Making the switch to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Currently you will be using Google Analytics Universal but from March 2023 Google are recommending all Analytics users to switch over to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) which will take over in July 2023.
What happens if I do not set up a GA4 account? Not only will you lose basic data like website or app visits, if you are monitoring and tracking bookings or online orders for marketing purposes, you may also lose all your conversion data. Tracking and monitoring conversion data allows you to make better decisions on your marketing activities and helps to improve ROI.
What is Google Analytics 4?
Google Analytics 4 is the newest version of Google’s popular web analytics platform. It is designed to provide businesses with more accurate data, better insights, and a more intuitive user interface. Additionally, it offers advanced tracking capabilities that allows businesses to gain deeper insights into their customers’ behaviour.
What is the importance of GA4 for restaurants?
The primary advantage of Google Analytics 4 is that it offers enhanced privacy features that comply with the latest data protection regulations. For instance, the platform offers the option to manage user data using Google’s privacy settings, making it easier for businesses to maintain compliance.
Moreover, Google Analytics 4 provides a seamless integration with Google Ads and other Google products, enabling businesses to monitor the performance of their digital marketing campaigns in real-time. The platform’s user-friendly interface also makes it easy for restaurants to set up and customise their analytics dashboards.
Step by step guide on making the switch
Create a new property in your Google Analytics account specifically for GA4
This will enable you to collect data separately from your current Universal Analytics (UA) property. To do this, select your current UA property from the Property column and click on the GA4 Setup Assistant option. From there, click “Get started” under “I want to create a new Google Analytics 4 property.
Update your website or app tracking code to the new GA4 code to start collecting data in your new property
It is recommended to set up Google Tag Manager, especially for businesses running multiple marketing campaigns across different channels. Be sure to set up conversion tracking for all actions you want to monitor on your website or app, such as table bookings or online orders. You can also move your goals from UA into GA4.
To send data from various sources, such as websites or mobile apps, to your GA4 property, configure data streams
Once data is being collected in your GA4 property, use the built-in analytics tools to analyse user behaviour and track your restaurant’s performance. To ensure a smooth transition and compare data accuracy, consider running both UA and GA4 properties in parallel for a period.
Train your team on how to use GA4
Google Analytics 4 comes with many new features such as machine learning-powered insights, to make informed decisions. Keep in mind that the migration to GA4 may require time and effort, but it can provide more robust and insightful analytics data for your restaurant.
In conclusion, if you want to stay ahead of the competition and comply with data privacy regulations, we highly recommend that you switch to Google Analytics 4.
With its advanced features and intuitive user interface, this platform will help you gain deeper insights into your customers’ behaviour and make data-driven decisions for your restaurant’s growth.
Hire a marketing expert to help make the switch
We are here to help! Contact us today and we can take care of the set up and migration for you.
