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• Revision 31957 : légère amélioration ... Un peu de documentation dans le code également

  7 octobre 2009, par kent1@… — Log

  légère amélioration ...
  Un peu de documentation dans le code également

• 10 Key Google Analytics Limitations You Should Be Aware Of

  9 mai 2022, par Erin

  Google Analytics (GA) is the biggest player in the web analytics space. But is it as “universal” as its brand name suggests ?
  

  Over the years users have pointed out a number of major Google Analytics limitations. Many of these are even more visible in Google Analytics 4. 

  Introduced in 2020, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has been sceptically received. As the sunset date of 1st, July 2023 for the current version, Google Universal Analytics (UA), approaches, the dismay grows stronger.

  To the point where people are pleading with others to intervene : 

  

  Main limitations of Google Analytics

  Google Analytics 4 is advertised as a more privacy-centred, comprehensive and “intelligent” web analytics platform. 

  According to Google, the newest version touts : 

  • Machine learning at its core provides better segmentation and fast-track access to granular insights 
  • Privacy-by-design controls, addressing restrictions on cookies and new regulatory demands 
  • More complete understanding of customer journeys across channels and devices 

  Some of these claims hold true. Others crumble upon a deeper investigation. Newly advertised Google Analytics capabilities such as ‘custom events’, ‘predictive insights’ and ‘privacy consent mode’ only have marginal improvements. 

  Complex setup, poor UI and lack of support with migration also leave many other users frustrated with GA4. 

  

  Let’s unpack all the current (and legacy) limitations of Google Analytics you should account for. 

  1. No Historical Data Imports 

  Google rushed users to migrate from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4. But they overlooked one important precondition — backwards compatibility. 

  You have no way to import data from Google Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4. 

  Historical records are essential for analysing growth trends and creating benchmarks for new marketing campaigns. Effectively, you are cut short from past insights — and forced to start strategising from scratch. 

  At present, Google offers two feeble solutions : 

  • Run data collection in parallel and have separate reporting for GA4 and UA until the latter is shut down. Then your UA records are gone. 
  • For Ecommerce data, manually duplicate events from UA at a new GA4 property while trying to figure out the new event names and parameters. 

  Google’s new data collection model is the reason for migration difficulties. 

  In Google Analytics 4, all analytics hits types — page hits, social hits, app/screen view, etc. — are recorded as events. Respectively, the “‘event’ parameter in GA4 is different from one in Google Universal Analytics as the company explains : 

  

  This change makes migration tedious — and Google offers little assistance with proper events and custom dimensions set up. 

  2. Data Collection Limits 

  If you’ve wrapped your head around new GA4 events, congrats ! You did a great job, but the hassle isn’t over. 

  You still need to pay attention to new Google Analytics limits on data collection for event parameters and user properties. 

  

  These apply to :

  • Automatically collected events
  • Enhanced measurement events
  • Recommended events 
  • Custom events 

  When it comes to custom events, GA4 also has a limit of 25 custom parameters per event. Even though it seems a lot, it may not be enough for bigger websites. 

  You can get higher limits by upgrading to Google Analytics 360, but the costs are steep. 

  3. Limited GDPR Compliance 

  Google Analytics has a complex history with European GDPR compliance. 

  A 2020 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) invalidated the Privacy Shield framework Google leaned upon. This framework allowed the company to regulate EU-US data transfers of sensitive user data. 

  But after this loophole was closed, Google faced a heavy series of privacy-related fines :

  • French data protection authority, CNIL, ruled that  “the transfers to the US of personal data collected through Google Analytics are illegal” — and proceeded to fine Google for a record-setting €150 million at the beginning of 2022. 
  • Austrian regulators also deemed Google in breach of GDPR requirements and also branded the analytics as illegal. 

  Other EU-member states might soon proceed with similar rulings. These, in turn, can directly affect Google Analytics users, whose businesses could face brand damage and regulatory fines for non-compliance. In fact, companies cannot select where the collected analytics data will be stored — on European servers or abroad — nor can they obtain this information from Google.

  Getting a web analytics platform that allows you to keep data on your own servers or select specific Cloud locations is a great alternative. 

  Google also has been lax with its cookie consent policy and doesn’t properly inform consumers about data collection, storage or subsequent usage. Google Analytics 4 addresses this issue to an extent. 

  By default, GA4 relies on first-party cookies, instead of third-party ones — which is a step forward. But the user privacy controls are hard to configure without losing most of the GA4 functionality. Implementing user consent mode to different types of data collection also requires a heavy setup. 

  4. Strong Reliance on Sampled Data 

  To compensate for ditching third-party cookies, GA4 more heavily leans on sampled data and machine learning to fill the gaps in reporting. 

  In GA4 sampling automatically applies when you :

  • Perform advanced analysis such as cohort analysis, exploration, segment overlap or funnel analysis with not enough data 
  • Have over 10,000,000 data rows and generate any type of non-default report 

  Google also notes that data sampling can occur at lower thresholds when you are trying to get granular insights. If there’s not enough data or because Google thinks it’s too complex to retrieve. 

  In their words :

  

  Data sampling adds “guesswork” to your reports, meaning you can’t be 100% sure of data accuracy. The divergence from actual data depends on the size and quality of sampled data. Again, this isn’t something you can control. 

  Unlike Google Analytics 4, Matomo applies no data sampling. Your reports are always accurate and fully representative of actual user behaviours. 

  5. No Proper Data Anonymization 

  Data anonymization allows you to collect basic analytics about users — visits, clicks, page views — but without personally identifiable information (or PII) such as geo-location, assigns tracking ID or other cookie-based data. 

  This reduced your ability to :

  • Remarket 
  • Identify repeating visitors
  • Do advanced conversion attribution 

  But you still get basic data from users who ignored or declined consent to data collection. 

  By default, Google Analytics 4 anonymizes all user IP addresses — an upgrade from UA. However, it still assigned a unique user ID to each user. These count as personal data under GDPR. 

  For comparison, Matomo provides more advanced privacy controls. You can anonymize :

  • Previously tracked raw data 
  • Visitor IP addresses
  • Geo-location information
  • User IDs 

  This can ensure compliance, especially if you operate in a sensitive industry — and delight privacy-mindful users ! 

  6. No Roll-Up Reporting

  Getting a bird’s-eye view of all your data is helpful when you need hotkey access to main sites — global traffic volume, user count or percentage of returning visitors.

  With Roll-Up Reporting, you can see global-performance metrics for multiple localised properties (.co.nz, .co.uk, .com, etc,) in one screen. Then zoom in on specific localised sites when you need to. 

  

  7. Report Processing Latency 

  The average data processing latency is 24-48 hours with Google Analytics. 

  Accounts with over 200,000 daily sessions get data refreshes only once a day. So you won’t be seeing the latest data on core metrics. This can be a bummer during one-day promo events like Black Friday or Cyber Monday when real-time information can prove to be game-changing ! 

  Matomo processes data with lower latency even for high-traffic websites. Currently, we have 6-24 hour latency for cloud deployments. On-premises web analytics can be refreshed even faster — within an hour or instantly, depending on the traffic volumes. 

  8. No Native Conversion Optimisation Features

  Google Analytics users have to use third-party tools to get deeper insights like how people are interacting with your webpage or call-to-action.

  You can use the free Google Optimize tool, but it comes with limits : 

  • No segmentation is available 
  • Only 10 simultaneous running experiments allowed 

  There isn’t a native integration between Google Optimize and Google Analytics 4. Instead, you have to manually link an Optimize Container to an analytics account. Also, you can’t select experiment dimensions in Google Analytics reports.

  What’s more, Google Optimize is a basic CRO tool, best suited for split testing (A/B testing) of copy, visuals, URLs and page layouts. If you want to get more advanced data, you need to pay for extra tools. 

  Matomo comes with a native set of built-in conversion optimization features : 

  • Heatmaps 
  • User session recording 
  • Sales funnel analysis 
  • A/B testing 
  • Form submission analytics 

  

  9. Deprecated Annotations

  Annotations come in handy when you need to provide extra context to other team members. For example, point out unusual traffic spikes or highlight a leak in the sales funnel. 

  This feature was available in Universal Analytics but is now gone in Google Analytics 4. But you can still quickly capture, comment and share knowledge with your team in Matomo. 

  You can add annotations to any graph that shows statistics over time including visitor reports, funnel analysis charts or running A/B tests. 

  10. No White Label Option 

  This might be a minor limitation of Google Analytics, but a tangible one for agency owners. 

  Offering an on-brand, embedded web analytics platform can elevate your customer experience. But white label analytics were never a thing with Google Analytics, unlike Matomo. 

  Wrap Up 

  Google set a high bar for web analytics. But Google Analytics inherent limitations around privacy, reporting and deployment options prompt more users to consider Google Analytics alternatives, like Matomo. 

  With Matomo, you can easily migrate your historical data records and store customer data locally or in a designated cloud location. We operate by a 100% unsampled data principle and provide an array of privacy controls for advanced compliance. 

  Start your 21-day free trial (no credit card required) to see how Matomo compares to Google Analytics ! 

  21 day free trial. No credit card required.

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  I hereby accept the terms and conditions and the data processing agreeement (DPA).

  
  Your information will be used to create an account on our cloud service. For more information please consult our privacy policy.
  
  

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• Four Trends Shaping the Future of Analytics in Banking

  27 novembre 2024, par Daniel Crough — Banking and Financial Services

  While retail banking revenues have been growing in recent years, trends like rising financial crimes and capital required for generative AI and ML tech pose significant risks and increase operating costs across the financial industry, according to McKinsey’s State of Retail Banking report.

   

  Today’s financial institutions are focused on harnessing AI and advanced analytics to make their data work for them. To be up to the task, analytics solutions must allow banks to give consumers the convenient, personalised experiences they want while respecting their privacy.

   

  In this article, we’ll explore some of the big trends shaping the future of analytics in banking and finance. We’ll also look at how banks use data and technology to cut costs and personalise customer experiences.
  
  So, let’s get into it.

  

  This doesn’t just represent a security risk, it also impacts the usability for both customers and employees. Does any of the following sound familiar ?

  • Only specific senior employees know how to navigate the software to generate custom reports or use its more advanced features.
  • Customer complaints about your site’s usability or online banking experience are routine.
  • Onboarding employees takes much longer than necessary because of convoluted systems.
  • Teams and departments experience ‘data siloing,’ meaning that not everyone can access the data they need.

  These are warning signs that IT systems are ready for a review. Anyone thinking, “If it’s not broken, why fix it ?” should consider that legacy systems can also present data security risks. As more countries introduce regulations to protect customer privacy, staying ahead of the curve is increasingly important to avoid penalties and litigation.

  And regulations aren’t the only trends impacting the future of financial institutions’ IT and analytics.

  4 trends shaping the future of analytics in banking

  New regulations and new technology have changed the landscape of analytics in banking.

  New privacy regulations impact banks globally

  The first major international example was the advent of GDPR, which went into effect in the EU in 2018. But a lot has happened since. New privacy regulations and restrictions around AI continue to roll out.

  • The European Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act), which was held up as the world’s first comprehensive legislation on AI, took effect on 31 July 2024.
  • In Europe’s federated data initiative, Gaia-X’s planned cloud infrastructure will provide for more secure, transparent, and trustworthy data storage and processing.
  • The revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) makes payments more secure and strengthens protections for European businesses and consumers, aiming to create a more integrated and efficient payments market.

  But even businesses that don’t have customers in Europe aren’t safe. Consumer privacy is a hot-button issue globally.

  For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which took effect in January, impacts the financial services industry more than any other. Case in point, 34% of CCPA-related cases filed in 2022 were related to the financial sector.

  California’s privacy regulations were the first in the US, but other states are following closely behind. On 1 July 2024, new privacy laws went into effect in Florida, Oregon, and Texas, giving people more control over their data.

  

  One typical issue for companies in the banking industry is that their privacy measures regarding user data collected from their website are much less lax than those in their online banking system.

  It’s better to proactively invest in a privacy-centric analytics platform before you get tangled up in a lawsuit and have to pay a fine (and are forced to change your system anyway). 

  And regulatory compliance isn’t the only bonus of an ethical analytics solution. The right alternative can unlock key customer insights that can help you improve the user experience.

  The demand for personalised banking services

  At the same time, consumers are expecting a more and more streamlined personal experience from financial institutions. 86% of bank employees say personalisation is a clear priority for the company. But 63% described resources as limited or only available after demonstrating clear business cases.

  McKinsey’s The data and analytics edge in corporate and commercial banking points out how advanced analytics are empowering frontline bank employees to give customers more personalised experiences at every stage :

  • Pre-meeting/meeting prep : Using advanced analytics to assess customer potential, recommend products, and identify prospects who are most likely to convert
  • Meetings/negotiation : Applying advanced models to support price negotiations, what-if scenarios and price multiple products simultaneously
  • Post-meeting/tracking : Using advanced models to identify behaviours that lead to high performance and improve forecast accuracy and sales execution

  Today’s banks must deliver the personalisation that drives customer satisfaction and engagement to outperform their competitors.

  The rise of AI and its role in banking

  With AI and machine learning technologies becoming more powerful and accessible, financial institutions around the world are already reaping the rewards.

  McKinsey estimates that AI in banking could add $200 to 340 billion annually across the global banking sector through productivity gains.

  • Credit card fraud prevention : Algorithms analyse usage to flag and block fraudulent transactions.
  • More accurate forecasting : AI-based tools can analyse a broader spectrum of data points and forecast more accurately.
  • Better risk assessment and modelling : More advanced analytics and predictive models help avoid extending credit to high-risk customers.
  • Predictive analytics : Help spot clients most likely to churn 
  • Gen-AI assistants : Instantly analyse customer profiles and apply predictive models to suggest the next best actions.

  Considering these market trends, let’s discuss how you can move your bank into the future.

  Using analytics to minimise risk and establish a competitive edge 

  With the right approach, you can leverage analytics and AI to help future-proof your bank against changing customer expectations, increased fraud, and new regulations.

  Use machine learning to prevent fraud

  Every year, more consumers are victims of credit and debit card fraud. Debit card skimming cases nearly doubled in the US in 2023. The last thing you want as a bank is to put your customer in a situation where a criminal has spent their money.

  This not only leads to a horrible customer experience but also creates a lot of internal work and additional costs.Thankfully, machine learning can help identify suspicious activity and stop transactions before they go through. For example, Mastercard’s fraud prevention model has improved fraud detection rates by 20–300%.

  

  Implementing a solution like this (or partnering with credit card companies who use it) may be a way to reduce risk and improve customer trust.

  Foresee and avoid future issues with AI-powered risk management

  Regardless of what type of financial products organisations offer, AI can be an enormous tool. Here are just a few ways in which it can mitigate financial risk in the future :

  • Predictive analytics can evaluate risk exposure and allow for more informed decisions about whether to approve commercial loan applications.
  • With better credit risk modelling, banks can avoid extending personal loans to customers most likely to default.
  • Investment banks (or individual traders or financial analysts) can use AI- and ML-based systems to monitor market and trading activity more effectively.

  Those are just a few examples that barely scratch the surface. Many other AI-based applications and analytics use cases exist across all industries and market segments.

  Protect customer privacy while still getting detailed analytics

  New regulations and increasing consumer privacy concerns don’t mean banks and financial institutions should forego website analytics altogether. Its insights into performance and customer behaviour are simply too valuable. And without customer interaction data, you’ll only know something’s wrong if someone complains.

  Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be one or the other. The right financial analytics solution can give you the data and insights needed without compromising privacy while complying with regulations like GDPR and CCPA.

  That way, you can track usage patterns and improve site performance and content quality based on accurate data — without compromising privacy. Reliable, precise analytics are crucial for any bank that’s serious about user experience.

  Use A/B testing and other tools to improve digital customer experiences

  Personalised digital experiences can be key differentiators in banking and finance when done well. But there’s stiff competition. In 2023, 40% of bank customers rated their bank’s online and mobile experience as excellent. 

  Improving digital experiences for users while respecting their privacy means going above and beyond a basic web analytics tool like Google Analytics. Invest in a platform with features like A/B tests and user session analysis for deeper insights into user behaviour.

  

  Behavioural analytics are crucial to understanding customer interactions. By identifying points of friction and drop-off points, you can make digital experiences smoother and more engaging.

  Matomo offers all this and is a great GDPR-compliant alternative to Google Analytics for banks and financial institutions. 

  Of course, this can be challenging. This is why taking an ethical and privacy-centric approach to analytics can be a key competitive edge for banks. Prioritising data security and privacy will attract other like-minded, ethically conscious consumers and boost customer loyalty.

  Get privacy-friendly web analytics suitable for banking & finance with Matomo

  Improving digital experiences for today’s customers requires a solid web analytics platform that prioritises data privacy and accurate analytics. And choosing the wrong one could even mean ending up in legal trouble or scrambling to reconstruct your entire analytics setup.

  Matomo provides privacy-friendly analytics with 100% data accuracy (no sampling), advanced privacy controls and the ability to run A/B tests and user session analysis within the same platform (limiting risk and minimising costs). 

  It’s easy to get started with Matomo. Users can access clear, easy-to-understand metrics and plenty of pre-made reports that deliver valuable insights from day one. Form usage reports can help banks and fintechs identify potential issues with broken links or technical glitches and reveal clues on improving UX in the short term.

  Over one million websites, including some of the world’s top banks and financial institutions, use Matomo for their analytics.

  Start your 21-day free trial to see why, or book a demo with one of our analytics experts.