engagement.

Ø Recommended Events- Events that Google recommends you set up.

Ø Custom Events- Events and parameters you can create and implement based on website requirements.

· Development of Big Query:

Yes, you heard it right. GA4 provides a free connection to Big Query. If you have worked on building large and complex data in GA you will be aware of the issue associated in UA with handling data. Well, GA4 deletes the issue of sampling and helps the users to analyze large and complex data with quality.

Previously this feature was only available to premium GA360 customers which was the difference in why people switched to a paid version of GA. Thus, Big Query connections are one of the most important and foremost features provided by GA4.

· Customization:

The ability to customize the platform according to your needs is a feature nobody can stop talking about. GA4 provides the ability to not only create custom reports but also provide navigation to these reports. Along with it, you can create multiple dashboards according to the requirements. Thus, customization makes the GA4 a user-friendly analytics platform.

Not only this you can experience machine learning tools like never before. GA4 is designed to provide new insights and trends all over the platform.

· Bounce and Engagement rates:

In GA4, Google has introduced a different approach to calculating bounce rates. Bounce rates are the percentage of sessions that were not engaged sessions. So in other words, bounce rate is the inverse of engagement rate, which is the number of engaged sessions divided by the total number of sessions in a specified period.

And how Google defines engagement rates? These are sessions that lasted at least 10 seconds, had at least 1 conversion event, or had at least 2 page/screen views. With the changing definition, we need to calculate the percentage of sessions that were not engaged.

· User v/s traffic-

A user is defined as someone who visits the website or the person who comes to your website whereas traffic is defined by the number of sessions. Under GA4 user acquisition and traffic acquisition can be split into different reports. Merely Universal analytics only counts user acquisition which means if someone comes via phone one time and computer 3 times they would typically be counted as one user. So, with the new feature rolled out the definition got changed and can help in providing meaningful insights to businesses or professionals.

Final Thoughts:

GA4 has a lot to offer to users when it comes to data privacy, customization, enhanced user experience and bounce rates and conversion rates. Streamlining GA4 with Big Query is a notable feature that will help professionals to understand complex data and draw insights carefully.

Thus, it is important to make some time to learn new features, explore and get a hand on GA4. It would be surely something new to the platter and regardless we should make the best out of it.