Why It’s Time to Switch to Google Analytics 4
By: Pat Strickler
Source: Google
You’re Missing Out on New Features
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) offers a nice set of new features -- some of which were previously exclusive to the paid tier of the product, GA 360; however, the biggest change can be found within the back-end architecture of GA4, which now relies on user-based events rather than GA3’s session-based pageviews/events. While these are all definitely positive upgrades, there are a few things to watch out for when preparing for the migration, one of which I’ll cover next.
Your Historical Data Won’t Carry Over from Google Analytics 3
This was a big surprise to us when we originally discovered this limitation during our first GA4 migration. Hopefully this is rectified by Google in the future, but, for now, there is no way to transfer your data from your current GA3 to a new GA4 instance. This means that even if you're not ready to start a big migration project, you should at least set up basic GA4 tracking in parallel with GA3 so that you have some historical data when it comes time to make the switch. And that could be sooner than you think, which leads me to my final point.
You Won’t Have a Choice Much Longer
Google sent a clear message when they removed the ability to set up a new instance of GA3 -- this version is on its way to the software graveyard. It doesn’t seem like deprecation is right around the corner, but it will eventually come. Instead of holding out and being forced to scramble into a hectic migration, why not start the process early and start benefiting from free new features?
If you use GA3 and need help making the switch, reach out to us today at info@compassred.com or directly to dmalfitano@compassred.com.