Goodbye Google – An Open Letter to Universal Analytics

Dear Universal Analytics,

You told us you were leaving, more than once. You sent reminders and warnings; still we went about our business as usual. It’s not until today, as you collect your final strings of data, that it has really hit us. Google Universal Analytics will be no more. To be honest, it’s bittersweet for the folks at Hammer Marketing, and likely for marketers all over.

For the last 10 years, UA has been both our best friend and worst enemy.

But before you ride off into the sunset, let us take a moment to reminisce about all the good times we’ve had together. Oh, Universal Analytics, how we’ll miss your charming little quirks and idiosyncrasies. Who could forget the countless hours spent deciphering your cryptic tracking codes, or the joyous feeling of seeing data trickle in?

We’ll miss the thrill of hunting down that one missing tracking pixel, the elusive little bugger that always seemed to hide in the darkest corners of our websites.

Remember the excitement of setting up goals and e-commerce tracking? Those magical moments when we realized someone had made a purchase through our website—pure bliss! You made us feel like proud parents, celebrating every transaction as if it were a milestone achievement. From abandoned carts to successful conversions, you were there, recording every step of the customer journey.

And let’s not forget about your real-time reporting feature! It was like having a window into the digital world, watching as visitors navigated our site in real-time. The thrill of seeing the active users counter increase, until we realized it was coming from our own IP address (this is also how we learned to block ourselves!).

Remember the time you told us our bounce rate dropped to practically nothing, only to realize we had a duplicate tracking code installed? Or when our traffic spiked 800% in one day because of ghost spam referrers? I must admit [teriyokibeefsneakersforbees.todd.com] still makes its way into our marketing nerd-out sessions quite often. You were more than just a data tracking tool; you were a source of endless frustration and entertainment.

Tracking every click, every scroll, and every form submission – you gave us a glimpse into the minds of our users, telling us which pages they loved, which ones they loathed, and which ones they couldn’t resist sharing on social media (looking at you, viral ferret videos).

But as they say, change is inevitable – just ask your cousins in the algorithm department –and even you, old faithful UA, are not immune.

Your successor, Google Analytics 4, calls to us with its shiny array of enhanced features. The promise of more robust data tracking, advanced machine learning, better engagement metrics, and a seamless cross-platform experience is helping our tears dry just a bit quicker.

So, here’s to you, Universal Analytics, the OG GA of data tracking. May your reports remain accurate, your tracking codes stand as a testament to your legacy, and your impact on the world of analytics never be forgotten.

Farewell, old friend. We’ll miss you, but we’re excited to embark on this new journey with GA4.

Yours nostalgically,

Hammer Marketing

We’re Not Crying, You Are!

Ok, we are crying 😭  — but you don’t have to. If you’re not sure what to do next with your GA4, we can help. Reach out so we can ensure a smooth transition of your historical data, set up easy-to-read dashboards, and give you some insight into what to look for.