Datahash

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is an advanced web analytics platform by Google designed for businesses to understand and optimize their online presence.It represents a significant evolution from its predecessor, Universal Analytics, and is designed to provide more comprehensive and user-centric insights. 

GA4 enables businesses to collect, measure, and analyze user data from websites and mobile apps. It offers several key features and improvements over its predecessor, Universal Analytics:

• Event-Centric Tracking
• Cross-Platform Tracking
• User-Centric Reporting
• Enhanced Machine Learning
• Privacy-Centric
• Streamlined Configuration

GA4 uses machine learning for predictive analytics and is the recommended analytics solution for staying competitive in the evolving digital landscape. It offers a user-centric, privacy-conscious, and forward-thinking approach to digital marketing analytics.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Universal Analytics (UA) may both be analytics platforms, but they exhibit substantial differences in their methodologies, attributes, and capabilities. Below, we outline the primary distinctions between GA4 and Universal Analytics:

• Event-Centric Tracking vs. Pageview-Centric Tracking:
  • GA4: GA4 centers its tracking on user interactions and events (like pageviews, clicks, and video plays), offering greater flexibility and customization for monitoring user engagement across websites and apps.
  • Universal Analytics: UA is pageview-centric, where the primary tracking is based on pageviews and sessions. While it can track events, it doesn’t emphasize them as strongly as GA4.
• Cross-Platform Tracking:
  • GA4: GA4 seamlessly tracks user interactions across websites and mobile apps. This is crucial in today’s multi-device and multi-platform environment, providing a unified view of user journeys.
  • Universal Analytics: UA separates web and mobile app tracking, making it more challenging to connect user behavior across various platforms.
• User-Centric Reporting:
  • GA4: GA4 prioritizes user-centric metrics, such as user engagement, retention, and customer lifetime value, offering a more comprehensive understanding of individual user experiences.
  • Universal Analytics: UA primarily provides session-based metrics, which focus on aggregated data without emphasizing individual user behavior to the same extent.
• Machine Learning and Predictive Metrics:
  • GA4: GA4 incorporates machine learning to provide predictive metrics and insights, helping businesses identify trends and opportunities more effectively.
  • Universal Analytics: UA lacks built-in machine learning capabilities for predictive analytics.
• Privacy-Centric Design:
  • GA4: GA4 has been crafted with an emphasis on bolstering privacy measures. It boasts built-in consent monitoring, data retention controls, and a heightened commitment to safeguarding user data, aiding businesses in adhering to evolving privacy regulations. 
  • Universal Analytics: UA, on the other hand, incorporates fewer inherent privacy features, rendering it less adept at addressing the ever-evolving concerns and regulations surrounding privacy.
• Customization and Flexibility:
  • GA4: GA4 offers greater customization options and flexibility for tracking events and user interactions, making it suitable for a wider range of analytics needs.
  • Universal Analytics: UA has limitations in terms of event tracking and customization, which can be less adaptable to specific tracking requirements.

In summary, GA4 represents a more modern and user-centric approach to digital analytics, with a strong emphasis on event tracking, cross-platform integration, and privacy compliance.

GA4 Setup Modes

Moving forward, we will proceed to select the connection mode. In this context, we have three available choices:

• Device mode exclusively
• Cloud mode exclusively
• Hybrid mode, encompassing both cloud and device mode

In this illustration, we will configure the system in Hybrid mode. However, if you wish to establish a connection exclusively in either cloud mode or device mode, please contact our support team.