Chapter 9: Google Analytics 4 for SaaS/Digital Products: Complete Guide

What happens to your UA data now that Google Analytics 4 (GA4) replaces Universal Analytics?

Will GA4 provide the same level of insights to your SaaS company? Or will GA4 give you more?

If so, what other crucial insights will GA4 bring you?

These are some of the many questions SaaS companies have about GA4.

And if you’ve got TONS of questions about how the transition from UA to GA4 will impact your SaaS company, then you’re in the right place.

We’ll dive deep into GA4, including how it can benefit your company and the steps to migrate UA to GA4 for SaaS companies and those offering digital products.   

Table of contents

Benefits of using Google Analytics 4 for SaaS/Product

Steps to migrate from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics for SaaS products

1. Develop a migration plan

2. Set up your Google Analytics 4 account and install the code

3. Create and launch your GA4 Property with the required data streams

4. Identify goals and set up GA 4 custom events

5. Review your GA4 data with internal systems

6. Create reports and funnels

7. Connect your GA 4 account to relevant tools

8. Set a migration date and archive your UA data

Turn your SaaS/Product data in GA 4 into dashboards with Polymer

People also ask

1. What can I track in Google Analytics 4 for SaaS?

2. How do I set up GA4 for SaaS/Product?

3. What are some best practices for using GA4 for SaaS/Products?

Configure Google Analytics 4 for SaaS/Product efficiently

Benefits of using Google Analytics 4 for SaaS/Product

Using Google Analytics 4 for SaaS and B2B companies offers several advantages:

No data collection limits

Universal Analytics limits you to ten million monthly hits, but Google Analytics 4 allows unlimited data collection. 

GA4 lets you collect all the data you need to understand your target audience better. 

Must read: What Is Google Analytics 4?

Access to cross-platform tracking

UA can only track website data, but GA4 can do cross-platform tracking. 

You can set up separate properties to view app engagement data with UA. 

GA4 makes this easier by putting everything in one place, giving you a whole-picture view of your target audience’s behavior, including whether they interact with your app, website, or both. 

Read this guide about Google Analytics 4 vs. Universal Analytics: 10 Key Differences to learn more. 

GA4 helps you understand the customer journey better

Instead of merely selling a product, B2B and SaaS companies focus on nurturing long-term client relationships. 

To do this, you must deeply understand your target audience’s pain points, needs, and behavior. 

GA4’s event-based model gives you a more holistic view of the customer journey, including the smallest interactions.

GA4’s granular view of your data helps you spot issues and optimize the user experience to improve it. 

GA4’s machine learning functionalities can evolve with your users and business, giving you more in-depth and accurate insights. 

GA4 lets you extract data from enhanced measurement events

GA4 eliminates guesswork by describing how users interact with your content and website. 

GA4’s enhanced measurement events let you see users’ scrolling behavior, such as what they search for on your site, if they finished watching your video, or downloaded files. 

This granular view allows you to drill down on your website design and content to enhance the user experience. 

Must read: Event tracking in Google Analytics 4: Ultimate Guide

Steps to migrate from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 for SaaS products

Learning how to upgrade to Google Analytics 4 (from UA) doesn’t have to be complicated. You can follow the steps below to make your transition so much easier and straightforward.

1. Develop a migration plan

Set up a plan and document all your goals, events, and other essential settings before migrating from UA to GA4. 

Use a migration document or spreadsheet to document the entire migration scope and execute your post-migration Quality Assurance (QA) check.  

Double-check your user permissions and ensure stakeholders get the necessary access to your GA4 reports. 

2. Set up your Google Analytics 4 account and install the code

The first step in your migration process is to master setting up a Google Analytics 4 Property (without UA).

The process involves configuring a new property within your Google Analytics account and setting it up to meet your tracking needs. 

For the most part, using Google Tag Manager (GTM) instead of adding the GA4 code to your source code is highly recommended.

Using the free GTM tool allows you to:

  • Test all tags before deploying them on your website in testing mode to ensure they work accordingly and get the data you want. 
  • Quickly deploy since you won’t need to wait for the next release or involve developers adding marketing tags such as conversions, pixels, tools, audiences, etc.
  • Use Google Analytics 4 reporting templates to install your tools and tags easily. You can also use Custom templates of HTML created by the community.

Must read: Understanding Google Analytics 4 Metrics and Dimensions

3. Create and launch your GA4 Property with the required data streams

Configure data streams from all the environments you want to track, such as mobile apps and subdomains. 

Collect data from all your resources to monitor your new GA4 property. 

4. Identify goals and set up GA4 custom events

Set up all the crucial triggers and events using GTM since this allows you to keep your GA4 settings in one place. 

GTM’s flexibility allows it to address 90% of custom event setups. 

Add goals after you set up the events to ensure you can support your desired reporting infrastructure. 

While you can import several conversions from UA with the Setup Assistant tool, confirm that the events work. 

Doing this is necessary since you must fulfill specific conditions to get them to work. 

You can avoid problems by setting up all the required events separately with a template and event structure designed specifically for GA4 events.  

You can use the special GTM template for GA4 events if you set it up from scratch. Then, add extra parameters, set conditions, and set up events accordingly. 

5. Review your GA4 data with internal systems

GA4 works differently from UA when it comes to data collection and processing. 

You must validate registrations, form submissions, purchases, and other business-critical data with your existing internal systems. 

Doing so helps ensure that your GA4 reports reflect your conversions accurately. 

6. Create reports and funnels

GA4 offers handy custom reporting features known as Explorations

Consider adding Explorations based on the frequent business questions you need to address regularly.  

For instance, many SaaS and B2B companies set up Segment Builder and User Lifetime after validating GA4 data. 

You can also use Google Analytics 4 Reports and Analysis Hub to build your reports and funnels like a pro.

7. Connect your GA4 account to relevant tools

Configure your integrations with Google Search Console, Google Ads, and other systems necessary to your business that GA4 supports. 

8. Set a migration date and archive your UA data

Check and ensure your new GA4 reporting systems work as you intended and plan a final UA shutdown. 

Remember that Google will delete all UA data starting January 1, 2024, so download your UA property reports, ensuring you can still access your historical data after the shutdown.

Turn your SaaS/Product data in GA4 into dashboards with Polymer

While Google Analytics 4 has advanced features, you can take your GA4 reporting and dashboarding to the next level with Polymer—a Business Intelligence software with advanced capabilities.

Polymer’s Google Analytics integration lets you automatically build and sync your GA4 dashboards and reports without coding. 

Connect your data source (Google Analytics 4).

Log in to the email you use with your GA4 account and pull your analytics data in seconds. 

Filter and tweak the presentation options to make building your GA4 data visualizations easier. 

Then, add your desired insights, such as trends, charts, and other visualizations, to build your GA4 dashboard. 

Polymer can generate pie charts and trends of your data quickly. 

You can put everything together quickly to create an easy-to-understand dashboard of your GA4 data. 

Polymer supercharges and streamlines visualizing and sharing your GA4 data and insights with your team members and stakeholders so everyone is in the loop and up-to-date. 

People also ask

Let’s review the frequently asked questions about Google Analytics 4 for SaaS. 

1. What can I track in Google Analytics 4 for SaaS?

Focus on measuring events and user interactions since this can give you insights into user retention, behavior, and conversion rates. 

Key items you can track include:

  • Conversions
  • User Engagement
  • User Journey

2. How do I set up GA4 for SaaS/Product?

If you’re migrating from UA, follow the steps in this guide (see above). 

Refer to this guide from Google’s Help Center if you’re starting from scratch.

3. What are some best practices for using GA4 for SaaS/Products?

Some of the time-tested tips for using GA4 as a SaaS business include the following:

  • Learn how to set up ecommerce tracking in Google Analytics 4. The analytics tool lets you monitor purchases, revenue, and other vital metrics if your SaaS/product has an ecommerce component.
  • Determine and set up conversion goals, including purchases, trial sign-ups, and upgrades. Set these goals in your GA4 tracking to monitor user segment and acquisition channel success. 

Configure Google Analytics 4 for SaaS/Product efficiently

Google Analytics 4 is invaluable for SaaS companies and those offering digital products. It can reveal crucial user behavior insights, which company owners can then use to improve conversions and sales.

Leverage GA4’s robust tracking capabilities, reporting features, and machine learning capabilities to make data-driven decisions, optimize your marketing strategies, and enhance the user experience. 

Combine the power of Google Analytics 4 with Polymer to level up your BI analytics through simple yet impactful data visualizations. 

Try Polymer for free to uncover how it can help your SaaS GA4 analytics and reporting.  

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