If your website uses Google Analytics to count visitors, there is a big change coming this year. On 1 July 2023, the older version of Google Analytics, called Universal Analytics, will stop collecting new information about your visitors. Many Australian businesses still rely on it without knowing it is about to stop.
The good news is that the fix is not hard, and it is free. But the sooner you act, the better off you will be.
What Is Changing
Google Analytics is the free tool that shows you how many people visit your website, where they come from and what they do there. The version most websites have used for years is Universal Analytics. Google is replacing it with a new version called Google Analytics 4, usually shortened to GA4.
From 1 July 2023, standard Universal Analytics accounts will stop processing new data. Your reports will simply stop growing. If you haven't set up GA4 by then, you will have a gap where your visitor numbers should be.
Why You Should Not Wait Until June
Here is the part that catches people out. Your old visitor history does not move across to GA4. GA4 starts counting from the day you set it up, and not a day before.
That matters because the most useful reports compare one period with another. For example, you might want to compare this July with last July, or see how your Christmas sales period went against the year before. If you set up GA4 now, you will have months of data in it by the time Universal Analytics stops. If you wait until the last minute, you start with nothing.
Setting up GA4 now also gives you time to learn it. GA4 looks quite different from the old version, and it is much easier to get used to it while you still have the old reports to compare against.
Three Steps to Take Now
- Set up GA4 on your website: Create a GA4 property in your Google Analytics account. A "property" is just Google's word for one website's set of reports. Then add the GA4 tracking code to your website. If your website runs on WordPress, this is often done with a plugin, which is a small add-on for your website.
- Check that the important actions are counted: Visitor numbers are only part of the story. What you really want to know is how many people took action, such as sending your contact form, calling you from your website or making a purchase. GA4 calls these "conversions", and some of them need to be set up by hand. Send a test enquiry through your own form and make sure it shows up.
- Save the old reports you need: Google has said you will still be able to see your old Universal Analytics data for a while after 1 July, but not forever. Download the reports you care about, such as yearly visitor numbers and your best pages, and keep them somewhere safe.
Where an Agency Fits In
For a simple website, setting up GA4 can take an hour or two. For an online store or a website with lots of forms and buttons, there is more to check. A website agency can set it up properly, make sure the right actions are counted, and show you the handful of reports that are worth looking at each month.
How We Can Help
At IDM2, we can set up GA4 on your website, check it is counting the things that matter, and save your old reports before the switch. It fits neatly into our hosting and maintenance care, and it is a key part of good SEO, because you can't improve what you can't measure. Get in touch and we will help you move across well before 1 July.