Google Analytics is an essential tool for any online business. It provides valuable insights into website traffic, audience behavior, and user engagement. Recently, Google has released a new version of Analytics called Google Analytics 4, which comes with some significant changes. In this blog, we will explore these changes and what they mean for your business.
What is Google Analytics 4?
Google Analytics 4, also known as GA4, is the latest version of Google Analytics. It is designed to provide a more comprehensive view of user behavior across different devices and platforms. Unlike its predecessor, Universal Analytics, GA4 uses event-based tracking instead of pageviews. This means that it can track user interactions beyond just pageviews, such as button clicks, video views, and file downloads.
What are the Changes in GA4?
- New User Interface: GA4 comes with a new user interface that is more intuitive and easier to navigate. It has a streamlined design and provides a more comprehensive view of your data.
- Event-Based Tracking: As mentioned earlier, GA4 uses event-based tracking instead of pageviews. This means that you can track user interactions beyond just pageviews, such as button clicks, video views, and file downloads.
- AI-Powered Insights: GA4 comes with AI-powered insights that provide more accurate predictions and recommendations based on your data. This means that you can make more informed decisions about your website and marketing strategies.
- Improved Cross-Device Tracking: GA4 provides improved cross-device tracking, which means that you can track user behavior across different devices and platforms. This is especially useful in today's world, where users use multiple devices to browse the internet.
- Enhanced Data Privacy: GA4 comes with enhanced data privacy features that are compliant with GDPR and CCPA regulations. This means that you can collect user data while respecting their privacy.
Why Should You Upgrade to GA4?
Upgrading to GA4 is essential if you want to gain a more comprehensive view of your user behavior across different devices and platforms. It also provides more accurate predictions and recommendations based on your data, which can help you make more informed decisions about your website and marketing strategies. Additionally, GA4 comes with enhanced data privacy features that are compliant with GDPR and CCPA regulations, which means that you can collect user data while respecting their privacy.
How to upgrade your Shopify store to Google Analytics 4?
To upgrade a Shopify store to Google Analytics 4, you will need to create a new GA4 property in your Google Analytics account. Once you have created the property, you will need to install the Pasilobus Google Analytics app to your Shopify store.
This can be done by following these steps:
- Go to your Shopify app store and search for “Pasilobus Google Analytics”
- In the app follow the guide and enter your Google Analytics property ID number.
- Click “continue” and activate Google Analytics 4 in Shopify theme editor.
- Click "Save" to save your changes.
Once you have completed these steps, your Shopify store will be tracking data using Google Analytics 4. It is important to note that GA4 is a new tracking method and may take some time to get used to. However, the benefits of upgrading to GA4 are significant and can provide valuable insights into your user behavior.
Ensure there is only one property on your store
It is important not to have duplicate Google Analytics properties on your Shopify store because it can lead to inaccurate data and reporting. Having multiple properties reporting on the same data can cause confusion and make it difficult to understand the true performance of your website. It can also lead to discrepancies in reporting, which can make it difficult to make informed decisions about your website and marketing strategies.
To avoid this issue, it is important to ensure that you only have one Google Analytics property reporting on your Shopify store. After setting up Google Analytics 4, clear Google Analytics Universal settings in your Shopify store under Online Store > Preferences. You can remove the old Universal property ID from this setting and remove any custom scripts added here.
If you are unsure if you have duplicate properties, you can check your Google Analytics account to see if there are any duplicate properties reporting on your data.
Time to Upgrade!
Google Analytics 4 is a significant update that provides more comprehensive insights into user behavior across different devices and platforms. It comes with a new user interface, event-based tracking, AI-powered insights, improved cross-device tracking, and enhanced data privacy features. Upgrading to GA4 is essential if you want to stay ahead of the game and make more informed decisions about your website and marketing strategies.