How Our Client Enhanced Data Collection Reliability by Migrating to GA4

  • Vertical

    Retail

  • Technology

    Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager

  • Objectives

    Migrate to GA4

  • Results

    Robust and reliable data collection system in GA4

About the Client

Vans is the original action sports footwear company rooted in authenticity and creativity. Founded in 1966, Vans has thrived on a legacy of impacting our greater community through Vans’ four pillars: action sports, music, art, and street culture.

Vans client

Challenges

Our client approached us with a very specific and time-sensitive request: to seamlessly transition from Universal Analytics (GA UA) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) ahead of the planned sunset of GA UA. Their primary objective was to align their existing GA UA data with the new GA4 tracking system while adhering to industry best practices. While their existing GA UA setup could capture the data they needed, it had limitations in certain areas. For example, the client’s previous analytics setup could not track cross-platform user activity, such as identifying users who browsed the website on a mobile device but completed a transaction on a desktop. Additionally, the existing system did not provide insights into specific aspects of user engagement, like the amount of time spent on specific pages or the number of pages viewed during a single session. The areas they wanted us to focus on included:

  • Check mark icon Basic tracking
  • Check mark icon Event tracking
  • Check mark icon Enhanced eCommerce
  • Check mark icon Custom variables
  • Check mark icon User properties
  • Check mark icon Cross-platform tracking (both web and mobile app)

Solution

To address the client’s needs and limitations effectively, we proposed a robust solution leveraging Google Tag Manager, specifically utilizing data layer-based custom tracking. This approach is considered as one of the most reliable methods for managing tags and capturing analytics data. The migration involved adapting the current tracking logic to align with the GA4 event-based system, including adjustments in event naming and eCommerce tracking. GA4 event-based tracking also supports cross-platform user behavior analysis, addressing one of the client’s specific limitations. Overall, the solution aimed to make the client’s tracking system more comprehensive and aligned with future analytics requirements.

Results

As a result of our collaboration, the client now benefits from a robust and reliable data collection system in GA4. One notable advantage of the transition to GA4 is the client’s ability to consolidate website and app traffic data in a single interface, thanks to the GA4 event-based model. Regarding data integrity, a comparison of metrics between GA UA and GA4 shows a close alignment, with data matching at about 99%, based on August 2023 data. 

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98%

data match
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99%

data match
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99%

data match (GA360 vs. GA4)
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95%

data match
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98%

data match
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99%

data reliability
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37%

growth in conversion rate
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3X

growth in customers
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