Universal Analytics is Finally Dead – What to Do If You're Still Confused by GA4

So it finally happened. Universal Analytics 360 shut down the week of July 1, 2024. If you logged in hoping to check last month's traffic and saw... nothing useful, you're not alone. The good news: you probably already have GA4 set up. The better news: you can figure this out in about 30 minutes.

First, Don't Panic

I know the interface looks completely different. I know you can't find the reports you used to use. I know it feels like Google threw away everything familiar and replaced it with something built by people who've never run a small business.

You're not wrong about that last part. But here's what matters: your website is still tracking visitors. The data is still being collected. You just need to learn where to find it.

Check If You Already Have GA4

Here's something most people don't realize: Google automatically created GA4 properties for most businesses starting in March 2023. If you had Universal Analytics running on your site, there's a good chance GA4 has been quietly collecting data in the background for over a year.

To check:

1. Go to analytics.google.com
2. Click the property dropdown in the top left
3. Look for a property that ends with "- GA4" or doesn't have "UA-" in its ID

If you see one, click it. You might have a year of data waiting for you.

Why GA4 Feels So Different

Universal Analytics tracked "sessions" - chunks of time when someone visited your site. GA4 tracks "events" - individual things people do, like clicking a button or viewing a page.

This event-based model is why everything feels unfamiliar. In UA, you'd ask "how many visits did I get?" In GA4, you're asking "what did people do?"

It's actually more useful once you get used to it. But the learning curve is real.

The 30-Minute Setup (If You're Starting Fresh)

If you don't have GA4 yet, here's the quick version:

Step 1: Create your property (5 minutes)

1. Go to analytics.google.com
2. Click Admin (gear icon, bottom left)
3. Click "Create Property"
4. Name it your business name, pick your time zone and currency
5. Answer a few questions about your business

Step 2: Add the tracking code (10 minutes)

1. In your new property, go to Admin > Data Streams
2. Click "Web" and enter your website URL
3. Copy the "Measurement ID" (starts with G-)
4. Add it to your website - if you use WordPress, a plugin like Site Kit by Google makes this one click

Step 3: Verify it's working (5 minutes)

1. Open your website in a new tab
2. Go back to GA4 and click "Reports" > "Realtime"
3. You should see yourself as an active user

That's the basics. You're now collecting data.

The Three Reports You Actually Need

GA4 has dozens of reports. Most small businesses need three:

1. Traffic acquisition (where visitors come from)

Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition. This shows you Google searches vs social media vs direct traffic. The stuff you used to check in UA is here, just in a different spot.

2. Pages and screens (what people look at)

Reports > Engagement > Pages and screens. Your most popular pages, how long people spend on them. The basics.

3. Conversions (did they do the thing?)

Reports > Engagement > Conversions. This only works if you've set up "events" as conversions - like form submissions or phone clicks. More on that below.

Setting Up Conversions (The Important Part)

In Universal Analytics, you'd set up "Goals." In GA4, you mark certain "Events" as "Conversions." Same concept, different name.

For a typical small business website, you want to track:

• Form submissions (contact forms, quote requests)
• Phone number clicks (if you have a click-to-call link)
• Maybe button clicks on key pages

GA4 automatically tracks some events with "Enhanced Measurement" - things like scroll depth, outbound clicks, and file downloads. To mark something as a conversion:

1. Go to Admin > Events
2. Find the event you want (like "form_submit" or "generate_lead")
3. Toggle the switch under "Mark as conversion"

Now when someone fills out your contact form, it shows up in your conversions report.

Yes, the Interface is Frustrating

I'm not going to pretend GA4 is easy to use. Even analytics professionals complain about the interface. The date picker is weird. The default date range (last 28 days) doesn't match how anyone actually reports. Finding stuff requires more clicks than it should.

But it's free, and it's what most websites use. Unless you want to pay for something like Adobe Analytics or set up a more privacy-focused alternative, GA4 is the practical choice for small businesses.

One Thing to Know: Data Takes Time

Universal Analytics used to show you data within a few hours. GA4 can take 24-48 hours to process everything. The Realtime report updates instantly, but the other reports might lag.

So if you just set this up and the numbers look weird, give it a day. Check again tomorrow.

What About Your Old Data?

Here's the bad news: if you didn't export your Universal Analytics data before July 1st, it's gone. Google gave plenty of warning, but plenty of businesses missed the deadline.

The practical reality: for most small businesses, historical data from 2+ years ago isn't that useful anyway. You're making decisions based on what's happening now, not what happened in 2022. Focus on collecting good data going forward.

The Bottom Line

GA4 is different, not impossible. The learning curve is steeper than it should be, but the basics - how many people visit, where they come from, what they do - are all still there. You just have to find them.

For most small businesses, 30 minutes of setup and 15 minutes of learning where the reports live is enough. You don't need to become an analytics expert. You just need to know if people are finding your site and whether they're taking action.

Need a Hand?

Every YouGrow website comes with GA4 set up properly from day one - tracking configured, conversions marked, the works. It's one of those things that should just work without you thinking about it.

But even if you're not a client, I'm happy to take a quick look at your GA4 setup and tell you if it's configured correctly. Drop me a message - takes five minutes to check, and I'll tell you what's missing.