Upgrading from Universal Analytics to GA4: A Smooth Transition in Four Simple Steps

As technology evolves, so does the field of analytics. Google Analytics has been an effective device for businesses to accumulate valuable insights into their website’s overall performance. With the introduction of Google Analytics four (GA4), it is time to improve from the traditional Universal Analytics (UA) to take advantage of recent features and greater monitoring competencies. In this blog, we will guide you through the transition in just four easy steps. 

 Step 1: Create a Google Analytics 4 account 

To start the migration, you want to create a new account in GA4. Start by logging into your Google Analytics account and navigate to the Admin phase. From there, choose “Create Property”  and follow the activities to set up a brand new GA4 property. It’s encouraged to run GA4 alongside Universal Analytics for a period of time to make certain an easy transition and to get entry into historic statistics. This dual implementation will allow you to compare the performance of both variations all through the migration process. 

 Step 2: Configure GA4 Data Streams  

 To maximize the advantages of GA4, configure statistics streams and monitoring. Data streams will let you acquire statistics from diverse sources, consisting of your website, cell apps, or different virtual platforms. Create applicable information streams within your GA4 assets and configure them consequently. Additionally, discover the important events you want to track, along with web page perspectives, button clicks, or shape submissions. By fine-tuning data streams and event monitoring, you’ll gain granular insights into consumer behStream.

 Step 3: Set up a Tracking Code  

Next, you may want to get the GA4 tracking code for your internet site. GA4 makes use of the Global Site Tag (gtag.Js) for monitoring, which is different from the analytics.Js used in Universal Analytics. Replace the existing Universal Analytics monitoring code with the GA4 tracking code on all applicable pages of your website. Additionally, you may need to update any event monitoring to align with the brand-new version of analytics.  

 Step 4: Verify that the tracking code is working 

 The last and most important step is to verify and make sure that the tracking code you set up is working properly. For this, you should go to GA4, click “Reports” and select the “Realtime” tab. The resulting report will provide various information on the traffic on your website,  the number of active users, and the pages they visited. If the Realtime report is displaying the number of active users, then we can conclude that your tracking code is working properly. 

 Wrap Up

Transitioning from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 might seem like a daunting task, but with a systematic approach, it can be a smooth and rewarding process. By understanding the differences, setting up a new property, implementing the GA4 tracking code, and configuring data streams and event tracking, you’ll be well on your way to harnessing the advanced analytics capabilities of GA4. Embrace the change and unlock valuable insights to drive your business forward.