How to Use Predictive Analytics in Marketing: Examples, Tips, and Tools (2024)
In this post, we'll cover everything you need to know about predictive analytics — what it is, why it's important, and which tools are perfect for the job.
GA4 brings improvements like event tracking, better user privacy, and advanced machine learning capabilities, while maintaining free access and a familiar interface. Users should consider potential disruptions to third-party integrations during the transition.
Google Analytics 4 vs. Universal Analytics—it's no longer a question of "why" or "which," but "when."
Google will officially phase out Universal Analytics in July 2023. With Google Analytics 4 just around the corner, website owners need to prepare for future changes.
This chapter highlights the key differences and similarities between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics.
Google Analytics 4 is the latest version of the go-to website analytics software on the internet. It future-proofs your web analytics system with "cookie-less tracking," true multi-platform support, modern data visualizations, and a ton of front-end improvements for a better user experience.
Google Analytics 4 is set to fully release in July 2023. In the meantime, businesses, marketers, and individual website owners can stick with Google Analytics 3—AKA Universal Analytics.
In recent years, Universal Analytics is regarded as the gold standard in website analytics. It defined behavior analytics, enabled multi-device tracking, and enhanced the platform's overall usability.
Google Analytics 4 is the product of nearly 18 years of continuous improvements.
Here's a review of the evolution of Google Analytics:
Must-read: Google Analytics 4: A Complete Guide
In July 2023, Universal Analytics will stop processing data to usher in the rollout of Google Analytics 4.
Below are the changes users should expect when their Universal Analytics properties are automatically switched to Google Analytics 4:
Understanding Google Analytics 4 metrics and dimensions is a major roadblock to Google Analytics 4 adoption. Unlike Universal Analytics which can only collect data using "hits" (page hits, user timing hits, etc.), Google Analytics 4 tracks everything as events, including user interactions and conversion goals.
The departure from the hit-based data measurement model means some metrics need to be rebuilt or renamed in Google Analytics 4. "Pageview" and "Unique Pageview," for example, are combined into a single Google Analytics 4 metric called "Views" (one of the automatically-collected events).
Google Analytics 4 puts an end to IP address collection and storage. You no longer have to manually anonymize user IP addresses like in Universal Analytics since the information isn't collected in the first place.
Google Analytics 4 introduces an overhaul of the dashboard's reporting interface. The navigation menu is also simplified and more organized as related data sets are consolidated into "Life cycle" report pages.
Both Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics let you create custom dimensions and metrics. But in Google Analytics, you have the option to archive unused custom dimensions and metrics, whereas you can only disable them with Universal Analytics.
Universal Analytics won't receive updated tools, including X advanced Google Analytics 4 features that bolster the platform's capabilities. This includes Explorations, the Advertising workspace, and enhanced measurement events.
Google Analytics 4 reporting templates will differ slightly from Universal Analytics templates to accommodate new data collection features. Create custom reports with templates to speed up the initial configuration process and simplify data analysis.
With Google Analytics 4, you don't need Firebase or similar tools to track mobile apps. Mobile app data and website data for the same property are automatically combined from the start—as long as the correct data streams are used.
Google Analytics 4 can leverage ML technology to forecast predictive metrics, like purchase probability and predicted revenue. ML is also used to analyze user behavior patterns to create "predictive audiences," like users who are most likely to convert.
Universal Analytics tracks sessions by measuring the elapsed time from the user's initial engagement to session-ending conditions, like 30 minutes of inactivity, browsing past midnight, or triggered parameters from other campaigns. With Google Analytics 4, sessions will no longer end past midnight or whenever new campaign parameters are met (sessions still end after 30 minutes of inactivity).
Must-read: Google Analytics 4: Event Tracking Ultimate Guide
While Google Analytics 4 introduces a world of changes, a few things remained the same:
Must-read: How to Set Up Google Analytics 4: eCommerce Tracking
Google Analytics 4 is superior to Universal Analytics across the board. However, you need to consider a few things before switching.
First, any third-party integrations and add-ons you have with Universal Analytics may cease to work.
For example, if you use an external Business Intelligence (BI) tool to process data from Universal Analytics, check if it supports Google Analytics 4 first. Otherwise, back up your data and import it to your new Google Analytics 4 property.
Your dashboard configurations, fine-tuned property settings, and report templates may also stop working with Google Analytics 4. As such, it's important to learn how to implement these tweaks on your Google Analytics 4 property beforehand.
Must-read: How to upgrade to Google Analytics 4 (From UA)
Good news—Google Analytics 4 seamlessly integrates with Polymer, just like Universal Analytics.
Polymer is a cutting-edge Business Intelligence platform that will help consolidate your data, manage dashboards, and generate visualizations without spending hours on learning resources.
Here's a quick overview of Polymer's features:
Must-read: Google Analytics 4 for SaaS/Product: Complete Guide
Yes, Google Analytics 4 is better than Universal Analytics in almost all aspects, be it from a reporting or data collection standpoint. Google Analytics 4 is very easy to use and comes with more features and back-end improvements that help you organize and manage your website data efficiently.
Yes, Google Analytics 4 will replace Universal Analytics in July 2023. Google announced that Universal Analytics properties would stop processing data by the deadline.
Google Analytics 4 is, by far, the best version of Google Analytics. It successfully utilizes machine learning and event-based tracking to enable deeper, more actionable traffic analysis—across multiple platforms.
No, you can't migrate data from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4, but you can migrate your custom events and goals via the GA4 Setup Assistant. Universal Analytics' historical data isn't compatible with Google Analytics 4's new data measurement model.
Google Analytics 4 is clearly superior to Unversal Analytics.
The reliability of event-based data, paired with the usability and reporting capabilities of Google Analytics 4, make it the obvious choice if you want to prepare for the next stage of website analytics.
Google Analytics 4 is also fully supported by Polymer, the best data management and BI solutions in the market.
Create a free Polymer trial account today and explore your data at unprecedented depths.
See for yourself how fast and easy it is to uncover profitable insights hidden in your data. Get started today, free for 7 days.
Try Polymer For Free