The upgrade to Universal Analytics may come as a shock to some people, but the good news is that it's easy enough to prepare for and there are some steps you can take now to ensure that your data is not lost. For more on this, read the full article.

But Why is this?

I’m not really sure what Google Analytics will look like 5, 10 years from now. Universal Analytics has been going for about six years, and Google announced that they are deprecating it. Why is this? It might be because Universal Analytics only tracks, one page view per session. Also, it doesn’t have a way to distinguish between true visitors and bots. Maybe the biggest downfall of Universal Analytics. But If Google decides to implement this universal analytics void and discontinue the ability to view prior reports for older analytics accounts, it will be a loss for marketers and small business owners who need to rely on historical data. Data analytics are mainly used to assess performance, provide insights based on past results, and make improvements to future campaigns. The only other option Google has provided so far is to migrate your account data into the new format. But it is unknown when Google will officially enforce the migration requirement.

Steps to follow before 1 July 2023

Although this announcement may seem intimidating, the key is to plan ahead. Are you currently using Universal Analytics? If so, are you doing it for all of your properties? If not, consider taking inventory now, and do what you can to ensure that your data won’t be left behind when Universal Analytics is discontinued in July 2023.

While Google Analytics is certainly worth the effort, it's important that your team begins migrating any data they rely on to Universal Analytics as soon as possible. The sooner you start, the sooner you can take advantage of all the new tools Google has provided. And in the meantime, don't forget to think about how your site might be used across multiple devices. Doing so could give you an even greater return on investment than Universal Analytics alone!

By taking these steps now, you will be well prepared for the transition to Universal Analytics, as well as for any future changes that might occur. Hopefully, these suggestions have been useful, and if you have any further questions about Universal Analytics or Google Analytics in general, please feel free to contact us. We'd be happy to help!