Google has recently released the beta for Google Universal Analytics (UA) to all current Google Analytics users. The biggest difference with this new analytics tool is the ability to bridge your desktop users, mobile users, mobile apps & mobile site analytics all into one application. This is important information to gather because the regular user, at home, looking at the desktop version of your site will have different motivations and behaviors than say a customer, in store, on their mobile device. Businesses can understand these different behaviors and customize the online experience for each type of user.
Per Google, the benefits of Universal Analytics are as follows:
- Understanding how customers interact with your businesses across many devices and touch-points,
- Insights into the performance of your mobile apps,
- Improvements of lead generation and ROI by incorporating offline and online interactions so you can understand which channels drive the best results,
- Improved latency on your site by reducing client-side demands.
To use Universal Analytics, simply create a new web property in your Google Analytics account and select the ‘Universal Analytics’ option rather than ‘Classic Analytics’
If you already have the classic Google Analytics installed on your website, it is recommended that you also install the new Universal Analytics, as they use different scripts. Data from the old and the new analytics cannot be combined for this reason so having both will maintain continuity in your first account. For step by step instructions, visit Google’s Universal Analytics set up page.
By Tony Fong