We are less than six months away from Google’s mandated transition to 

. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) was introduced in October 2020, but in March of last year, Google made another announcement:

“On July 1, 2023, standard Universal Analytics properties will no longer process data. You'll be able to see your Universal Analytics reports for a period of time after July 1, 2023. However, new data will only flow into Google Analytics 4 properties.”

Marketers have until the end of June 2023 to complete their migration without losing data on their website or application.

The transition isn’t as simple as opting into the upgrade and creating a new GA4 account/profile. Google Analytics 4 is an entirely new platform that tracks data in different ways, both technically and theoretically. Your transition from the previous version of Google Analytics, Universal Analytics, should be carefully considered and optimized to work within Google Analytics 4’s new methodology.

Universal Analytics profiles will stop collecting data on July 1, 2023, which means the time to upgrade to GA4 is now — and we’ve laid out all the details you need to know.

How Does GA4 Differ from Universal Analytics?

At its most basic level, Google is moving toward an event-based model and away from a session-based model.

Universal Analytics used a session-based approach to collect analytics data. Traditional session-based web analytics platforms, like Google's Universal Analytics, measure the traffic on your site and allow you to track metrics like page views, exits, and bounces. Events-based platforms, like Google Analytics 4, have the ability to track ALL user interactions on your website. When you track events, you can better understand how users are interacting with your website. 

Events were used in Universal Analytics, but they were intended to fill in the gaps of what a user did during the session.

In Google Analytics 4, using the event-based approach, there is greater visibility into the user, and their numerous potential interactions with your brand across website sessions, devices, and even platforms (e.g., website v. mobile app interactions). Additionally, with greater control of what data and activities you want to capture as events, 

you can now track a user's lifetime interaction with your brand as they naturally switch between their mobile phones and computers or your website versus your applications.

 Google Analytics 4 also has the benefit of being able to track both website and mobile application activity.

An additional benefit of Google Analytics 4 is that it recognizes that websites can be monetized in various ways. Whether you run an eCommerce website, or a subscription-based website or you are a content producer who relies on ad revenue, 

GA4 has a monetization tracking service for you

[GA4 eCommerce Monetization Report Example]

What Do I Need to Do Before Upgrading to GA4?

The first step to upgrading your website tracking to GA4 is to evaluate the role your website plays in marketing and what you want to continue tracking from your Universal Analytics account.

One of the first things to assess is the role your website plays in your business. Consider the following:

Is your website a storefront where your products can be ordered?

Focus first on your eCommerce integration and monetization reports.

Does your website fulfill a lead generation function for your business?

Optimize tracking to focus on form submissions and passing data along to your CRM or internal sales systems.

Is your website informative of your organization’s mission and service, or perhaps it provides information on your physical storefront?

Focus first on content tracking and how users find and navigate your website.

Is your website focused on generating and publishing new blog or news content?

Focus on page interactions like pageviews and scroll depth. If your website is Google Ads supported, be sure to set up the Publisher Ads report in the Monetization reports menu.

Once the role of your website is defined, it's time to start mapping the events you want to record. The specific events tracked are dependent upon your business needs, but below are some that our team regularly sets up for our clients:

 Product add-to-cart, check-out initiated, check-out completed, etc.

 Contact forms, lead gen forms, newsletter signups, etc.

Telephone numbers, email addresses, individual profiles, etc.

Social profiles, subsidiary websites, additional information, etc.

Fliers/brochures, free software, media assets, etc.

Determine how much of a blog, news story, or case study is being read.

After event tracking is documented, you’ll need to determine the priorities of your KPIs (key performance indicators). Your primary KPIs will relate to your website’s role in marketing — for an eCommerce website, your primary KPI should be transactions and revenue. Whereas the KPI for a lead generation website should likely be form submissions. Regardless of which KPI you identify as primary, make sure it is being recorded and set as a conversion in the events report or account admin.

The easiest way to upgrade to GA4 is from your existing Universal Analytics account, using the 

. From a technical standpoint, there are a variety of ways to complete your setup. To use the GA4 Setup Assistant, you need to have an Editor role for your existing Universal Analytics account. The tool can be used in tandem with an existing Universal Analytics account or with a brand-new GA4 account.

The GA4 Setup Assistant wizard offers a variety of useful features including:

Copies the property name, website URL, timezone, and currency settings from Universal Analytics property.

Creates a connection between Universal Analytics and GA4 properties

Sets the GA4 property to receive data from the existing Google tag, if users choose to reuse an existing site tag.

NOTE: The GA4 Setup Assistant wizard does not backfill your new GA4 property with historical data. Your GA4 property only collects data going forward. To see historical data, use the reports in your Universal Analytics property.

If you use Google Analytics, it is critical that you complete the upgrade to GA4 prior to the July 1st cutoff date. Avoiding reporting gaps will help ensure you are able to stay up-to-date on the performance of your digital marketing efforts.

If you or your team don’t have the capacity to manage this upgrade process, your digital transformation partners at VIA Studio are here to help!

We’ve already transitioned numerous clients to the new GA4 platform — and have experience in a variety of implementation methods, including CMS/plugin implementations, Google Tag Manager implementations, and more.

 is equipped to audit your current tracking setup, provide optimizations/recommendations, and handle the upgrade on your behalf. Reach out to us with your Google Analytics 4 needs through our 

Stay tuned for the next blog in our Google Analytics 4 series by 

Digital Marketing Optimization

Process

Now is the Time to Upgrade to Google Analytics 4

After years of complaints, lawsuits, and generally just an overriding 

 about the hyper-specific ads you receive on social media, one company (Apple) is finally providing tools for individuals to control the data you share with the apps you use. And they are doing it at the phone level. (

The Wirecutter has a breakdown of all of the privacy controls in iOS 14 here

The iOS 14 privacy updates were ready last fall, but Apple delayed to give developers more time to implement the required changes to their apps. 

Apple has started rolling out iOS 14.4 to most devices

Why? Well, mostly because these changes will dramatically impact the estimated $70 billion plus in revenue they’ll make each year - 99% of which comes from ads.

, and that is largely because they have an incredibly effective targeting system based upon your user data. Data that is not only collected when you use the app - but when you are logged into Facebook and visit some of 

the 9 million websites that have the Facebook pixel installed

Their business model is based upon you willingly giving your data to them.

And now, if you have an Apple mobile device, you’ll have a choice.

For an Agency Who Uses Facebook Ads, You Seem Awful Happy About This! What gives?

Fair question - and it is true that Facebook ads are most often our first recommendation to most businesses. They offer robust, flexible targeting that most often gets our clients the most results for the least money on the most platforms. For the non-profits and small to mid-sized businesses that make up our clients, that’s huge.

We are still people, and as individuals, we’ve all seen advertising that ranges from curious (hyper-personalized ads for things you mentioned in passing your Alexa) to caustic (the 2016 and 2020 election cycles).

As an agency, we understand that targeting by its own definition 

discriminatory, so we tread carefully there - trying hard to exclude 

 when there is a compelling need to. But regardless of this,

we’ve seen Facebook’s ad targeting be overly focused on certain demographics, despite our best efforts.

And we’ve been paying attention as Facebook refuses to acknowledge or truly address these issues, even after countless Congressional hearings and 

being successfully sued over its targeting practices

And don’t get us started on the “not our problem” approach to content moderation that has been a major cause of division and disinformation.

This sort of behavior, especially with a platform that is as large and frankly critical to many, demands critical attention and action.


Like it or not, for our clients, Facebook is still extremely effective. It sells tickets to non-profit events. It drives enrollments in education. It sells art as well as it sells ice makers. It works, and it is extremely cost effective.

We’ll still continue to use Facebook for ads, but we’ll also continue to be critical here and in our communications directly to them.

While these iOS 14 controls are a first step by one company, it is part of a larger shift to provide user-side control of user data.

Privacy & Compliance

Apple iOS 14 Privacy, Facebook, VIA and You

Marketing Strategy

Marketing Campaigns

Advertising

Reporting & Analysis

Jack O'Lantern Spectacular + Winter Woods Spectacular

Social Media & Audience Development

Foxhollow Farm 

Is your digital marketing eating your budget, but not providing value? Do you even know what value it should be providing? We can help. With a fractured and intensely sophisticated landscape, it can be overwhelming. We can help you determine the return-on-investment (ROI) and value of your marketing, and help you get this critical marketing engine humming once again.

Digital Marketing Optimization

Digital Marketing Optimization: Case Studies

01

Jack O'Lantern Spectacular + Winter Woods Spectacular

02

Foxhollow Farm

Digital Marketing Optimization: Blog Posts

Now is the Time to Upgrade to Google Analytics 4

Apple iOS 14 Privacy, Facebook, VIA and You