Google Analytics 4: Switch now or use an alternative like etracker?

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Starting in July 2023, the current version of Google Analytics (GA) will be discontinued, and data will no longer be collected. All marketers and analysts who have not yet migrated their website or store to the new Google Analytics 4 (GA4) should take action now and either initiate the transition to GA 4 or rely on privacy-friendly alternatives such as etracker or matomo .

Google Analytics 4 Migration from Universal Analytics
The good news: GA4 can be used in parallel until the classic GA is decommissioned. This allows you to gradually get used to the new interface. GA4 offers significantly more flexible reports and can automatically track many events, israel phone number data such as video, download, or link clicks. However, there are fewer pre-built reports, so you should invest some time in adapting existing reports and learning new "exploratory data analyses" that offer an intuitive and powerful interface for creating your own reports.



Exploratory data analyses for flexible reporting

Especially if you currently track a lot of events or use e-commerce, the migration should be planned carefully, as the implementation differs from traditional Analytics. While GA4 offers the option of migrating existing events from the old GA during setup, a manual migration is preferable to ensure clean nomenclature for the new events.


Google Analytics 4 – Cookie-less tracking and better data protection?
With GA4, IP anonymization is already set by default, tracking can be performed without cookies, and the maximum data retention period is 14 months. While this makes it easier to use from a data protection perspective, cookieless tracking is not sufficient to justify use without consent. Visitors' consent is obtained via a so-called "cookie banner" or, more accurately, "consent management." Visitors must therefore still actively consent to the use of Google Analytics, not by pre-selecting boxes. There is also the problem that the data is transferred to Google in the USA, and they have only limited options for intervention.




eTracker or Matomo – the better alternative
Anyone who would like to fully track all website visitors, not only after the visitor has actively consented, and who values ​​a high level of data protection should take a closer look at alternatives such as etracker or Matomo. Matomo can be installed locally on their own web server as open-source software, or it can also be booked via the cloud for a fee. Like GA4, it allows cookieless tracking, and you own 100% of the data collected. However, using it as locally installed open-source software also means that you have to take care of maintenance, security, and data protection compliance yourself. The company Matomo is based in New Zealand and unfortunately does not have an EU branch. If you need features such as advanced UX analyses, you have to book them for a fee.