So your organization is considering the move to the Google Analytics 4 (GA4) version of Analytics 360, but there are still some lingering questions around cost. We get it—it’s a huge investment, so it’s important to understand the ins and outs. Today we’re hoping to do just that—provide answers to questions and explanations for the “why” behind it all. Here are the top 5 things to know about Google Analytics 360 (GA4) pricing:
1. Pricing is not “cheaper,” but can be “flexible.”
As the VP of Partnerships at InfoTrust, a premier partner, consultancy, and reseller of Google’s products and services (including Google Analytics 360), I’ve had the opportunity to talk with hundreds of stakeholders across every industry regarding pricing. There is a perception that Google’s new enterprise analytics platform is now cheap and can help an organization with their bottom line. This is likely not the case for 80 percent of the enterprise analytics industry. Pricing is more variable, so as your business grows, you are not charged linearly more for overages/higher tiers. This pricing model provides incentives for:
- Smaller advertisers have the opportunity to buy an enterprise license (GA4 version of Analytics 360) annually at significantly lower events per month.
- Large publishers/media organizations are not stuck in a higher pricing tier when their hits are at the very bottom end of the tier. For example, a media publisher has 5 billion hits per month, and they were paying the same amount as a media publisher who had 8 billion hits per month since the tier for the older version of Analytics 360 (Universal Analytics) was 5-8 billion hits per month.
2. Google will not “double-charge” you for the enterprise versions of UA and GA4—you can transition early.
I’m sure as you’re reading this, you have both Universal Analytics and GA4 on your websites (dual-tagging). The good news is that Google should never double-charge you, and you’ll be able to upgrade or transition to Analytics 360 (GA4) whenever your organization is ready to use GA4 as the source of truth. UA processing will stop six months after you officially move, so make sure you take your historical data out of UA (our recommended approach here: T-ETL-T). Many of our clients are renewing their Analytics 360 license on UA now, which will give them more time to successfully transition. Although the license is annual, Google and your reseller will allow you to move over to the GA4 version of Analytics 360 earlier than your expiration. If this happens, you’ll be able to use the remaining funds for your new Analytics 360 (GA4) license. In short, Google and resellers like InfoTrust want you to make the transition to enterprise GA4 successfully and eliminate any challenges along the way.
3. Get to know events-per-month pricing.
Since Google has transitioned to an event-based model with Google Analytics 4, this required them to move from a hits-per-month model to an events-per-month model.
Note: Events are not only counted in base properties that are tagged on websites and apps, but also half of events are counted for every roll-up and sub-property in an account as that requires events to be reprocessed.
The new Analytics 360 (GA4 version) pricing model still has “overages,” so you invest more as your business expands, which is similar to the Universal Analytics version of Analytics 360. Google now provides more potential flexible options depending on businesses volume needs, while expanding the features for your enterprise.
4. You still buy Analytics 360 (GA4 version) through Google Marketing Platform Sales Partners.
As a former Googler, I can understand why the industry is a bit confused to hear they should go to a partner like InfoTrust to buy a Google Analytics 360 license. In fact, Google used to be more receptive to selling licenses directly 4-plus years ago, but I believe they’ve realized they are not in the game of analytics support and consulting. Google does an amazing job at building technology that gives clients and consumers the opportunity to reach and communicate with billions of users across the world. The buying process has not changed for Analytics 360 (GA4 version) and becomes even more important as your organization will need a strategic and technical partner to help you make the transition from UA to GA4 successfully over the next year. For Analytics 360, you pay a Google reseller like InfoTrust, and the reseller pays Google. The InfoTrust way is to provide our license partners with a dedicated team and proactive support and training to make sure you maximize your investment.
5. Utilize a Google Analytics 360 partnership checklist.
When evaluating the purchase of Google Analytics 360 (GA4 version), please reference a checklist to choose the best partner for your organization. My colleague, Andy Gibson, wrote a fantastic article reviewing what organizations should be looking for when they purchase a Google Analytics 360 license. Given the industry changes (privacy, cookie depreciation, and consumer consent), do you think this is really the time to find the “cheapest license”? At InfoTrust, we would love the opportunity to earn your business, but realize we are not a good fit for every potential client. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind when selecting your Google Analytics 360 (GA4 version) reseller:
- Does the partner have an in-depth knowledge of analytics and everything going on in the industry?
- Are they specialized in first-party, privacy-centric measurement?
- Is media their main focus and analytics/license is just a way to sell you their media services?
- What kind of support will you get when there are issues? Is it proactive or reactive? Are they in-house or outsourced?
- Do they have experience in your vertical or with similar business challenges?
- Can you expand your partnership in other areas with this reseller? Are they a key partner to help you advance your analytics maturity? Why go through vendor onboarding if you can’t grow with them and their services?
- Do you like them as people? Do they seem happy? How is their culture? Personally, it’s way more fun to work with folks that are engaged and fulfilled personally and professionally.
- What does Google say about this partner? What about this reseller’s other clients (i.e reviews, case studies)?
To schedule time and chat about your specific pricing or InfoTrust services, please contact Brad Prenger at brad@infotrust.com.
