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TLDR
You need to upgrade to Google Analytics now or as soon as possible before July 2023.
If not, you stand to lose your existing analytics data and won't have a reference point to compare traffic to moving forward.
Prices start at £500 + VAT for implementation and configuration of GA4 and Tag Manager, plus a bespoke reporting dashboard to store your existing data for up to 2 years.
What is Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?
GA4 is the new reporting tool set to replace the Universal Analytics (UA) we all know and begrudgingly love.
You are presumably aware by now that Google are phasing out UA to push everyone over to GA4 moving forward.
Here is the official announcement:
https://blog.google/products/marketingplatform/analytics/prepare-for-future-with-google-analytics-4/
When is Google Analytics 4 launched?
GA4 was actually launched in October 2020 and though there were a number of early adopters, overall very few people, agencies and companies have made the switch over and started using it.
UA has been in place since 2013, whilst GA4 is the 4th iteration of this product since it's initial inception in 2005
- GA1: Urchin - 2005
- GA2: Classic - 2008
- GA3: Universal - 2013
- GA4: aka GA4 - 2020
There was resistance to the previous launches as users soon get used to using a certain product, though it's even greater this time round as 10 years is a long time in terms of Google product lifecycles and change.
Why should you upgrade to Google Analytics 4?
There are a number of advantages to switching over to GA4 if you haven't already such as:
- Enhanced reporting and visualisations
- Enhanced engagement metrics
- Default event tracking including clicks, scrolling behaviour, clicks and file downloads
- More flexible event parameters
- Better integration of website and app tracking data
- Improved channel acquisition measurement
However, all that is irrelevant as such, because you have to start using GA4 now that Google have decided to shut down UA.
When will Universal Analytics be deprecated?
As of July 2023, UA will no longer track user activity. Paid users of GA 360 will have until October 2023.
Further to this, whilst Google currently promise you will have access to historical data for "at least" six months, this tells us that at some point, the data will be no longer available.
Should you start using Google Analytics 4?
Whether or not you want to start actually using GA4 now doesn't mean you shouldn't get it set up now.
At the very least, you should get GA4 set up and configured now for page views, event tracking and ecommerce data so that by July 2023 you will have around 12 months data and be able to perform year on year analysis - such data is imperative to seasonal businesses.
Once that is set up, you should dip your toe in and start to familiarise yourself with what lies ahead in terms of data analysis so that's it's not a complete shock when you no longer have a choice.
Google Analytics 4 Migration Package
Organic Digital can help you prepare for GA4 and life after UA with the following services
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Audit & Configure your existing Universal Analytics account
A full audit of your existing UA account to ensure that you are tracking data as accurately as possible for the next 12 months.
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Install & Configure Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics 4
Moving forward, would highly recommend using Google Tag Manager to track GA4 page views, events and transactions. If you don't have an account already, we can help set this up, and if you do, we can audit this to ensure all is set up correctly.
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Setup & Configure Bespoke Reporting For Historical Data
We can also provide bespoke reporting dashboards that will migrate your key existing UA metrics such as page views, events, channel acquisition, goals, conversions and ecommerce data.
These dashboards are totally bespoke and will hold up to 50 key data points for your reference even when UA has been shut down completely and no longer accessible.
Click here to view an example of what your report dashboard could look like.
You will have up to 2 years' worth of rolling data to look back on moving forward, for example:
- From July 2023 you will be able to view data back to July 2021
- From July 2024 you will be able to view data back to July 2022
- From July 2025 you will be able to view data back to July 2023
After that, there will be no more UA data (unless you export this yourself to Excel or PDFs), but by July 2026, you will be fully versed in GA4, and UA will be distant memory.
How Much Does This All Cost?
Prices vary depending on what you require, but the following provide a starting point:
Tier 1 Configuration
- Standard page view & event tracking
- 1 bespoke historical reporting dashboard
- From £500 + VAT
Tier 2 Configuration
- Standard page view & event tracking
- Custom event & conversion tracking
- 1 bespoke historical reporting dashboard
- From £750 + VAT
Tier 3 Configuration
- Standard page view & event tracking
- Custom event & conversion tracking
- Enhanced ecommerce tracking
- 1 bespoke historical reporting dashboard
- From £1,000 + VAT
Bespoke reporting dashboards report on up to 55 data points. If you require more, additional dashboards are £250 + VAT.
The cost of not getting set up right away could be greater in the long run.
Get in touch to find out more using the contact form below:
Testimonials
The following are genuine testimonials left by actual real life people on Organic Digital's Google Business Listing in relation to my Google Analytics & Tag Manager consultancy and configurations. To read more, visit the testimonials page.
"If you're looking for someone to help get your Analytical reporting in order, on time, to budget with a common sense approach - look no further. Dave is excellent at what he does, patient and efficient. We'll be working with him for many years to come."
Roly Peto
fullingmill.co.uk
"I've worked with Dave on a GA4 project with numerous potential hurdles and he's been nothing but brilliant. Dave provides well thought-out solutions to challenges and is a fantastic communicator, sharing clear and concise instructions."
Nick Le Chat
riseatseven.com
"We've worked alongside Dave at Organic Digital to deploy GA4 tracking on our custom Shopify Plus store for Tatti Lashes. Dave is very knowledgeable in all areas of Google Analytics and has been a pleasure to work with."
Dave Speake
madebyfield.co.uk
"Dave has been a good resource to call on when looking to get analytics accounts setup and configured to track all our specified events and goals. His technical knowledge helps us setup our sites with a solid foundation for organic performance and reporting."
Gary Butterworth
studionorth.co.uk
"Dave has been excellent to work with. He's helped us with a number of conversion tracking projects across various platforms such as Google Ads, Facebook, Pinterest & LinkedIn. He's very knowledgeable and he always finds solutions to our problems. I would highly recommend working with Dave."
Anna Allsop
visibility-agency.com
"Organic Digital did some Google Analytics Tracking conversion to enable my client to have a better understanding of the customer journey on their website and increase website conversions. The work was undertaken quickly and to a high standard, I would highly recommend."
Liz Longwill
eskdale.solutions
"Have been working with Dave for 6 months now and very impressed with the technical SEO work that he has carried out particularly around GTM. His reports and roadmap are clear and concise and the work is returning good results."
Barney Dines
letsgocamperhire.com
