Google Analytics is changing, are you ready?

James Akers from The Digital Culture Network explains the upcoming changes to Google Analytics and how to prepare for the switchover.

If you want to understand how users found your website, what content they find most interesting, and whether they are doing the things you’d like them to do, you can use a web analytics tool to capture data and explore reports. A popular free tool, used on an estimated 86% of websites, is Google Analytics. You may already have an existing Google Analytics account set up on your website, if it is older than 12 months it is most likely Universal Analytics, which will stop working later this year.

What is happening and why?

The current version of Google Analytics (Universal Analytics or UA) will stop collecting data on 1 July 2023. Universal Analytics is built on technology that is becoming outdated and cannot keep up with changes to technology and online privacy expectations. If your museum uses UA to track user behaviour and website performance, you should begin the switch to an alternative now. To plan for the decommissioning of Google Universal Analytics, here are the key dates:

• 1 July 2023 – UA will stop collecting any new data (historical data is still available).
• 1 January 2024 – UA will be fully shut down (no historical data or access to the interface).

Why is it important to act soon?

When Universal Analytics is shut down at the end of the year you will no longer have access to any historical data from past months or years. Although you can export data from Universal Analytics before then, you won’t be able to import it into most other platforms. The earlier you install an alternative web analytics platform the better. It can run parallel to your existing analytics and start capturing its own set of data.

Google Analytics 4 

In 2021, Google released a brand-new version, completely rewritten from the ground up, called Google Analytics 4 (GA4). This updated version approaches its data collection in a completely different way which makes it highly flexible and customisable. Additionally, GA4 will automatically track user actions such as file downloads, video plays, and links to other websites.

Seize the opportunity

This is a fantastic opportunity to review what your organisation is measuring, and why. Would it be beneficial to see how users are interacting with your online collections? Are they watching the video content you are creating? Do they show intent to visit your café by downloading a menu? You can learn more in Digital Culture Network’s Introduction to Google Analytics 4 article>>

Google is prompting users to “migrate” Universal Analytics to GA4 using its automated process, we recommend doing it manually to prevent any misconfiguration and messy data. We recently ran a webinar outlining the steps to setup and configure a new GA4 account Getting started with Google Analytics 4>>

Support from the Digital Culture Network

Approaching GA4 for the first time can be daunting, please remember you are not alone, and we are here to help. We have a range of upcoming webinars and articles to support you’re in your digital journey. You can find out more on our website and by signing up to the Digital Culture Network Newsletter>>

If you work in a non-profit cultural organisation in England, you can also access free 1-2-1 support from our specialist Tech Champions. Click here to request a free 1-2-1