In this series, Respage CEO Ellen Thompson discusses the latest trends in the multifamily industry and how apartment communities can generate greater results.
On July 1, 2023, Google bid farewell to Universal Analytics (UA), ushering in a new era of event-based data analytics with Google Analytics 4 (GA4). With this transition, multifamily marketers must double-check that their suppliers have helped them successfully migrate to GA4 and have adjusted their tracking and reporting systems to use data from GA4.
Below, you’ll find a checklist you can use to make sure you are good to go. Let’s dive in and make sure you’re all set!
1. Confirm GA4 was installed
The first step is to ensure that GA4 is correctly installed on your websites. For future reference, find out if the setup code was installed using your website’s content management system or via Google Tag Manager. If GA4 is not yet in place, contact your IT department, website developer, or marketing partners to see who can help.
2. Migrate UA goals to GA4 conversions
Goals are now known as Conversions in GA4. Conversions are user behaviors that you want to track. See what goals you used in UA and set them up in GA4 as conversions. If what you were tracking previously no longer makes sense, analyze your business objectives and modify the conversion events to align with your current key performance indicators (KPIs) and marketing goals. Ideally, you want to track bottom-of-the-funnel conversions like phone calls, contact form submissions, and tours scheduled on your website (via your chatbot or tour scheduling calendar).
Note: You’ll find some of the event names your software suppliers send to Google Analytics have changed. You might need to coordinate with your technology providers to help you understand which events correlate to important conversions.
3. Import goals into Google Ads
If you utilize Google Ads, it’s crucial to import your new GA4 goals into Google Ads. This ensures that your advertising campaigns can continue to be optimized for your desired outcomes. By syncing your GA4 conversions with Google Ads, you’ll know which search terms are converting and be able to target your spending more effectively.
4. Transition marketing reports to GA4
Review your existing marketing reports and ensure they are pulling data from GA4 instead of UA. Update reporting systems like Looker (formerly Data Studio) to use data and metrics provided by GA4. If you don’t, your reporting won’t work until you do!
5. Identify and address discrepancies
It’s highly likely that you’ll encounter some issues or discrepancies during the migration process. Create a punch list of any items that require attention or fixing. Collaborate with your internal marketing team, agency, or marketing consultants to rectify these issues promptly. Test and validate the data to ensure accuracy and reliability.
With the retirement of Universal Analytics, we have no choice but to embrace Google Analytics 4 and transition to this new platform. By following the steps outlined above, you can double-check that you’ve crushed your setup, migrated goals, imported them into Google Ads, and updated your marketing reports. I promise you that it’s worth it! Once you embrace this change, you’ll probably begin to really like GA4 because its new insights-based reporting will make it easier for you to gain deeper insights into how your marketing is working. And if you find that you didn’t migrate, reach out. I’ll be happy to help.
From the desk of Ellen Thompson, Co-founder and CEO of Respage >> Since its founding, Respage has helped over 10,000 communities attract, engage, and retain residents. Its platform assists properties in generating leads, automating leasing, and managing reputation and social media. Thompson is also the Founder of Results Repeat, a digital marketing agency that has helped hundreds of companies create a digital presence and use SEO and paid marketing to generate more business online.
