With the sunset of Universal Analytics (UA) and the growing adoption of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), many businesses are now unsure whether their data is being collected correctly. The rush to migrate has often led to missed setup steps, resulting in bad data that negatively impacts business decisions and performance tracking.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the five most common mistakes businesses make during their GA4 migration and share quick fixes to ensure your GA4 setup is optimised for accurate and actionable insights.

Mistake #1 – Relying on the Default GA4 Configuration

Problem:
Out-of-the-box GA4 only tracks basic events, such as page views and scrolls. This setup misses crucial business actions such as form submissions, add-to-cart clicks, or purchases, meaning you’re missing valuable data on how users are engaging with your website.

Fix:
To resolve this, map out custom events (e.g., form submissions, purchases, or video views) and implement them via Google Tag Manager (GTM) or create these events in the Event setting page in the Data Display admin settings. This will ensure that GA4 captures all critical user actions for deeper insights into customer journeys and conversion funnels.

Mistake #2 – Skipping Key Event Definitions

Problem:
One of the biggest pitfalls with GA4 migration is the failure to set key events. Without defining these key events for important actions (such as purchases, form submissions, or sign-ups), GA4 cannot track metrics like Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) or send conversion data back into Google Ads. This makes it difficult to optimise campaigns and measure success.

Fix:
Define your important key events in GA4 (e.g., purchases, sign-ups, form submissions). After defining these events, be sure to test them using DebugView to ensure they’re firing properly. In GA4, the term “Conversions” has been replaced with “Key Events”. This change allows for a more flexible and granular setup where multiple key actions can be tracked and reported. By defining these key events, you’ll have a clear view of your business’s most important metrics and be able to optimise for success.

Mistake #3 – Ignoring Enhanced Measurement Tweaks

Problem:
GA4’s Enhanced Measurement feature automatically tracks a wide range of events, such as outbound clicks and site searches. However, leaving all these events on can result in noisy data, making it difficult to focus on the most important data for your business goals.

Fix:
Go through the Enhanced Measurement settings and disable unnecessary auto-events that don’t align with your KPIs. For instance, if events like outbound clicks or file downloads don’t contribute to your goals, it’s best to turn those off. By keeping only the events that matter, you can focus on your core KPIs and optimise for what truly drives value.

Mistake #4 – Forgetting Cross-Domain & Cross-Device Tracking

Problem:
With users frequently interacting with your brand across multiple devices and domains (e.g., browsing your site, visiting a third-party checkout, and completing a purchase), data fragmentation can occur, making it difficult to follow a user’s journey.

Fix:
To address this, configure domain linking and implement User-ID tracking in GA4. This enables you to connect user activity across different domains and devices, maintaining a unified visitor narrative. This setup ensures you’re tracking the full customer journey, improving accuracy and attribution.

Mistake #5 – Neglecting Custom Reporting & Audiences

Problem:
Many businesses rely on GA4’s default reports, which can be overwhelming and often irrelevant for specific teams. Without customisation, marketers may miss out on remarketing opportunities, and product teams may not fully understand user behaviour.

Fix:
Create Exploration reports that cater to the unique needs of each department. Custom reports ensure that the right data is actionable and easy to interpret. Additionally, publish remarketing audiences to Google Ads to target users who have engaged with your site but haven’t yet converted, boosting your remarketing efforts.

As all Google Analytics accounts transition to GA4, it’s essential that businesses set up their new GA4 property properly to ensure clean data and effective tracking. Bad setup leads to missed opportunities and wasted budget, while accurate tracking and data collection help drive growth and optimise marketing strategies.

Clean data drives growth, while bad setup leads to wasted budget. If you’re unsure whether your GA4 setup is correct or need help with migration and setup, contact Ruby Digital today and let us help your data work for you, not against you.