The Benefits of GA4

Google Analytics 4, or GA4, is officially in business and many businesses and nonprofit organizations, including some of our Point Taken clients, are already reaping the rewards. If you’re a business or nonprofit executive and aren’t sure how GA4 can impact your sales and donations, we are going to break down what GA4 is, how it works and most importantly, why you should go ahead and make the switch before the Google deadline of July 1, 2023.

Google says the main difference between GA4 and past analytics programs is that the new system is event-based rather than session-based. That means GA4 will more accurately analyze analytics from patterns and routines, not just from one visit or session. Google also says that GA4 includes privacy controls such as “cookieless measurements, and behavioral and conversion modeling”

So, what are the main ways GA4 can help your business or nonprofit almost immediately? Let’s discuss some examples from Analytics Mania. First, GA4 has new predictive measurements that will allow you to track certain audiences. If your website receives a large amount of traffic and purchases, GA4 can help narrow down audiences such as “likely seven-day purchasers”, “predicted 28-day top spenders” and more. This information can help a business or nonprofit understand which marketing and PR efforts are working to better create future marketing and PR strategies.

Next, Analytics Mania says another great reason to consider the switch to GA4 is the ease of monitoring data across platforms (think your website, microsite and app). GA4 can store app and website data in the same location, which is a huge benefit to companies and nonprofits. This means that data from different mediums can be analyzed all in the same place, instead of having to use different systems. This can save a business or nonprofit a lot of time and make the process of reviewing and understanding analytics smoother overall.

Optimize Smart says one big benefit of GA4 for businesses and nonprofits is that GA4’s engagement tracking is more aligned with contemporary browsing behavior. Most people have multiple browsers open at once. Previous Google Analytics systems did not work well if a user was going back and forth between one website and another. A GA4 session can start with or without a page view, making it more accurate at tracking user engagement.

We could go on and on about how GA4 can positively impact your business or nonprofit and why you should switch today, but we will end with one important note. The new system has more focus on a customer’s “journey” and not just one visit to your website or app. Optimize Smart says you can measure a user’s activity across multiple platforms and “stitch together” activity across those platforms.

GA4 will be extremely beneficial to companies and nonprofits who embrace the technology sooner rather than closer to the July 1, 2023 deadline (Yes, as of July 1, 2023, you have no choice but to make the switch. Google Analytics as we know it today will no longer work). While GA4 offers a multitude of valuable data, there is steep learning curve and nearly daily changes. If you start to learn GA4 slowly, it will make the change easier when the big deadline hits.

If you need help with GA4, reach out to Point Taken. We’ve been studying the new platform for months and can help you make the switch to GA4 or answer additional questions about the change.

Point Taken Communications, a boutique Jacksonville public relations and marketing firm serving brands nationwide, creates engaging campaigns that ignite positive change and move audiences to action. We go above and beyond, ensuring each client gets the best return on its investment. Our team of senior professionals has decades of experience bringing bold, creative ideas to life to help companies and nonprofits grow and evolve. At Point Taken, our clients inspire us to fuel progress for your organization, your industry and our world.