Entrepreneurs have criticized Google Analytics 4 because it was launched in late 2020.
The checklist of complaints is lengthy – from the transfer from consumer monitoring to occasion monitoring, to the lacking commonplace stories, and the substitute of bounce charge with engagement charge, to call only a few.
GA4 is the predominant platform for measuring web site efficiency and consumer habits. (That is partly as a result of it’s free, and lots of rivals disappeared through the years as they couldn’t give away their software program for free of charge.)
Though some will argue that GA4 falls quick in lots of areas, I imagine that many of those perceived flaws are, actually, true enhancements to the product.
This text explores 5 predominant criticisms of GA4 and sheds gentle on how they really contribute to its enchancment.
1. Information discrepancies and disruptions
One main concern about GA4 is the potential for information discrepancies and disruptions. This additionally occurred in 2012, when customers had been pressured to alter from the unique Google Analytics (GA2) to Common Analytics (GA3, AKA UA).
With every iteration, the strategy utilized by any analytics instrument for calculating distinctive customers and classes adjustments. That is to measure extra precisely these essential information factors utilized in nearly all key efficiency indicators (KPIs).
Critics argue that the brand new information mannequin and measurement protocol result in inconsistencies, making counting on GA4 for correct reporting tough. This can be a flaw of their logic.
By not understanding the variations, they assume it’s inaccurate, whereas the fact is that it’s extra correct than UA.
This is the reason analytics professionals (like myself) have been advocating for companies to allow GA4 for properly over a yr now. This ensures you might have a full yr of information for significant comparisons (evaluating GA4 vs. UA with over a yr of information).
For varied causes, many organizations waited or didn’t trouble to assessment the configuration till the final minute to make sure right information assortment. They’re now confronted with an awesome problem when conducting interval comparative evaluation.
Customers should embrace this chance, revisit their measurement plans and undertake a extra complete and holistic strategy to information evaluation. With GA4, organizations can leverage a number of information sources (by way of third-party information imports) and combine them to realize a deeper understanding of their customers and their journey, which was almost not possible with UA.
2. Studying curve and interface complexity
GA4 introduces a revamped consumer interface and a distinct strategy to reporting, resulting in a steep studying curve for a lot of customers.
Any change in a UI is tough. GA4’s UI has been utterly overhauled with no similarities to its predecessor. Critics argue that the complexity of the brand new interface hinders its adoption and usefulness.
This shouldn’t be a shock to any consumer. Most software program upgrades to new variations include a brand new UI. With any new UI, there may be all the time a studying curve.
The redesigned interface displays a shift towards a extra user-centric strategy. It empowers all customers (entrepreneurs and analysts) to discover information in a extra intuitive and customizable method, enabling deeper evaluation and uncovering hidden patterns.
The brand new customizable interface enables you to make the GA4 interface actually your individual. Take away stories that don’t apply to your corporation. Add customized stories which can be tailor-made to your group. Arrange and group stories into significant classes. (No must find out how Google thinks stories needs to be named or grouped!)
Whereas the preliminary studying curve could also be daunting, the long-term advantages of improved information interpretation and actionable insights and a totally customizable interface far outweigh this short-term inconvenience.
3. Restricted historic information
One other critique of GA4 is its restricted compatibility with historic information from UA. Customers argue that this limitation hampers the power to conduct significant development evaluation and monitor long-term efficiency precisely.
This isn’t new.
The identical angle was taken when GA migrated to UA. Again in 2012, there wasn’t an choice both to port outdated information into the brand new measurement logic of UA. This left companies with evaluating apples to oranges (earlier than and after the change) of their information.
Many analytics professionals have lengthy advocated and argued that there was little analytics perception to realize from revisiting information greater than a yr outdated and most actually over two years outdated. The pandemic’s affect on many companies makes evaluating year-over-year information meaningless, and so does evaluating the previous months to the identical interval from three or 4 years prior.
Web sites and apps have been up to date, advertising methods modernized and the worldwide economic system and consumer preferences have modified. Except your reporting considers this, merely reporting customers, classes and even gross sales numbers out of context was and nonetheless is meaningless.
The brand new most GA information storage restrict of 14 months is disconcerting in comparison with the earlier “limitless” choice. To handle this difficulty, Google has given all accounts a free BigQuery (information warehouse) account. By storing your information right here, you continue to get nearly a vast time-frame of storage.
Granted, configuring and utilizing BigQuery shouldn’t be easy. It entails a steep studying curve and time dedication that’s past many Google Analytics customers, particularly these with out their very own information staff.
With restricted historic information, you will need to reevaluate your strategy to measurement. How are you going to judge success? Adopting GA4 allows us to revisit our information assortment methods and redefine KPIs.
This shift prompts a recent perspective on information evaluation, specializing in real-time and forward-looking insights slightly than relying solely on historic developments. Consequently, we will higher align methods with present market dynamics and adapt swiftly to altering client habits.
Whereas digital analytics helps consider advertising efficiency, it’s far more practical at producing questions than answering them. Reviewing your analytics for consumer habits adjustments — after which investigating why — yields better worth than merely utilizing it to validate marketing campaign effectiveness.
4. Lowered customization choices
GA4 presents a extra streamlined strategy to occasion monitoring and customization in comparison with its predecessor.
Critics declare that this discount in customization choices (customized stories solely) limits the power to trace particular consumer actions and tailor analytics to particular person enterprise wants. Nonetheless, this obvious flaw ushers in a brand new period of effectivity.
GA4 allows entrepreneurs and analysts to concentrate on essentially the most essential metrics and outcomes by simplifying occasion monitoring. It forces us to reevaluate our monitoring necessities and prioritize the metrics that actually matter, resulting in extra concise and actionable insights.
The decreased customization choices promote a extra standardized strategy to analytics, facilitating benchmarking and industry-wide comparisons.
Regardless of critics’ claims of a discount in customization, GA4 does provide better ranges of customization to the UI.
You’ll be able to (utilizing the library characteristic) utterly customise the consumer interface and add any variety of customized stories and report sections.
With slightly effort, the complete UI could be personalized to your corporation wants.
By doing so, generally required stories turn into simply accessible.
Reviews that had been by no means used could be faraway from the UI.
The result’s quicker entry to information yielding better productiveness.
5. Privateness considerations and consent administration
With the rising emphasis on consumer privateness, GA4’s stricter information assortment and consent administration mechanisms have drawn criticism. Critics argue that the improved privateness measures restrict the supply of information for evaluation and hinder entrepreneurs’ skill to know their viewers absolutely.
Nonetheless, this perceived flaw is essential to constructing belief and transparency. By embracing privacy-centric practices, companies can strengthen their relationships with customers and set up themselves as moral information stewards.
As a part of the migration to GA4, web site and app privateness insurance policies should be reviewed. For websites which have enabled Google indicators as a part of the “Reporting Id” and function underneath the authorized facets of GDRP, this assessment is essential.
Embrace adjustments in your measurement strategy
When you get previous the preliminary shock of the brand new interface and perceive why the highest 5 complaints about it are literally constructive enhancements, you’ll probably start to understand GA4.
Whereas objects are lacking from the usual options, there may be hope that Google will add these again in a future launch. (The annotation instrument and skill to save lots of predefined segments from commonplace stories are missed by customers.)
Though many entrepreneurs broadly contemplate the rollout of the GA4 improve as “one of many worst ever,” it brings enhancements that may probably be embraced by most customers inside a couple of months.
Opinions expressed on this article are these of the visitor writer and never essentially Search Engine Land. Employees authors are listed right here.
