As the busiest sales period of the year approaches, businesses must be fully prepared to make the most of their data. However, many companies may still be facing challenges with Google Analytics 4 (GA4), potentially compromising their results. Let’s explore some of the key issues and how to address them before sales hit their peak.
One of the most common problems is incorrect attribution of conversions. Payment platforms like PayPal are often recorded as the conversion source, which skews performance reports. This can create a misleading perception about which campaigns or marketing channels are truly driving conversions. To resolve this issue, adjust your Google Analytics settings to exclude domains like PayPal from the list of referrers. This will give you a more accurate view of the true sources of your conversions.
Another frequent challenge in GA4 is the high percentage of “not set” or direct traffic. When traffic isn’t properly identified, the visibility of traffic sources becomes blurred, making it difficult to accurately assess campaign performance. A possible solution is to review and enhance the implementation of Google Tag Manager, ensuring that all tags are correctly collecting the necessary data. It’s also important to check that all campaign links are using UTM parameters properly. This simple step allows you to track campaign performance more precisely across channels like email marketing and social media.
Incorrect configuration of Google Consent Mode can also impact your results. With growing concerns around user privacy, correct implementation of Consent Mode is essential for legally and effectively collecting data. However, many companies still use outdated Universal Analytics settings, preventing GA4 from functioning correctly. To fix this, ensure that Consent Mode is properly set up in Google Analytics 4 and that your cookie banners are aligned with GDPR consent rules. Otherwise, your campaigns may fail to capture important data, affecting the quality of your reports and the effectiveness of your marketing strategies. Again these issues, many businesses continue to struggle with implementing Google Consent Mode and managing cookie banners. This process can be complex, especially for companies operating in regulated markets where compliance with privacy laws is strictly enforced. Correct implementation not only ensures legal compliance but also guarantees that the data collected is reliable and can be used to optimise campaigns.
Don’t wait until after your campaigns are over.
These GA4 configuration errors can significantly impact digital marketing campaigns, distorting critical data and leading to less-informed decisions. Reviewing your setup and fixing any issues before the peak sales season is essential. This is the ideal time to adjust GA4, properly implement Consent Mode, and ensure that traffic sources are accurately tracked.
If you’ve noticed any of these problems, don’t hesitate to seek help. Ensuring you’re using Google Analytics 4 effectively will enable you to make more informed decisions, optimise your campaigns, and ultimately boost sales during the most important period of the year.
At IT Tech BuZ, we help resolve these problems. Running campaigns without understanding their impact on your goals is risky! It’s better to invest smartly than waste resources.