Google Analytics is a primary source of the information you need to create effective online marketing strategy for your practice or brand. The Google Analytics website has been giving us a “coming soon” message for their new look for months, and we’re beginning to see changes now.
Getting around
One big change is that we’ll no longer see “Reporting” and “Admin” options across the top. Instead, the Admin section is accessed with the gear icon at the bottom of the sidebar you see below, while the reports are available through the icons at the top of the sidebar.
Bright orange highlighting shows you just where you are in the reports. In the screenshots above and below, we’re looking at the Audience Overview report.
You can see which icon goes with which report when you have the menu opened. Right now, the reports are about the same as they have been. So is the Admin area. But getting to them is quite different.
The navigation sidebar can be closed to give you more space to look at the reports. All Customization is now in a single Customization section, too, instead of being separated into the various areas.
When you log in, you’ll be taken back to the report you were most recently working with. It’s also smoother and easier to change from one account or view to another. Click in the upper left-hand corner and you’ll have the option of searching your accounts or of choosing from a list of properties. You no longer have to navigate to the main page to see these options.
Changes in reports
We’re seeing some beta report options. We’re no longer seeing In-Page Analytics or Intelligence Events. There will be a new version of Intelligence Events in the form of an automatic Google Analytics Assistant. We’ll report on this when we’ve had a chance to try it out.
You can also change the default date range if you feel like it. We’re seeing a week as the default rather than 30 days, but you can choose for yourself.
Overall, these are not earth-shattering changes, but they give you a smoother, more up-to-the-minute user experience. If you haven’t looked at your analytics for a while, you might want to check out the new look.
If you don’t look at your analytics because it’s difficult or because you don’t get actionable insights, let us help you. Check out our Analytics page for more information.
Source: Haden Interactive