Google Analytics - how is everyone else getting on with V4?

[sjr4x4]

I've always loved Google's Universal Analytics, it's been fundamental in tracking business growth, analysing marketing campaigns and conversions.

But I've been hounded by the Google god to upgrade to version 4 and have been putting it off. But as it's xmas, thought now would be a good time to migrate over and familiarise myself.

Holy moly, how complicated? Is it me? They seem to have taken a logical and really useful product I would have happily paid for and rewritten it in double-dutch!

In acquisition, I seem to have lost any drill down detail into where traffic came from, same with audience data. Luckily a migration tool copied over my goals to these god awful event triggers, but I seem to have a hit a 30 event trigger limit. It makes as much sense as googles cloud console ?

I've no doubt I'll get used to it once I start playing with it, but it all seems a bit of a faff, when the old GA seemed to do the job?

How is anyone else getting on with it? Are you won over? Is it amazing and can do so much more and I'm just an old fart that doesn't like change?

Win me over, current verdict is I want the old one back!

 

[Fagin2021]

I've always loved Google's Universal Analytics, it's been fundamental in tracking business growth, analysing marketing campaigns and conversions.

But I've been hounded by the Google god to upgrade to version 4 and have been putting it off. But as it's xmas, thought now would be a good time to migrate over and familiarise myself.

Holy moly, how complicated? Is it me? They seem to have taken a logical and really useful product I would have happily paid for and rewritten it in double-dutch!

In acquisition, I seem to have lost any drill down detail into where traffic came from, same with audience data. Luckily a migration tool copied over my goals to these god awful event triggers, but I seem to have a hit a 30 event trigger limit. It makes as much sense as googles cloud console ?

I've no doubt I'll get used to it once I start playing with it, but it all seems a bit of a faff, when the old GA seemed to do the job?

How is anyone else getting on with it? Are you won over? Is it amazing and can do so much more and I'm just an old fart that doesn't like change?

Win me over, current verdict is I want the old one back!

Can't win you over. I want the old one back too!

There's no doubt GA4 is more powerful and comprehensive but it seems designed for large companies or agencies with dedicated specialists. Us mortals need a Version 4 Lite.

 

[fisicx]

Which is why I stopped using GA years ago. Clicky does a much better job.

 

[sjr4x4]

Which is why I stopped using GA years ago. Clicky does a much better job.

Well fisicx, it has taken a while, I've persevered and finally surrendered. GA4 just isn't up to the job, at least for what I'm using it for. So after trawling through the alternatives, your words rang out when I came across Clicky.

Setup in minutes, obvious, logical, cheap as chips, I'm impressed. Au Revoir GA4!

 

[wayzgoose]

Well fisicx, it has taken a while, I've persevered and finally surrendered. GA4 just isn't up to the job, at least for what I'm using it for. So after trawling through the alternatives, your words rang out when I came across Clicky.

Setup in minutes, obvious, logical, cheap as chips, I'm impressed. Au Revoir GA4!

Give Statcounter a try too. Always did prefer it to GA.

 

[SocialChameleo]

I've had so many people tell me that GA4 is more powerful and that I'm using it wrong, but I've had enough. In typical Google fashion they've taken one of their perfect, successful products, and absolutely destroyed it. I hate it, in a way that surpasses my hatred of the new SC dashboard, and Ads experiences.

 

[HFE Signs]

Most people I've spoken with don't like it either, whenever google change the interface its frustrating learning the new layout and where to find the bits you need. I hate the new addwords console, I've set mine to use the old version for the time being

 

[Kerwin]

I was going to avoid using GA and write a simple version which tells me the source of each visitor and what they clicked on on any given page. That is pretty much all I need at the moment. I'm not a massive fan of having everything in a Google account.

 

[japancool]

Have tried GA4. The real time report is considerably less useful.

 

[Peak District SEO]

Most agency people I have spoken to don't like it either. We have retained clients, each one with different setups on different platforms, WordPress, Shopify, Magento etc. The basic setup is easy, but transferring Gaols to EVENTS is a big faff, and we are Universal Analytics certified. Small business owners will lose out big time. I only hope Google see sense and abandons the countdown until they find a way to migrate the data in a better manner

 

[fisicx]

Or just move to a better analytics application.