In this blog post, we will outline the process of migrating your Google Analytics setup to GA4, and provide tips on how to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Why it’s important for community banks to migrate to GA4
How is GA4 different than Universal Analytics?
Deadlines for GA4 - Key dates banks should know for when data will stop tracking in the current analytics account
July 1, 2023: standard Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new data. Until this date, you can continue to use and collect new data in your Universal Analytics properties. That being said, Google strongly advises connecting GA4 well before this date.
Approximately 6 Months Later: Google states historical data will be for 'at least 6 months' after July 1, 2023. Eventually it will no longer be accessible.They also strongly recommend prioritizing the exporting of your historical data.
Key aspects a community bank will need to migrate:
Step 1 - Goals and Conversions
Document your current goals that are in UA. Then making sure you have an event setup in GA4 for the same action and tracking as a conversion in GA4.
Step 2 - Events
A custom event is an event with a name and set of parameters that you define so you can collect information that's specific to your business.
The events setup in new Google Analytics 4 is highly customizable, with some actions now automatically collected. For example button clicks and video plays were previously goals you had to manually add when using Universal analytics but now they're already included.
The new setup process for events is much simpler than before. Additional parameters outside of 'Event Name' are no longer mandatory. However, you can tie in custom parameters to help you with filtering reports for certain events down the road.
Here are the steps to handle your GA code snippets and scripts, including additional steps if you're utilizing Google Tag Manager:
Step 3 - Audiences
Audiences are a way to group together users with similar characteristics. You can use audiences to segment your data, and create targeted marketing campaigns.
There are two ways to create audiences in GA4:
1. Static Audiences: manually add or remove users from an audience
2. Dynamic Audience: create audiences based on certain conditions or rules
These can either be created through GA4's interface or through Google Tag Manager.
To create a dynamic audience through GA4's interface:
To create a dynamic audience in GA4 through Google Tag Manager:
Step 4 - Custom Reports
Custom reports are a way to view the data that is most important to you. You can use custom reports to segment your data, and track specific metrics and dimensions.
To create a new custom report
Three types of reports you can create in GA4
Conclusion
Google Analytics 4 is a powerful tool that can help you track your website or app's traffic and understand your user's behavior.
Now that you have an overview of the steps involved in migrating to GA4, it’s important to start planning and preparing now. The deadlines for data migration are looming, and you don’t want your analytics data to stop tracking prematurely. Unsure sure where your bank stands? Take this quick personalized assessment.
On the bright side, once you've migrated your data, you'll be able to take advantage of all the new features in GA4, including custom reports and audience targeting.