Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Feature notes

Learn about what kind of data can be tracked on your site using GA4 and how to get GA4 installed on your site.

Basic Understanding and key concepts

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics, which is designed to provide a more complete and accurate picture of user behavior across multiple platforms and devices.

Here are some basic concepts that are important to understand when working with GA4:

Measurement ID - a unique identifier for your GA4 property. This is used to distinguish your data from other properties in your GA4 account.

Events - actions taken by users on your website or app that you want to track. These can include pageviews, clicks, purchases, and more. Events are sent to GA4 using the gtag.js library.

Parameters - additional information that you can attach to events to provide more context and detail. For example, you might include the name of the product that was purchased or the category of the page that was viewed.

User properties - attributes of individual users, such as their age, gender, or interests. You can use user properties to create audience segments for targeted marketing campaigns.

Conversions - specific actions that you want users to take on your website or app, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. Conversions can be tracked using conversion events and can help you measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.

Audience - a group of users with similar characteristics, such as those who have visited a particular page or made a purchase in the past. Audiences can be created based on user properties or event data and can be used for targeted marketing or retargeting campaigns.

Reports - visual representations of your data, such as graphs, charts, and tables, that help you understand user behavior and track key metrics. GA4 includes a variety of reports, including the User Acquisition report, User Engagement report, and Conversion report.

Create a Google Analytics account

Go to the Google Analytics website (https://analytics.google.com)
Sign in with your Google account, or create a new one if you don't already have one.
Once you're signed in, just click “Start measuring”.
You'll be prompted to enter information about:
1. Account Setup
  - Account name: just provide general account information
  - Account Data Sharing Setting: leave all default configuration settings as it is
2. Property Setup
  - Property name: provide the proper website name for this
3. Business Information
  - Business size: provide any information
  - Usage: check any checkbox that seems fit with current business requirements
Accept Google Analytics Terms of Service Agreement
Uncheck all and save email communications

You'll now be taken to the Google Analytics dashboard for your new property. From here, you can access your tracking code, set up goals and events, and view reports on your website or app traffic.

Note that if you already have a Google account, you may have an existing Google Analytics account associated with it. In this case, you can simply sign in to the Google Analytics website and access your existing account.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) automatically collected events

GA4 features numerous automatically collected events that provide valuable insights into user interactions within your website. These events include but not limited to the following:

page_view: measures what pages the user loads or visits
first_visit: measured the first time a user visits a website
form_start: measured the first time a user interacts with a form (inquiry, contact, etc.) in a session
form_submit: measured when the user submits a form (inquiry, contact, etc.)
session_start: measured when a user starts to engage the website
user_engagement: measured when the webpage is in focus for at least one second.

For more information GA4 automatically collected events, please visit Google's official documentation
Google Automatically collected events

What Google Analytics 4 (GA4) e-commerce events are implemented in Web Shop Manager?

Web Shop Manager implements Google-recommended e-commerce events that would measure additional features and behavior as well as generate more useful reports which would help in decision-making and possibly increase revenue.

Standard events listed below are implemented automatically when setting up/installing GA4 on the website.

purchase: measures what products, quantity, price, brand, and other relevant information every time a customer completes a purchase.

Optional events listed below are implemented on client request

add_to_cart: measures what products a user adds to their cart
add_to_wishlist: measures what products a user adds to their wishlist
remove_from_cart: measures what products a user removes from the cart.
begin_checkout: measured when a user initiates the checkout
view_item: measures what products a user views
view_cart: measures when a user views their cart

For more information regarding E-commerce events, please visit Google's official documentation
Google Recommended events

How can I get Google Analytics 4 (GA4) installed on my Web Shop Manager site?

Create a new GA4 property: In the Google Analytics admin interface, click on the "Create Property" button, select "Web" or "App" depending on your use case, and then follow the prompts to set up your new property. You'll need to provide basic information about your website or app, including your website or app URL, industry category, and time zone.
Obtain your Measurement ID: Once you've created your GA4 property, you'll be taken to the property's settings page. From there, you can obtain your Measurement ID, which is a unique identifier for your property. You'll need this ID to set up tracking on your website or app.
Please reach out to Web Shop Manager personnel and provide your Measurement ID to get started on installing GA4 on your site by Creating a support ticket or call Phone: (619) 278-0871. GA4 installation requires 2 Professional Service Hours for implementation and testing.