Dear Google, Please Focus On Simplifying.
I am a Digital E-Commerce Supervisor. I spend hours a week sifting through our Analytics; E-Commerce Journeys, Purchase journeys, Traffic acquisition, and more. Report after report. It can be exhausting but I find it exhilarating to find gaps and changes I can make to help our company thrive.
Then we made the change from Google Analytics to GA4 and I’ll tell you what, it’s more complicated. I’ve read countless articles explaining to me why this change will revolutionize analytic reporting, and the change of terminology is for the better.
Well, when I’m looking at it I’m lost. I read through the [GA4] Analytics dimensions and metrics sheet and even printed it out to have a physical reference (I know, it’s old school).
While I will always applaud Google on giving us the ability to really see and connect with our audience, I will never understand the increasingly complex nature of the UX.
Some reccomendations:
- Streamlined User Interface:
Simplify the interface with an intuitive dashboard that prioritizes essential data. While there is a nice dashboard, there is always room for imporvment. When there is a ‘alert’ it would be nice if there was more of an explaination. While I’m looking at a chart more interation and explaination would be useful. Offering customizable layouts to cater to users with different needs and skill levels is something that Google excels in, they could streamline it more so users aren't jumping from report to report.
2. Improved Documentation:
Provide comprehensive and easy-to-understand documentation with real-world examples. Google has countless documents and feedback boards but what they lack is real world examples and troubleshooting. It would be great to be able to cater to my specific need. For example, if I worked for a energy drink company it would be great to input that data somewhere to see (This could be done using AI) real world examples of my industry.
3. Enhanced Data Visualization:
Improve chart and graph visualizations for better data interpretation. Meaning providing more interactive charts for a deeper analysis. More customizable and easily generated reporting. This is not to say that Google isn't the leader in this, they are.
4. Better Integration with Other Google Tools:
Improve integration with other Google services like Google Ads, Google Search Console, and Google Tag Manager. It’s hard to look at GA4 and see a change I need to make in Google Tags, I then have to jump back and forth when Google knows the issue it should be an integrated fix.
Do you have any recommendations for Google? I’d love to hear it!
