It’s easy to look at the new Google Analytics 4 (GA4) dashboards and feel completely lost. For those who don’t have a great deal of experience working with GA4 you may think the issue is you but rest assured, there is a considerable amount of angst from even the most seasoned marketers and data analysts.
There’s a great article from Roger Montti published in the June 23, 2021 edition of searchenginejournal.com that explains why there’s so much negative backlash. If you’re looking for some validation into your own misgivings, this is a must-read article.
I’ve been telling my own clients to run parallel instances of their existing GA account alongside a new GA4 property because in case you didn’t already know, GA4 doesn’t import any of your existing data. That may change but as of now, it’s not a guarantee so running both at the same time means that even if you simply ignore the new GA4 property, it’s still gathering data.
Here are some of the GA4 pain points Montti covers:
- GA4 is difficult to use.
- GA4 is so complex even seasoned data nerds require a manual to use it.
- GA4 is geared less toward general use and more toward commercial ecommerce.
- Many existing third party add-ons are no longer compatible.
Have you started using GA4? If so, what’s your opinion?
