Following one of our latest webinars ‘How to make the most of Google Analytics’, during the Q&A panel session we were asked some great questions. We are taking this opportunity to share them because if one person has asked it, you can guarantee its on all of our minds!

Is moving to Google Analytics 4 something you would recommend trying straight away?

The current Google Analytics is probably still preferred as there is further support for previous additions and is not possible to migrate historical data. However, Google Analytics 4 offers some built in capabilities around GDPR and action tracking that are proving to be vital additions. Therefore, we recommend running both versions concurrently for a period of time, so that historical data and existing data can be created. Overtime you can fade the older version out of your analysis once there is a good level of data stored in Google Analytics 4.

What’s new with Google Analytics4?

1. There are two key features that improve the experience for uses within Google Analytics 4: It meets GDPR regulations: You can be sure your data and storage is GDPR compliant as it doesn’t store full IP addresses and anonymises... What it does is something clever behind the scenes that groups people together in behaviours and trends, rather than stores individual data. This works much better on a cookie-less site, so you get the benefits without having to Google Analytics in individual consent.

• It tracks micro actions and activity: As opposed to URL page visits. This means that you can now track pdf downloads (regardless of whether URL changes) by focussing on the action that is required to download the pdf (e.g. click of a button). It also means google map usage can also be tracked automatically by the clicks and actions the user takes on the map – not just views of the URL.

How can I accurately and easily track subdomains?

In any iteration of Google Analytics, within one account you can be provided with a ‘big picture’ view by loading all of the URLs and viewing an amalgamation of statistics, or you can filter the view by individual domains to drill down into the detail.

How can I make Google Analytics reports more palatable?

It can feel overwhelming with all the information Google Analytics has on offer, however it’s important to identify what is actually relevant to your specific needs. The following options are available: through and find what’s relevant. You have a few options;

• Set up business goals through Google Analytics where you can analyse the information through a customised dashboard.
• Analyse data through the Google Analytics insights feature and ask questions like ‘how many visitors did I get last week’ and it will clearly display the specific analytics without you having to find the right page.
• Extract data out of Google Analytics and into other systems. If you have a CMS like NetXtra Engage, we have an integration that is automated with Google Analytics and it displays relevant information it directly into your CMS dashboard. As a result, you don’t actually need to go into Google Analytics account regularly, as the information is there in your CMS.

Do you set up goals in Google Analytics or do you have to add something on the website page you want to track?

It is dependent on your specific goals are. For example, if you wish to track your ‘thank you for ordering’ page, or similar that tracks your organisation goal, then this is the page you should set up as your goal page in Google Analytics. 

If you’ve got a check out process you should be tracking all pages to analyse at trends and dropout rates too – it’s useful information that can inform your future decisions. You need to understand where improvements can be made, as well as track successes, therefore, this is the only way to meet your organisation’s ultimate objectives and have a positive effect on the bottom line! 

What does Google Analytics define as a ‘bounce rate’?

Bounce rate is when a website visitor lands on your website on one page then leaves without completing any other activity. Your Google ranking will improve if people review more pages and look further into your site, however, the bounce rate needs to be viewed alongside other factors for example, if your digital marketing is set up effectively, the user will land on the page they need, obtain the information they were looking for and then leave / complete an action elsewhere (either on a different device or call). It is important to remember that bounce rate shouldn’t be solely taken as a positive or negative result.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact us at info@netxtra.net and our experts will be in touch! There are also two of Googles own blogs we recommend for further information, Happy reading!

• Introducing the new Google Analytics
• Universal Analytics versus Google Analytics 4 data