Nine Things You Need to Know About GA4
2 Min Read
Most ecommerce businesses rely on Google Analytics for tracking their most critical business metrics. Google, however, is depreciating the version of Google Analytics mostly commonly in use (Universal Analytics) for an upgraded version known as GA4. Here are nine things every ecommerce company needs to know about this migration:
Why: Google claims they are making this shift to give their clients greater granularity into the data they provide and consumers greater privacy protections.
Timing: Universal Analytics will be deprecated on July 1, 2023. But Google Analytics 360 users have a two-month extension to October 1, 2023.
Historical Data: Businesses will have access to their data in Universal Analytics for at least six months after July 1, 2023, but no new data will be logged there. Additionally, you can export your UA data into other tools (excel, Google Data Studio, etc), but you will not be able to import your UA data into GA4.
Data Layer: Your data layer will be automatically generated on the page via Google Tag Manager with GA4. Data Layer configuration in GA4 is different and none of the major commerce engines have out-of-the-box support for GA4 at this time. Customization is required.
Conversion Rate: Many businesses’ favorite go-to metric in analytics is not supported out of the box. You can, however, set it up with a custom report.
Bounce Rate: Like conversion rate, your bounce rate will not automatically be tracked in GA4. You can, however, set it up as a custom report.
Attribution by algorithm: GA4 handles attribution by their proprietary algorithms instead of basic traffic source attribution.
Server to Server Tagging: Server-to-server tagging is an option to explore to compile user behavior data accurately that complies with new first-party data rules. It’s something larger enterprises should consider though it will require additional service and customization.
Costs & timing: There are a few options to consider with the migration to GA4, including 3rd party plugins and data platforms as well as custom-coded setup, all dependent on your business requirements.
Director of Commerce Optimization at Corra.
Corra is a global agency that builds the world’s fastest and most flexible digital storefronts for growing brands. We’re leaders in headless and composable commerce development, backed by gold-standard post-launch support. Through technical expertise, creative vision, and collaborative strategy, we help clients digitally transform to meet the evolving needs of their customers, adding value from day one. With headquarters in New York and hubs in 12 cities across three continents, Corra is uniquely positioned to support clients around the world and around the clock.
