Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has had its fair share of criticism from marketers. With its slow user interface, data lag, discrepancies in data, lack of features and resources, and difficulty recreating reports, it's no wonder the new analytics program is causing so much frustration.
The biggest issue reported by our readers was the user interface, described as “slow”, “laughable” and other adjectives that weren’t suitable for publishing. Independent sales and marketing contractor, John Erikson, explained that instead of the ability to select and deselect one or more segments in a single list and click 'apply' as with Universal Analytics, with GA4 you have to open customization or add comparison, click add filter, select a dimension from a long dropdown, then select dimension value from another dropdown, then apply.
The data latency, taking 12-24 hours to report on what is happening, was another major concern for marketers. The inability to monitor performance constantly has caused confusion as to why the new analytics platform doesn’t appear to have this function.
Data discrepancies were also raised as a worry, with some questioning whether they can trust the data being served. One marketer, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “What I find problematic is the discrepancy between GA4 API and the respective Looker Studio Connector. Dimensions that are present in the API and even per default in the GA4 reporting interface are apparently missing in the Looker Studio connector, e.g. Landing Page dimension.”
GA4 was also described as "hard to use" and "non-intuitive" by marketers across the board. Many also complained about the lack of resources explaining how the new tool works. Eb Gargano from Productive Blogging said: “One of the things I have observed is that many bloggers and online businesses have been totally losing their minds over GA4 – wasting days (and in some cases weeks) stressing over this, when their time could have been much better spent elsewhere.”
A basic GA4 option for users who only need basic data was also suggested. Jason McDonald, SEO and marketing consultant, said: “The truth is most bloggers and online businesses need only a simple setup and an understanding of the basic reports. But no one is saying that, and online business owners are being scared into believing they need to spend lots of money on expensive courses and a lot of time creating multiple custom reports.”
The lack of features in GA4 compared to Universal Analytics was another issue raised. In particular, marketers were bothered by the removal of attribution features. Elizabeth Rule, account manager and local SEO analyst for Sterling Sky, said: “I find myself wanting to go back to GA3 every time I use GA4 – and it’s not because I’m just too used to it. Some of the features I use every day are missing or extremely complicated to find in GA4.”
Other complaints included difficulty recreating reports, creating reports in GA4, and bugs. SEO consultant John McAlpin said: “The platform still has a lot of bugs, and we find ourselves spending more time figuring out why attribution is not properly labeled and why the data is inconsistent.”
Despite the difficult transition from Universal Analytics to GA4, search marketing expert Kayle Larkin said it’s important that marketers get on board with the new program as it will likely be around for a long time. She said: “The industry needs a free option. Marketers need to pause for a moment and think about what information is really useful and helpful – what they need to know. Either way, you need to understand your data and how that supports your marketing initiatives.”
Change within any platform and any industry can cause people to panic, but as time passes, confidence and familiarity increases, causing attitudes to change. Larkin concluded: “Everyone was mad when Facebook updated their interface and ‘couldn’t find anything’. It was ‘horrible’ and ‘the end of Facebook.' Because we use Facebook daily, that was quickly forgotten, and no one even remembers what the old interface looked like. The response to the GA4’s interface – you see the same reaction when any platform changes its interface. People do not like change.”
Although Google Analytics 4 hasn't had the best start with marketers, with time and understanding of the program, it will likely become a valuable tool for businesses. It’s important to remember that no analytics platform is perfect, and there will always be room for improvement.
Originally reported by Martech: https://martech.org/10-things-you-hate-about-google-analytics-4/
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