Design your GA4 Account Structure the RIGHT way with these 3 criteria.
Imagine this scenario: You have just set up your Google Analytics Account, staring at all your assets with zero clue about setting them up correctly.
If you have landed on this page, you are likely in one of two situations: either migrating from UA to GA4 or starting afresh with a new GA4 account. If you find yourself in either category, you are in the right place.
In this blog, I will walk you through how I have assisted clients, such as Moet Hennessy and Shiseido, in designing tailored GA4 Account Architectures as a consultant. I will be going through the basics of GA4 Account Hierarchy, the three main factors to consider when designing a GA4 account structure, and the steps to take to decide the final GA4 account structure.
This post is all about designing your GA4 account structure.
Understanding the GA4 Account Hierarchy
Before we delve into the details, it is crucial to grasp how the GA4 hierarchy operates.
In the previous UA3 structure, the hierarchy unfolded as Organization > Account > Property > Views. At each tier, you have the control to allocate users and regulate permission levels, ensuring teams only accessed relevant datasets.
However, GA4 simplifies this structure: Organization > Account > Property. Within properties, you can establish up to 50 data streams. While retaining control over access at the organization, account, and property levels, keep in mind that the same control doesn’t extend to the data streams level. This streamlined hierarchy empowers you to manage permissions come with both benefits and limitations.
3 Main Factors to Consider
Now that we have a clear picture of the GA4 hierarchy, let’s delve into the three key factors to go over when determining your data architecture.
Factor 1: Governance
Firstly, consider governance – think about your teams and who requires access to GA4. Dive deeper into their data needs, required analyses, and contemplate the permission levels that align with these needs. For larger teams, assess the sensitivity of the data; some information might be suitable for one team but too confidential for another. For instance, financial or sales data may need restricted access. Many companies opt for separate permission levels for distinct teams like business, marketing, and sales to maintain clear separation. When designing the architecture, decide whether a single property suffices for all or if different permission levels call for different properties or even sub-properties (which are only available for GA4 360 accounts).
Factor 2: Cost
Cost is a critical consideration for every business, especially startups. Evaluate potential additional costs associated with your chosen architecture and weigh the necessity of a GA4 360 version. While my clients mostly benefit from GA4 360, those on the free version need not worry – I use the free version too! If you are ready to explore advanced features, upgrading to GA4 360 is highly recommended, opening up new and exciting possibilities.
Factor 3: Analysis
Lastly, focus on analysis – consider the types of analyses you’ll undertake in both the short and long term. Whether it’s funnel analysis, monthly or weekly reporting, UX analysis, revenue management, or web analysis, tailor your architecture accordingly. For a single domain, a standard data architecture with one property and one data stream usually suffices. However, if you are managing multiple domains (e.g., Shop + Blog or Shop + Blog + Lead Magnets), decide whether to use
- The same property with different data streams
- The same property with the same data stream, or
- Different properties.
This decision is crucial, especially if you want insights into customer behaviour across various websites and their navigation patterns.
Other Factor to Consider
Beyond the factors mentioned earlier, your choice between GA4 Free and GA4 360 holds significant weight. GA4 360 unlocks a plethora of new features and options compared to the more limited free version.
For those managing a single domain and website, yours is simple. Opt for the FREE GA4 version, creating one property with one data stream dedicated to your website.
If you are dealing with multiple domains and governance is important for you, you have two options:
- Upgrade to GA4 360: Ideal for a centralised data architecture, comprising one property with one data stream and create sub-properties to manage permission levels.
- Consider Having Different Properties: If cost is a critical factor, you might lean towards having different properties. However, be aware that this choice comes with a downside – data consolidation and cross-domain analysis within GA4 become less straightforward. The data collection for such a data architecture will also be more complicated.
Selecting the Final GA4 Account Structure
Follow this precise process, which I have successfully employed when guiding clients through GA4 account architecture design:
- Map Your Current Data Architecture: Begin by sketching out your existing data architecture if applicable.
- Explore Different Options: Brainstorm various data architecture options based on governance, cost, and analysis considerations.
- Evaluate Options: Using a structured template, assess the pros and cons of each option based on the three key factors.
- Compile an Overview: List all your options and essential criteria, alongside ticks or crosses.
- Make an Informed Decision: From the overview, identify the option with the most ticks. While no option may be perfect, choose the one that aligns best with your business needs.
And there you have it – a straightforward process to design your GA4 architecture. Simple, isn’t it?
This post is all about designing GA4 Account Structure the right way.
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