GA4 for Shopify. What is it and what needs to be done?
What is GA4?
Google Analytics 4 (referred to as GA4) is an analytics service that enables you to measure website traffic and customer engagement across your Shopify website(s) and apps.
In simple terms, it’s a free service offered by google that lets you track how well your site is performing. You can track all manner of things, from how many people are visiting the site, right through to what links have been clicked, what content is being read and engaged with.
Why is GA3 being replaced?
Universal Analytics (also known as GA3) has been the default workspace version for over a decade since it was initially implemented back in 2012, and in the modern age of website apps, AI/machine learning and legislation (GDPR/CCPA), UA/GA3 is simply put; outdated. The way in which the data is being tracked and processed is very different in GA4 and has much more focus on how engaged visitors. Whilst this will undoubtedly take a lot of getting used too, longer term the new metrics will be much more valuable to your business.
What needs to be done next
As of 1st July 2023, Universal Analytics (GA3) will be replaced by GA4 as Google Analytics’ next-generation measurement solution. This means that UA/GA3 will cease to receive any data from your website, and thus should be a huge priority for your business to transition to the new GA4 as soon as possible to ensure you have a continuity flow in your site reporting.
Our Recommendation
As with any analytical software, the reporting and results are only as good as the data that is in there. Rather than getting to July 2023 and starting from scratch, what we are recommending to people is that you have GA4 set up and tracking data along side your current GA3 set up. This means that come July 1st, you will already have a good chunk of data in the new system and using it will be much more meaningful.
We strongly recommend that you ensure that this is done as soon as possible, as this will allow you to have as much historical data already loaded onto GA4, meaning that the sooner you switch, the more data you will have stored in your new GA4 property.
Solution
Squashed Pixel have already completed a number of projects moving from GA3 to GA4 on the Shopify platform, and we can offer this service to you as a quick, painless and seamless update.
We split the update into 5 key tasks;
1. Set up a new Tag Manager account
2. Create the Shopify data layer as variables within Tag Manager
3. Set up triggers
4. Migrate all event / conversion snippets from the theme code / thank you page to the tag manager account using the data layer variables
5. GA4 Setup
Get in touch with us today to have a chat about how we can help you update to GA4
Phone - 01535 517729
Email - hello@squashedpixel.co.uk