You’ve most likely seen the warnings that Google UA (Universal Analytics) will soon be replaced by GA4 (Google Analytics 4) by the summer of 2023 with UA set to halt reporting new data in March 2023.

Rest assured! The good news is GWP, Inc has you covered.

Google Analytics is one reporting tool used to track and monitor internal traffic behaviors on your website to help business owners and marketing agencies determine important information like the customer journey, user behavior, customer insights, ecommerce events, and marketing campaigns. It’s important for you to note that your Google Analytics account will not change too much as this additional layer is added. We began converting accounts over to the new Google Analytics in 2020 so your website data collection is safe and accounted for. Here are a few things that are different from UA to GA4.

USERS REPORTING

In Universal Analytics, there are two User metrics: Total Users , and New Users. In Google Analytics 4, there are three User metrics: Total Users, Active Users, and New Users.

Total Users: In UA this represents the Total number of users, however in GA4 this represents the Total number of unique users who logged an event

New Users: In UA, this is the number of users who interacted with your site for the first time. However, in GA4 this is the Number of users who interacted with your site or launched your app for the first time (The result is measured by the number of new unique user IDs that logged the first_open or first_visit event.)

Active Users: Although this is NOT available in UA, this measurement is the PRIMARY USER metric in GA4. This is the number of distinct users who visited your website or application.

An active user is any user who has an engaged session or when Analytics collects the first event of the user journey.

PAGEVIEWS

In GA4 and Universal Analytics, Pageviews will remain the same. However, in GA4 repeated views of a web page will be counted whereas they are not counted now.

Both UA and GA4 offer the ability to filter out unwanted referrals and internal IP traffic, but UA may have more filters applied. If you are comparing, make sure you have identical filters in place for both properties.

PURCHASES

There shouldn’t be too many differences here as purchase counts should match. However, one note about GA4 according to Google is that it “does not provide additional JavaScript for array collection and expects you to provide the items array when collecting a purchase event on your own.”

SESSIONS

A session in Google Analytics is considered to be the number of interactions your website receives within a given time frame. In this transition, there will be a number of differences from UA to GA4, depending on the type of business. Variables such as geography, the use of UTMs, filters, and estimation. Keep in mind that although UA didn’t estimate the number of sessions, GA4 will more efficiently count sessions with a low error rate and high accuracy.

CONVERSIONS

Conversion in Google Analytics is considered when a visitor lands on a specific page of your website perhaps to fill out a lead form or purchase an item. Although conversions will be counted in GA4 there will be some differences between the two systems.

Universal Analytics operates with five goal types: destination, duration, pages/session, smart goals, and event goals. Conversely, GA4 will only support conversion events as it counts every instance of the event whereas UA would only count one event of the same instance.

BOUNCE RATE

Typically, a Bounce Rate is a single session view on your website divided by all the sessions your site received. A high bounce rate is one metric we look at to determine the success of a web page or overall site. In GA4, these totals will be a bit more useful to determine if a visitor is actually engaging with your site as this will track time spent on the page and any conversions received while on that page. So instead of tracking the traffic, in GA4 we’ll see exactly how engaging your web page is, which helps us determine if there should be any changes.

EVENT COUNT

An event in Google Analytics helps you to track an actual occurrence on your site such as a button clicked or if someone “signs up”. You would measure this by creating event parameters. With the conversion to GA4 Events will now be tracked a bit differently. Instead of an event being specified, as in UA, the GA4 version considers everything an event and will report it as such. These different reports help us understand the larger picture of your website.

Hopefully, this basic overview of the new GA and all the benefits coming to us in GA4 helped you understand why this change is occurring. In short, Google needed to create a new way to better focus on user privacy due to new privacy laws such as General Data Protection Regulation and the California Consumer Privacy Act. Additionally, we can now track web pages along with mobile apps data and google ads performance as it will support full cross-device and cross-platform reporting, use AI to provide predictive metrics, and present a clearer picture of marketing impact with enhanced measurement. Although your website isn’t the only thing you want to rely on for your business, it is a vital part of your marketing strategy with Google’s analytics data being the best way to help determine website usage data.

For any questions concerning this latest version of Google Analytics, please feel free to reach out to us any time and we will assist in every way possible.

Starting a business is hard, but maintaining it can be even harder. Especially when you are in an industry that is constantly changing; something that worked yesterday won’t necessarily work today. Relying only on word of mouth or the occasional advertisement is not enough to keep your business afloat. Lucky for you though, there are many different ways to advertise your business – all it takes is some creativity and strategy!

If you don’t have a marketing team, don’t worry! Here are a few tactics to help you get started with your marketing efforts. Of course, the first step is to always understand your target audience and provide quality customer service for an excellent customer experience.

1) Develop a presence on social media

Social media has become the cornerstone of modern advertising campaigns. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest; each have millions of users worldwide. Not taking advantage of these sites means giving up a huge portion of potential customers who spend their time scrolling through pictures on Instagram or reviewing posts on Facebook. Businesses both big and small have reaped the benefits of a social media presence, so prioritize creating a fan page for your company to increase brand exposure. Some best practices for social media marketing are to keep your content entertaining, educational, or engaging with a focus on the viewer and not necessarily on your new product or service.

2) Utilize email marketing

Although direct mail used to be a favorite for advertising, email has been one of the most effective ways to reach an audience even with all the new changes in technology. While many businesses rely very heavily on social media for advertisement, some companies are missing out by neglecting their emails lists. Email marketing allows you to contact customers personally with relevant information about sales or special deals they may be interested in; both increasing loyalty towards your brand and increasing revenue! If you don’t already have an email list, now is the time to create one! Check out some email marketing software that can help you manage your email lists and keep your communication consistent and timely.

3) Start a blog

A blog, or weblog, is the best way to establish yourself as an authority in your industry. The more educational information you can provide your readers, the higher up on Google search you will be – which means even more traffic to your website! Educating your audience about different products and services is also very important. It not only helps potential buyers make informed decisions but it also allows for customer feedback. A customer that feels more educated because of your efforts increases the chance of customer loyalty. However, blogging can prove to be frustrating if you don’t do your research in search engine optimization (SEO). Understanding keywords and how they rank is an important step in blog writing so make sure to include this if you’re looking to increase website traffic. If you don’t already have a blog for your company, start one today! You can check out The Best WordPress Hosting Providers to help get you started.

4) Develop a mobile app

Mobile apps have become an integral part of our daily lives and it is only becoming more so as time goes on. This makes them the perfect advertising tool, as they can be used to advertise other products and services which you offer or other businesses in your industry at the tap of a finger. Because this is such a common practice today, people will definitely be interested in seeing what your app has to offer! If you already have one, advertise that fact everywhere; on your social media pages, packaging for your product/service, website – literally anywhere! If you don’t have an app there are agencies and resources that can help you design, develop and execute the perfect app for your business.

5) Advertise through your website

Another way to advertise is through your very own business website. If you don’t have one already, it’s time to create a professional page for your company featuring all of the necessary information about who you are and what you do. This should be clear and concise as possible so potential customers know exactly what they’re getting when they visit you. Once you’ve set up a reliable doorway for them to enter, make sure that that doorway doesn’t go unnoticed; an excellent way to increase sales is by placing ads on various parts of your site which link out to other products/services available to them (which they may find useful). If you’re writing a blog, this blog should be on your website as another way to increase traffic to your page. Owning and managing a website for your brand is vital in today’s world and should be a part of your marketing mix no matter how small or large your company is.

6) Advertise as a Google My Business Page

Another excellent form of online marketing is Google My Business. If you haven’t heard of Google My Business, we think it’s time that you did. Google My Business is a platform on which businesses can advertise their own unique local page with little to no work! All it takes is an active Google account, linking your website to your Google My Business profile, and then filling out some information about your business (hours of operation, contact info, etc.). Google My Business listings show up in searches for relevant search terms, making them highly beneficial for companies dealing with local customers; especially ones who are looking for immediate assistance such as needing directions to your location, needing store hours, or wanting to call ahead. Google My Business is extremely effective for SEO as it makes search engines happy and establishes trust between your google profile and your website.

7) Spread the word through print media

One effective traditional and offline marketing strategy is print media such as flyers or pamphlets. It may seem outdated but there are consumers who find these to be helpful tools when searching for certain services. If someone has lost their pet, they would most likely turn to the internet for solutions before they would pick up a flyer – but if they are trying to find out how much it is to spay/neuter their dog, flyers become invaluable. Flyers are a great way to advertise a specific promotion you’re running, a product you just released, or a deal going on at your location! If you don’t want to personally print off hundreds of flyers every other day, try using flyer printing software. This can help organize large amounts of data into one simple sheet which can be printed as many times as necessary – no need for an office full of interns or a team of graphic designers.

Businesses need to advertise themselves in order to be successful however if you’re a small business, you probably don’t have the ability to hire a full marketing department that performs market research and creates the best digital strategy for your brand. Even if you are a larger organization, your marketing campaign will always need evaluations and the introduction of new ideas in an effort to continually grow your brand awareness. But no matter the size of your company, these 7 marketing tactics can help any business to be successful and moving forward. If you’re still unsure where to start or you have a new product you’re trying to launch, call us! We’ll be able to successfully qualify what types of marketing will work for you and take the necessary steps to find the best solution for you and your target audience. We have been in the business of promoting and marketing for over twenty years with a few awards to prove it and we’d love to help!

Starting a business is hard, but maintaining it can be even harder. Especially when you are in an industry that is constantly changing; something that worked yesterday won’t necessarily work today. Relying only on word of mouth or the occasional advertisement is not enough to keep your business afloat. Lucky for you though, there are many different ways to advertise your business – all it takes is some creativity and strategy!

1) Develop a presence on social media

Social media has become the cornerstone of modern advertising campaigns. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest; each have millions of users worldwide. Not taking advantage of these sites means giving up a huge portion of potential customers who spend their time scrolling through pictures on Instagram or planning out their posts on Facebook. Businesses both big and small have reaped the benefits of a social media presence, so prioritize creating a fan page for your company to increase brand exposure.

2) Utilize email marketing

Email is still one of the most effective ways to reach an audience even with all the new changes in technology. While many businesses rely very heavily on social media for advertisement, some companies are missing out by neglecting their emails lists. Email marketing allows you to contact customers personally with relevant information about sales or special deals they may be interested in; both increasing loyalty towards your brand and increasing revenue! If you don’t already have an email list, now is the time to create one! Check out Email Marketing Software which can help you manage your email lists.

3) Start a blog

Blogs are the best way to establish yourself as an authority in your industry. The more educational information you can provide your readers, the higher up on Google you will be – which means even more traffic! Educating your audience about different products and services is also very important. It not only helps potential buyers make informed decisions but it also allows for customer feedback, increasing content specialization. If you don’t already have a blog for your company, start one today! You can check out The Best WordPress Hosting Providers to help get you started.

4) Develop a mobile app

Mobile apps have become an integral part of our daily lives and it is only becoming more so as time goes on. This makes them the perfect advertising tool, as they can be used to advertise other products and services which you offer or other businesses in your industry at the tap of a finger and because this is such a common practice today, people will definitely be interested in seeing what your app has to offer! If you already have one, advertise that fact everywhere; on your social media pages, packaging for your product/service, website – literally anywhere!

5) Advertise through your website

Another way to advertise is through your very own business website. If you don’t have one already, it’s time to create a professional page for your company featuring all of the necessary information about who you are and what you do. This should be clear and concise as possible so potential customers know exactly what they’re getting themselves into. Once you’ve set up a reliable doorway for them to enter, make sure that that doorway doesn’t go unnoticed; an excellent way to increase sales is by placing ads on various parts of your site which link out to other products/services available to them (which they may find useful).

6) Advertise as a Google My Business Page

If you haven’t heard of google my business, we think it’s time that you did. Google my business is a platform on which businesses can advertise their own unique local page with little to no work! All it takes is an active Google account, linking your website to your google my business profile, and then filling out some information about your business (hours of operation, contact info, etc.). Google My Business listings show up in searches for relevant search terms, making them highly beneficial for companies dealing with local customers; especially ones who are looking for immediate assistance like if they need directions or want the store hours to call ahead.

7) Spread the word through print media

Print media like flyers or pamphlets may seem outdated but there are still people who find these to be helpful when searching for certain services. If someone has lost their pet, they would most likely turn to the internet for solutions before they would pick up a flyer – but if they are trying to find out how much it is to spay/neuter their dog, flyers become invaluable. Flyers are a great way to advertise a specific promotion you’re running, a product you just released, or a deal going on at your location! If you don’t want to personally print off hundreds of flyers every other day, try using flyer printing software. This can help organize large amounts of data into one simple sheet which can be printed as many times as necessary – no need for an office full of interns!
Businesses need to advertise themselves in order to be successful; there are several ways that companies may choose from when advertising (social media pages (Facebook, Twitter), email marketing (newsletters), mobile apps, Google my business listings, print media like pamphlets). Businesses should research and strategize which method

We have a couple of new clients at GWP, Inc. Advertising that – as your English teacher used to call it – have “similarities and differences…”

Traditional Sexy

One client is a start-up tequila brand, the type of new account that the advertising world calls “sexy.” “That’s a sexy client!” Traditionally, products like alcohol and automobiles and entertainment were sexy. They represent discretionary spending, reward and relief.

And actually, our new tequila client had plenty of pretty pictures featuring bikinis, blowouts, and blinding smiles. Nothing wrong with that. But in early strategy meetings, they told us they wanted more. They wanted to communicate the integrity of their distilling process, and the quality of their product. They wanted to speak to a target audience that cares about the planet while pouring a cocktail. Our client recognized that as a new brand in a competitive category, their unique selling proposition had to be just that – unique.

And something sexy happened. The founders of the brand started talking about the iconography on their hand-made labels. These labels were drawn from the history of the land and the people who started farming it in Jalisco, Mexico. They weaved their own personal history and values into the mission of their upstart vision. It sparked brainstorming that had everyone at the table believing in the campaign we began to create which was good since we were the first focus group!

We believed it all because it was 100% true. They were telling us a true story, one that they had been living for many years. They explained the lessons and rewards that they want to share through their organic and exceptional product. You can just tell that they are putting their body, heart and soul into this brand, and that is… sexy.

A New Sexy

GWP’s other new client – let’s start with the difference. They provide safety and life protection services to largely industrial clients. Not usually “sexy” in the advertising world. Their creative assets emphasize giant wrenches and meticulous record-keeping. They needed a digital advertising tune-up and some block and tackle marketing material, and we at GWP, Inc. were happy to get to work on those essentials.

But wait a minute… Reviewing strategy and marketing goals, the company’s owner told us how his grandfather had started with one truck, how his father had grown the company and established a proud culture and a loyal workforce. How he – the current owner of this large family-owned business – is dedicated to continuing the tradition and values of the company.

He explained the feelings of responsibility and satisfaction involved in keeping many thousands of people safe. And because he is passionate about his family, his business, his employees, his customers – because his desire to improve his community is heartfelt – his story is compelling and heartwarming and exciting and…

A true story. That’s the big similarity between these two new clients. When they get talking about their brands, they kind of glow a little – you can’t make this stuff up. So that’s what the two companies have in common, and why they both fall into the new definition of sexy advertising.

What’s Sexy?

The truth is sexy. The absolute sexiest thing is when someone looks right at you and wants the real you. You know what we’re talking about. No smoke and mirrors, no fancy talk – just that look in the eye, that pure attraction.

And that gets us excited, us storytellers here at GWP. We think the best stories, the sexiest stories, the ones that make people perk up and pay attention, are true stories. When we dive deep for strategy, when we brainstorm for creative, when we develop assets to go to market, we want to help our clients articulate their own truth – help them craft it into a good story and tell it well – passionately, persuasively – to their market. That’s sexy advertising.

What’s your story?