Google Analytics 4: drawbacks and limitations—is it worth sticking around?

The absolutely free model of Google Analytics, Common Analytics, is the most extensively made use of website analytics solution. The system is so popular that it dominates 86% industry share, making Google the industry chief. But even even though a lot of take into account Google Analytics the regular, there are factors to talk to if it is the perfect selection for your internet marketing setup—especially because Google declared the sunset of Common Analytics.

On July 1, 2023, Common Analytics properties will quit processing new hits, forcing buyers to change to its successor, Google Analytics 4. Whilst this may perhaps appear to be like a pure development, entrepreneurs really should not be fooled.

The studying curve will be steep—Google Analytics 4 is almost an fully new system and nevertheless building. On top of that, Google Analytics threats shedding the users’ have confidence in owing to grey parts around the likes of privacy and info ownership.

With a privacy-concentrated potential in advance, now is the time to search for alternatives that greater equilibrium details collection with compliance. With a proper analytics system, marketers make your details selection as it need to be: predictable and sustainable. Immediately after all, entrepreneurs and analysts want to process consumer-level details even though setting up believe in with their guests.

In this write-up, we will dive into the concerns with Google Analytics 4 from a consumer standpoint and from a privacy and compliance standpoint, so you can make an informed conclusion just before switching platforms.

Person point of view: Google Analytics 4 is a action in the erroneous path

 Google Analytics 4 introduces an altered reporting and measurement technology that is neither well comprehended nor broadly approved by the marketing neighborhood.

From a consumer working experience point of view, numerous uncover GA4 complicated to navigate. But past that, there are a host of challenges with the aspect sets. Let us dig deeper into these restrictions: 

There is no uncomplicated way to migrate your knowledge

 Migration is a sophisticated course of action and should be planned thoroughly. Regretably, Google Analytics 4 does not make it any a lot easier. Devoid of knowledge or tag migration, all historical details from Universal Analytics will not be transferred to the new platform.

The obstacle only grows with the organization’s size—you can have hundreds of tags to go. So, if marketers should start off gathering info from scratch, they may possibly as nicely swap to a new analytic software program.

Not-so-intuitive consumer interface

The most notable challenge entrepreneurs and analysts will very likely come across with Google Analytics 4 is the unfamiliarity with the new interface.

A new dashboard has several instantly clear variances from what marketers are utilised to working. Strike styles are essential to how Common Analytic houses cope with all stats. Hit types consist of site hits, function hits, eCommerce hits, and social interaction hits.

GA4 doesn’t have any strategy of a hit sort like Universal Analytics employs. All the things in Google Analytics 4 is classified as an “event.” This is a massive distinction.

In get for entrepreneurs to have good results on the new system, they will have to adapt speedily to maintain the similar momentum they had with this former platform.

Boundaries on customized dimensions

A custom dimension is an attribute that entrepreneurs can configure in their analytics tool to dive deeper into their knowledge. It gives the choice to pivot or phase this data to isolate a precise viewers or targeted traffic for deeper evaluation.

GA4 in fact allows for customized proportions to segment reviews, but there is a rigorous restrict. You can only have up to 25 consumer-scoped custom dimensions and up to 50 party-scoped personalized proportions for each assets.

Deficiency of tailor made channel grouping

Channel groupings are rule-primarily based groupings of advertising and marketing channels. When custom-made, these groupings enable marketers to monitor the effectiveness of people channels successfully.

In contrast to Common Analytics, GA4 does not make it possible for you to make custom made channel groupings in the new interface. Alternatively, marketers will only be ready to use their default channel groupings.

Motivations powering the limited deadline

 The deadline Google has still left the analytics community to act is startling. There are several speculations as to why this might be, together with:

1. Google may have been let down with the pace of adoption for Google Analytics 4 and made the decision to act decisively.
2. Google circumventing some of the lawful warmth that Universal Analytics is facing in the EU.
3. Google wanting to slash fees and rid alone of complex personal debt related with hundreds of internet sites with legacy solutions mounted. Considering that GA4 is designed to assistance Google’s advertising and marketing network, it assures extra earnings than the competition.

Now there is a concrete deadline to make the switch, marketers will require to come to a decision no matter whether they want to start off modifying to Google Analytics 4 or begin afresh with a new platform.

Privacy and compliance: Google Analytics 4 has a prolonged way to go

If a company operates in several nations around the world, marketing and advertising groups will require to be conscious of the various difficulties resulting from the obligations of both of those local facts privacy guidelines and international laws.

Facts security legislation continually altering and limited safety polices only complicate factors even further. Looking through the tea leaves, we imagine GA4 will not past prolonged in Europe. Here’s why:

Google Analytics violates European legislation

Google can make it complicated to acquire details in line with the Typical Knowledge Security Regulation (GDPR), which aims to restore handle of own facts to people and customers. The regulation involves you to receive express consent when processing own data. Failure to comply with this provision can consequence in hefty fines or even prosecution.

The recent choice of the Austrian Knowledge Defense Authority (DSB), states that the use of Google Analytics constitutes a violation of GDPR. This implies that companies engaged in accumulating, storing, and processing info about EU citizens have to change their policies and introduce severe technological adjustments to be GDPR-compliant.

There is no obvious guideline where by the knowledge is linked via Google Analytics

A Google manual implies knowledge is transferred to the closest Google Analytics server hub. Having said that, the facts could be stored in a geographic area that does not have sufficient privateness safety to the EU.

Freshly launched options in GA4 partly handle this worry by letting the very first element of details collection (and anonymization) on European servers. Even so, facts can, and most probable will, be despatched to the U.S.

 The potential of marketing and advertising requires users’ consent

No matter if it be the details high-quality, device restrictions, absence of privacy-welcoming features, or transparency in dealing with data, we imagine entrepreneurs will very likely look at switching platforms.

Piwik Pro excluds the privateness and compliance issues related with Google Analytics, enabling entrepreneurs to accumulate details predictably and sustainably. The person interface and element sets are related to Universal Analytics, so entrepreneurs and analysts truly feel at home when switching to our system.

If you would like to study more about Google Analytics possibilities or get far more details on the Piwik Pro Analytics Suite, go to piwik.pro.

Nonetheless undecided? Examine out our short article on addressing the problems about switching to an option analytics remedy and the analytic mentality you should really be getting: Switching from Google Analytics—here’s what you need to know.