GA4 Migration Checklist

On?July 1, 2023, standard Universal Analytics properties will stop processing data.

With this announcement, it is crutial for bsuiensses to be migrated and fimilier to GA4. Whether you like it or not, this decision cannot be reversed.

The migration to Google Analytics 4 presents certain challenges for business owners and legacy marketing reporting systems. However, it also introduces new reporting options that should be taken into consideration.

If you haven't completed the migration to GA4, this checklist is designed specifically for you.

1. Make an audit of GA UA and Prepare a migration plan
2. Set up the GA4 account
3. Set up custom events and conversions in GA4
4. Implement eCommerce tracking
5. Verify your data tracking
6. Build reports and funnels
7. Link your GA4 account to the necessary tools
8. Archive your Universal Analytics data
9. Bridge the gaps in training

Let's delve into the details.

1. Make an audit of GA UA and Prepare a migration plan

To ensure a smooth transition and optimize performance, conducting a comprehensive audit of Google Analytics (GA) and Universal Analytics (UA) is crucial before preparing a migration plan. The audit entails evaluating the existing tracking setup, data integrity, and compatibility of current customizations, goals, events, and dimensions with the new tracking framework.

1.1 Identify Tracking needs

In Google Analytics and Universal Analytics, identifying tracking needs involves determining the key metrics and data points that need to be monitored. This includes website traffic analysis to understand visitor behavior, conversion tracking to measure campaign effectiveness, event tracking to capture user interactions, e-commerce tracking for online sales monitoring, and campaign tracking to evaluate marketing performance.

1.2 Identify the events to be migrated

When identifying events to be migrated, it is important to consider the specific objectives and goals of the business. List all interactions you are tracking in GA UA as well as your business needs. These may include button clicks, form submissions, video views, downloads, or any other custom interactions that provide valuable insights into user engagement.

2. Set up the GA4 account

1. Access Google Analytics
2. Create a new GA4 property
3. Provide account details
4. Set up data streams
5. Install the tracking code
6. Enable enhanced measurement

3. Set up custom events and conversions in GA4

In this step, it is important to review and recall all the listed events identified from Universal Analytics (UA) as well as your specific business needs.

While there is an option to automatically migrate events using a new tool introduced by Google, it is recommended to set up events from scratch to ensure complete control over the data and unleash the full potential of the new event model in GA4.

With GA4, event tracking offers more flexibility and freedom compared to the traditional category, action, and label structure. It allows for the creation of custom parameters, expanding the tracking capabilities and providing a more comprehensive understanding of user interactions.

3.1 Check what custom dimensions & metrics should be set up

To enhance the tracking capabilities in GA4, it is recommended to define custom dimensions for any dimensions that are not yet available by default.

4. Implement eCommerce tracking

using the current UA eCommerce implementation with your GA4 property may result in less precise data in the reports. To ensure accurate eCommerce reporting in GA4, it is advisable to implement all of the GA4 recommended events using a consistent naming convention. By aligning the events and maintaining consistency, you can generate comprehensive eCommerce reports in GA4, providing valuable insights into your online transactions and revenue.

5. Verify your data tracking

To ensure the accuracy of your data tracking, it is essential to verify that all events and conversions are being tracked flawlessly. Conduct thorough testing and validation processes to confirm that the tracking implementation is functioning correctly. Test various user interactions, trigger events, and conversions to confirm that the data is being captured accurately in your analytics platform.

6. Build reports and funnels

In addition to standard reports, GA4 provides powerful custom reporting features known as Explorations. It is highly recommended to incorporate Explorations based on the frequent business inquiries that need to be addressed.

Two particularly beneficial tools to set up after validating your GA4 data are User Lifetime and Segment Builder. User Lifetime enables the analysis of user behavior over extended periods, while Segment Builder allows for the creation of customized segments to further refine data analysis.

7. Link your GA4 account to the necessary tools

To fully leverage the capabilities of GA4, it is crucial to set up integrations with other tools like Google Ads, Google Search Console, and other supported systems.

One of the remarkable features of GA4 is the ability to link your property to BigQuery, which was previously exclusive to GA360.

8. Archive your Universal Analytics data

To maintain historical data while transitioning from UA to GA4, consider the following options:

• Export reports from UA: Utilize built-in options to export reports in formats like PDF, Google Sheets, XLSX, or CSV.
• Utilize an external data pipeline provider: Seek assistance from a data pipeline provider to facilitate data transfer and consolidation.
• Leverage the native UA connector (for Google Analytics 360): Utilize the connector to integrate UA with other Google products for seamless data transfer.

9. Bridge the gaps in training

Addressing the skillset gaps is a important aspect of the GA4 migration process. While migrating settings is important, the team's proficiency also needs to be migrated.

With GA4 constantly evolving, swift adaptation to changes is necessary. Working with GA4 can present challenges, requiring the team to upgrade their skills. It is crucial for all members to enhance their expertise to effectively handle GA4's complexities. This includes staying updated, participating in training, and embracing continuous learning.

FAQs

Q: Why must I switch from UA to GA4?

A: Your Universal Analytics upgrade is not an option any more - you must switch from UA to GA4 because, from July 1, 2023, Universal Analytics will stop collecting data altogether.

Q: Can I import UA data to GA4?

A: No. UA and GA4 use different data models. Universal Analytics is session or hit-based, whereas Google Analytics 4 is event-based.

Q: Will I lose data moving from UA to GA4?

A: Although you can't simply import data from your old UA property to your new GA4 property, data loss will not be an issue as long as you consider all the data factors on both properties while the migration process takes place.

Q: What will happen to my Universal Analytics data?

A: Google has decided that users will be able to access data from Universal Analytics for at least six months after July 1, 2023.

Q: How long does it take to switch from UA to GA4?

A: The time required to switch from UA to GA4 may vary depending on factors such as the technology of the project, how much data (in terms of custom events, conversion) needs to be tracked.

However, basic setup can take some minutes only