What ChatGPT says about Google Analytics

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All the craze lately is about ChatGPT, so I figure I should give it a go! The perfect trial is to see what it thinks about Google Analytics changing from Google Analytics Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4.

warning, this content is generated by AI, in my opinion, the answer to the last question is wrong!

Here is my verbatim conversation with ChatGPT:

Can I still use google analytics?

“Yes, Google Analytics is still available and widely used for website and mobile app analytics. It provides valuable insights on user behavior and helps improve the online experience for users.”

How is google analytics changing?

“Google Analytics has evolved over the years and continues to change to meet the ever-evolving needs of digital marketers and businesses. Some of the recent changes to Google Analytics include:

  1. Enhanced measurement capabilities, with the integration of cross-device and cross-platform tracking.
  2. Increased focus on privacy and data security, with features like IP anonymization and data retention controls.
  3. The introduction of new reporting features and dashboards, designed to provide more detailed and actionable insights.
  4. Improved integrations with other Google and third-party tools, such as Google Ads and Google Tag Manager.
  5. The introduction of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), which provides a more robust and intuitive analytics platform, with a focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

These changes demonstrate Google’s commitment to providing a cutting-edge analytics solution that can help businesses make data-driven decisions and improve the user experience.”

What is Google Analytics 4?

“Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics, designed to provide a more comprehensive and powerful analytics platform for businesses. GA4 emphasizes a customer-centric approach, using machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide insights into user behavior across devices and platforms.

Some key features of GA4 include:

  1. Cross-device and cross-platform tracking: GA4 provides a unified view of user behavior across devices and platforms, including websites, mobile apps, and other connected devices.
  2. Increased privacy and security: GA4 includes privacy-focused features such as IP anonymization, data retention controls, and support for IAB TCF.
  3. Improved data collection and analysis: GA4 collects more data by default, and provides new and improved data analysis features, such as funnel analysis, conversion paths, and cross-device conversion reports.
  4. Advanced measurement and insights: GA4 provides more advanced measurement capabilities, including machine learning-powered insights and automatic event tracking, making it easier to measure the impact of marketing campaigns and user behavior on your business.
  5. Intuitive reporting and dashboard: GA4 features an improved reporting interface, with a more intuitive design, custom dashboards, and real-time insights.

GA4 represents a significant step forward for Google Analytics, providing businesses with a more powerful and flexible analytics platform for their digital marketing efforts.

Will I have to stop using Google Analytics 3?

No, you are not required to stop using Google Analytics 3 (also known as Universal Analytics). However, Google Analytics 4 offers many new and improved features and is designed to provide a more comprehensive and customer-centric approach to analytics. If you are interested in upgrading to GA4, you can do so at any time, but you will still be able to continue using Universal Analytics if you choose to.

Keep in mind that Google will continue to support Universal Analytics, but new features and improvements will be rolled out primarily for GA4. It is up to each business to determine if and when they want to upgrade, based on their specific needs and resources.

To see Google’s Official policy on GA4 go here: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11583528?hl=en which basically says Google Analytics 3 will stop collecting data and the data will go away after 6 months.

This was fun and a great way to generate content for a QuickTip. But, as you see, ChatGPT can and does get answers wrong!

More Quick Tips:

Use a Password Manager But Not LastPass

My go-to password was LastPass, but with the most recent security breach, I can’t recommend them anymore.

Here are 3 reasons why I say stop LastPass:

  1. Their recent security breach gave direct access to Vault backups where passwords, usernames, and website names were stored. The hacker still needs to break high-end encryption to access these files and passwords aren’t stored directly here, but this basically means the attacker can now brute force these copies to their heart’s desire, see the incident here.
  2. They gave me a LastPass paid account for free for no reason. My trial was supposed to end and I was supposed to be billed. It never ended, and I’ve never been billed. It is a red flag that I happily ignored, but no more. It hints at lousy management and poor practices, which probably played a major role in their most recent breach.
  3. Switching is incredibly easy. I switched over to Bitwarden (open-source software, my favorite) and I was able to quickly and easily switch. I haven’t been charged by Bitwarden yet, but man I’m excited to be! Paying for security and peace of mind is 100% worth it. https://bitwarden.com/

In 2023 we cannot continue to think of our digital life with mystical confusion. You need to own the tools that make you a responsible internet user. Having a password manager and using it well is more essential than having a wrench on hand to fix a leaky faucet. The reality of the digital world is that we need digital tools. If you plan to use the internet, get a password manager and treat it with care.

Website Design v Web Design

What do we mean when we say web design or website design?

Web design and website design are the same thing!

We define these web design as a process of graphic design used to make a website.

That process follows these main steps:

  1. Learn about a particular goal a website aims to accomplish

  2. Learn about the audience that will be using the website

  3. Use graphic design principles and a working knowledge of how websites work to create a layout and structure that will accomplish the goal

  4. Create a digital drawing of the website that uses the colors, photos, and fonts that will achieve the goal!

Notice how we didn’t say build the website? It’s because website design is not always website building! Website designers can often also build your website but won’t always build it!

On top of that, there are specialties within each portion of the design process that I described. But, we’ll cover that later.