Google Universal Analytics

Google Universal Analytics is the new face of GA. Gone are the days of exclusively web based reporting as GA evolves into a universal reporting platform.

GUA Status

The current universal tool is in beta, it will take some time for all the features to be implemented but so far it is already an improvement by moving many options that used to be specified in the tracking snippet into the administrator interface. With the new tools for adjusting campaign timeout and keyword exclusion, it has become a little easier to manage your properties.

Dimension Widening

It is now possible to create your own dimensions, which will allow new metrics like walk-ins, and loyalty card swipes. A great example of the power of GUA is the caffeine tracker that Loves Data put together.

Phone Tracking

Do you have an automated phone system in place for your customers? Now you can report on that information through GA and gain some keen insights on how customers are moving through your phone services.

Implementation

To start experimenting with the new Google Universal Analytics it is necessary to create a new property as a Universal Analytics web property and run it parallel to your current GA tracking code. Don't worry! It won't mess up your data! But it may be a good idea to consult your clients before installing anyway.

Why Worry About it Now?

It is a good idea to be proactive when it comes to GA because of the non-transferable, non-historic nature of the beast. Google has made no guarantees that it will offer a migration feature so it will be a good idea to start collecting history as of now.