Don’t Lose Your Data! Prepare for Google Analytics UA End of Life for Nonprofits

Act Now, Nonprofits! Export Your Universal Analytics Data Before It’s Gone

For many nonprofits, Google Universal Analytics (UA) has been a cornerstone of website traffic analysis. However, with the release of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) a crucial deadline is approaching: The week of July 1, 2024, access to your historical Universal Analytics (UA) website traffic data will expire and then be deleted.

Here’s what Google has said:

Starting the week of July 1, 2024: You won’t be able to access any Universal Analytics properties or the API (not even with read-only access), and all data will be deleted… We know your data is important to you, and we recommend that you export your previously processed data before this date.

To ensure continued access to past website performance insights, exporting your key UA data is essential. This is the last stage in a multi-year transition to Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

Why Export Your UA Data?

GA4 has a significantly different data model than the old UA, which means Google can’t directly import historical UA data into GA4. To keep a record of your past traffic data and insights, you’ll need to export it.

So why would we take the time to export the data? I have boiled it down to 3 primary reasons:

• Maintain Historical Benchmarks: UA data provides a valuable record of past website performance. By exporting it, you can compare future GA4 data to historical trends, helping you identify areas of progress or regression.
• Inform Strategy Decisions: Understanding visitor behavior patterns from old UA data can inform future content strategy, marketing campaigns, and website optimization efforts.
• Facilitate Year-over-Year Comparisons: Without exported UA data, year-over-year comparisons become difficult. Having historical data allows for a more complete picture of website performance.

Simple vs. Complex UA Data Export Methods

\There are two main approaches to exporting your UA data: simple and complex. The methods outlined in this blog post (focusing on exporting individual reports) fall under the simple category. This is a quick and easy approach, perfect for most nonprofits who, like us, appreciate the convenience of free things (with a dash of “fingers crossed they don’t change the rules tomorrow”).

For complex scenarios, there are options like the Google Analytics Reporting API, which allows for programmatic data extraction. This method offers greater flexibility but requires some technical expertise and can be costly.

The simple export approach will likely be sufficient for most nonprofits. It allows you to capture key historical data in a user-friendly format. However, if you have specific needs or a large volume of data to export, we recommend contacting us to discuss your unique circumstances and determine the best export method for your organization.

Steps to Export Your UA Data

1. Identify Key Reports: Focus on reports that track website traffic sources, user behavior, and conversions most relevant to your organization’s goals. Popular reports include:
   • Acquisition (Traffic Sources)
   • All Traffic (Source/Medium)
   • Behavior (Site Content)
   • Conversions (Goals)
2. Exporting Reports: Within each report, select the desired date range (since we’re aiming to preserve all historical data, go pretty far back!) and utilize the export options available. You can choose formats like CSV, Excel (XLSX), or Google Sheets.
3. Organize and Store Data: Clearly label exported files with the report name, date range, and any relevant information. Consider cloud storage solutions like Google Drive or Dropbox for secure and accessible backups.

Additional Resources:

• Google’s guide to exporting UA data: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1038573?hl=en
• A comprehensive guide to the UA to GA4 transition: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11583528?hl=en

Moving Forward with Google Analytics 4

While exporting UA data is crucial, it’s also important that you are set up with GA4 for your website. Last year we helped our clients get GA4 set up, so for the past year or so they have been collecting the new data about their traffic and learning to use Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

More helpful resources:

• Google Analytics 4 Setup Guide: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9304153?hl=en
• Free GA4 Courses: https://analytics.google.com/analytics/academy/

How We Can Help

Are you short on time or needing assistance with exporting UA data? If you’re a current BackOffice Thinking client, simply send an email to support. All we need to know is which reports are most important to their organization and how far back you’d like the data to go. Our team can then handle the export process from there, ensuring a smooth transition and continued access to valuable historical insights.

Not an Ongoing Support client? Contact us to find out how we can help maintain the website and other technology for your nonprofit.