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It was October 2020. Google announced the beginning of a new era<\/a> and, in the same breath, the end of another. Universal Analytics (UA), the Google tool that synthesizes megatons of data collected online for marketing purposes, was to close its doors in 2023. To replace it, a new vehicle with a similar body but improved engine and axles: Google Analytics 4 (GA4), a version of the product re-designed to more easily navigate the fjords of Web 4.0. Unlike other platform transitions that go unnoticed, this one requires companies to transfer the data collected on UA to the new GA4 platform before July 1st of this year, the date on which Google has set the official obsolescence of UA. Until then, both versions are functioning as best they can in parallel. <\/span><\/p>\n Google’s analytical tools, used by companies to translate user behavior on their domain into digestible data, methodically collect our digital age\u2019s \u201cgold\u201d: they interpret clicks, make web traffic speak, transform millions of numbers into graphs, use algorithms to understand the psychology of the user, track our virtual steps, question the frequency of page visits, and provide specific answers regarding general user behavior; in short, such tools constitute the foundations on which a 21st-century online marketing plan is built. <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] <\/p>\n <\/p>\n For many, the news of this forced migration left a ripple of uncertainty in its wake. For companies, the traffic collected by UA since its launch in 2012 represents an invaluable swarm of data. Because while it is risky to let Google handle an automatic transition (which we recommend against), the risk of mishandling and losing data after July 1st is very real according to Mika\u00ebl Perreault, the Director of Data Science<\/a> at Click & Mortar.<\/span><\/p>\n And even if the data is successfully transferred, the new system must be taught how to interpret it. While the interfaces of UA and GA4 are similar, their modus operandi is not. Launched over a decade ago, the Universal Analytics model is based on a liberal and systematic collection of “cookies” on websites, using them to record a user’s interactions with a web page. The new version, on the other hand, bypasses the use of cookies \u2013 new stricter laws require it \u2013 and instead creates a user profile based on more refined micro “events”: a click, the time spent on a page, downloading a file, watching a video.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n To ensure a smooth transition, several companies are turning to expert digital marketing and analytics firms. A decision that Mikael Perreault, Director of Data Science at Click & Mortar, compares to the safety of a high-end car: “There are several ways to make the transition,” he explains. “You can do it Toyota Tercel style. But you can also go with the Cadillac of transitions.” <\/span><\/p>\n When it’s pointed out to him that many people get by just fine in a Tercel, Mika\u00ebl Perreault retorts that the highway of Web 4.0 isn’t paved with the same asphalt as Highway 40. “Listen, it’s possible to make the transition on the cheap and in a hurry,” he says, “but it’s never a good investment not to invest. Analytics is always the cornerstone of marketing; so it’s worth entrusting your transition to a company that knows what it’s doing and will ensure it’s done right.” According to him, investing now allows a company to build a steel foundation for its analytics-driven marketing, which is essential for future successful online campaigns. Tercels, it isn\u2019t untrue, tend to struggle on long distances.<\/span><\/p>\n Recently, <\/span>Le Devoir<\/span><\/i> took a tour of the Click & Mortar Cadillac, a choice that quickly became evident for the reputable Montreal news outlet. “The perceived professionalism during the initial meeting, the reasonable rate, and a proposed timeline that fits our needs motivated our choice to move forward with Click & Mortar,” explains Simon Poirier, Director of Analytics and Business Intelligence at <\/span>Le Devoir<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n While using GA4 will become the only option starting in July, using it effectively will largely depend on the care companies have taken in this migration. According to Mika\u00ebl Perreault, optimal use of the tool relies primarily on careful guidance \u2013 ensuring, among other things, that the right things are analyzed at the right time. “Yes, data, but the most important thing is good-quality data that can be easily interpreted,” he insists. It’s important to listen to the data; but we also need to understand when it’s speaking.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\nA Feared Transition<\/strong><\/h3>\n
A Necessary Luxury<\/strong><\/h3>\n