Why you shouldn't switch to Google Analytics 4
Google Analytics 4 has been released, and with it comes a lot of new features and changes. If you’re like many people, you might be considering making the switch from your current analytics platform to Google Analytics 4. But before you do, there are some things you should know. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the pros and cons of using Google Analytics 4. We’ll also show you how to migrate your data over to the best alternative for Google Analytics, so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not to switch. So without further ado, let’s get started!
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics, and it’s designed to give you a deeper understanding of your customers and how they interact with your business.
GA4 tracking is based on events, which are actions that users take on your website or app. This data is then used to generate insights that can help you improve your marketing and grow your business.
Some people are switching to GA4 because it offers more accurate data than other tracking methods, and it’s also more flexible and easy to use. However, GA4 is still in its early stages, so it may not be the best choice for everyone.
GA4 offers several benefits over previous versions, including the ability to better understand user behavior, track conversions across devices, and measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. However, GA4 also has some disadvantages, such as a steep learning curve.
There are also several other reasons why you might not want to switch to it just yet. First of all, GA4 is still in beta, which means that it may be subject to change and that some features may not be fully developed.
Additionally, GA4 requires a different approach to data collection and analysis, which can be difficult for users who are accustomed to the previous versions. GA4 also does not yet support some of the more advanced features that are available in other analytics tools.
What’s actually the biggest issue is that in recent years, Google has faced increasing scrutiny over its handling of user data.
In 2018, the European Union fined Google $5 billion for violating antitrust laws, and in 2019, the company was hit with a $170 million fine for collecting data from children without their parents’ consent.
Now, the thing with GA4 is that it collects more data than its predecessor, including device and browser information, IP addresses, and metadata about user activity. This data is then used to target ads more effectively. While Google claims that GA4 will help users better understand their web traffic, critics argue that the increased data collection poses a risk to user privacy.
In light of these concerns, GA4 should not be your first choice if you care about user privacy. Especially when there are many other analytics platforms that offer better privacy protection for users and better features.
One such option is Stormly. Not only is all data operations located in Europe, so your data is completely safe with us, but Stormly also uses AI and ML algorithms to generate insights from data, saving you tons of time and manual experimentation.
Stormly Product Analytics has been working since the beginning on event-based analytics in a similar way to GA4. We are therefore used to working with companies that have a lot of events and properties. Event-based analytics is powerful because it provides insights at a granular level.
This means that you can track not just broad trends, but also narrow down to specific interactions that users have with your product. Stormly provides multiple options for including different events and properties, so you have more flexibility to choose what data to collect and track.
As a result, you can get a more complete picture of how users interact with your product and make adjustments accordingly. Ultimately, this leads to a better user experience and more conversions.
For Google Analytics 4, it’s worth mentioning that it has a number of limitations that users should be aware of.
First, there is a limit of 500 personalized event names. This can be limiting for larger businesses who may have more than 500 events they want to track. Additionally, each event can only have 25 parameters associated with it. This can make it difficult to track all the data you want.
Furthermore, user properties have a 24-character limit and cannot be deleted, Event names are limited to 40 characters and User property values are limited to 36 characters. This can make it difficult to keep track of user data over time.
However, one of the most important issues is sampling and data retention limits. This means that not all data will be captured, and that some data may only be retained for a certain period of time. As a result, it is important to use other sources of data to supplement what is gathered through Google Analytics.
Stormly, on the other hand, does not have these kinds of limitations. This means that businesses can trust that the data they’re collecting is accurate and complete. In addition, Stormly offers a number of features that go beyond what Google Analytics 4 offers. This makes it an ideal solution for businesses that need to collect accurate data without any restrictions.
Google Analytics 4 is not worth switching to, because it doesn’t offer anything new that you can’t find in other data analytics tools. Stormly is a great option for those looking for advanced features and insights. With Stormly you get the next level of analytics including easy to use Dashboards, automatically generated insights, and more. So, if you’re looking for an analytics tool that will give you the edge over your competition, sign up for Stormly today.