Adswerve

Dear AP: An Advice Column With a GA Twist


July 1, 2014

Dear AP,

Three years ago I began what I thought would be a long-term relationship with my partner, Classic Analytics. We met on a Google search page, and from that first implementation, it was love at first sight (or should I say, site). Working through cross-domains and self-referrals, Classic stood by my side, and I felt that we were stronger for our QA and data validation sessions.

A month ago, Classic told me that it would be going away. It won’t tell me when, just that I will need to move on to Universal. I heard all the usual lines, ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ and ‘Universal is everything I couldn’t be’…but how can Classic say this? Maybe there were times I dreamed of more features, but I didn’t think it would just change so drastically.

I feel lost in my data, and no custom dashboards or advanced segmentation tricks can cheer me up. I’m worried that Universal sounds too good to be true. What if the grass isn’t really greener on the other side? How will I know the right time to move on and truly leave Classic behind?

Sincerely,

Left my Classic in San Francisco

 

Dear Left my Classic in San Francisco,

The grass might not be fuller on the other side, but the data sure will be. Classic was like your first love, and there will always be a special place in your heart for the Analytics platform that first made numbers come alive for you. Classic made you data-driven! A data ninja! Of course you’re nervous to move on, but it’s time to take a leap of faith.

Universal shares more of your interests–you’re both user-centric and want more action and less words.

Universal is not going anywhere, and while you should move on sooner rather than later, you have time to prepare your heart (and web developers) for the transition.

If you don’t yet have Google Tag Manager (GTM) or another Tag Management System, then getting a GTM container implemented is the first step. Once you complete the tags and validate the data, you’ll have access to features like custom data import, enhanced ecommerce, and so many more.

Before you do anything, make sure you’ve got the support you need. You don’t have to do this alone, and there are Google Analytics experts on hand at Analytics Pros to help you.

Sincerely,

Dear AP