GA4 collects event-based data from both websites and apps. It is the new property designed for the future of measurement, replacing the current Universal Analytics.

The new analytics platform will collect data to better understand the customer journey, it uses event-based data instead of session-based, includes privacy controls such as cookieless measurement, and behavioural and conversion modelling, predictive capabilities offer guidance without complex models and direct integrations to media platforms help to push actions on your website or app.

GA4 has become the default when setting up a new property, and you will need to upgrade to GA4 before summer 2023. As soon as you set up a new GA4 property you will start collecting useful data without even putting any additional tags into place 

If you have an app, a website or both it is now recommended that you set up a GA4 account alongside existing GA accounts, if you have them, this will give you time to collect data in GA4 without losing any data currently held in your GA accounts, so, no time like the present!

Currently users on websites will consent to cookies which will track a website’s performance, but this leaves gaps where user consent isn’t given for tracking. So GA4 will start filling in the gaps by using machine learning, meaning that your data will be more reliable. 

GA4 is built to be future proof, it has a much larger focus on tracking the entire user journey as opposed to splitting up current user interaction into sessions, devices or platforms as Universal Analytics does. It allows bespoke tracking of events which you can then turn into conversions giving a truer conversion rate.

The main benefits of GA4 include:

Improved data collection and reporting

GA4 allows for more accurate data collection and reporting, meaning that businesses can better track user behaviour and understand how users interact with their website or app.

Deeper insights into user behaviour

GA4 provides more in–depth insights into user behaviour, so that businesses can better understand how users interact with their website or app. GA4 processes data in a much better way than Universal Analytics.

Identity spaces

It creates a single user journey for all data linked to the same identity resulting in much better reporting, compared to Analytics where a single user can appear to be different when showing on a different device or platform.

Automated intelligence tools

GA4 comes with automated intelligence tools that can help businesses to optimise their website or app for better user experience.

Google Ads integration

GA4 is integrated with Google Ads and other Google marketing tools, so that businesses can better measure user journeys and understand how their campaigns are performing.

Platform Design

The new GA4 has a shiny new look, the user interface can be customised and has less limitation on scorecard size and shape. There are additional changes to the layout making it feel less clunky and feels easier to use and far more seamless.

Google Tag Manager

Making the move to GA4 can be a tricky process, you’ll need to ensure that the tracking is working seamlessly across your site. If you need a hand, why not get in touch with us today and let us do it for you!

You can find out more about GA4 from Google here.

As a certified B Corporation Company we are committed to helping the environment and becoming greener by the day, there are lots of things that we do to help reduce our carbon footprint but here are just some of the actions we take that you could implement to make your business greener too!

Recycle

Making a conscious effort to recycle waste is a great step to take, getting the whole team behind it can make a big difference and it saves a vast amount of waste going into landfill. Pop some recycling bags or bins by your main rubbish bin to make it easy for everyone to get involved. It does cost money to recycle so it is worth looking into companies that offer a cost effective option and that cover most recycling services.

Companies like Ash Waste Services and Veolia offer a very comprehensive range recycling services.

Ash Waste Services state: “Our aims are simple; To provide a waste management service that is fantastic value for our customers, whilst recycling and reusing the waste we collect to deliver a sustainable future for our planet.”

Veolia State: “We have long been recognised as a leader in sustainability – and today we take the next steps with 10 sustainable commitments to preserve and protect the environment for future generations and support our people.”

Switch to a Greener Energy Supplier

There are some fantastic green energy suppliers around now with an increasing number generating power from reusable sources. Some use a percentage of renewable energy and some get their energy from 100% renewable sources using wind, hydro and solar. The bonus is that they’re usually very cost effective so you’re helping out the environment without having to increase your outgoing costs, what’s not to love!

Save Energy

Switching computers off and unnecessary lights can all add up to saving on those energy bills, not to mention it is better for the environment and using more natural lighting is much better for you and your team.

Ride a Bike or Share a Car

If you live close to the office why not opt for riding a bike to work instead of driving, even on the odd occasion is better than never, and helps to reduce those fuel fumes. Or alternatively, share lifts into work with a colleague.

Sustainable Suppliers

Take a look at the people who supply your paper, printers and so on, choosing eco-friendly suppliers will help you to become more sustainable as a business.

Choose Energy Efficient Electrical Appliances

From microwaves to computers, switch to energy efficient electrical appliances to help you save money and energy and protect the environment. You don’t have to sacrifice quality because they generally tend to be well made and enhance the user experience.

Remote Working

Offer remote working for a few days as week as an option to your employees where possible. It reduces travel and is better for the environment, whilst also giving employees a better work to life ratio, resulting in a happier, not to mention greener team.

Solar Panels and Ground Source Pumps

Both of these are great renewable energy options for running an office. A solar panel will transform energy from the sunlight into electricity for the office, enabling your business to save money on energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint. Ground source pumps are a fantastic alternative to non-renewable heating fuels, transferring heat from the ground outside your office to be used as heating within the office. They are excellent low carbon heating systems that are popular due to their high efficiency rate and low running costs.

Get in touch if you want to work with us!

If your website has a slow loading speed this could be due to poor coding. Google is soon to start flagging up these websites with a badging system which will inform users that the site is slow. The warnings will most likely be a text indication or a sign.

A recent blog written by Google stated that it was going to start helping users recognise a slow loading site, and reward sites for being quick and fast moving, which ultimately give users a better experience.

Google stated that it can now spot how a site has been coded a certain way that will make it load slower. Additionally pages can take longer to load because they are waiting for communication from other external sources, such as analytics or social widgets.

The text indications could appear along the lines of ‘loads slow’ or the visual sign could be that the colour of a progress bar changes to indicate that the page takes longer than others to load.

The blog stated that this new tool will be further improved over time and that ultimately it is being brought into play to help improve the way websites are created giving users a better experience.

There have been mixed responses to this new tool, some who have criticised it and labelled it as a ‘badge of shame’ and that they weren’t sure how easy it would be to actually identify what makes a website load slowly. 

However, for now we will continue to stay ahead of the game and work hard at ensuring our websites are as speedy as possible! 

It has been one of the most bizarre years for the UK and it has certainly had a devastating effect on the retail industry, but how are some shops adapting to the drop in high street sales?

Lots of non essential stores remain closed, and even when they open again there is bound to be a little hesitance from some people, especially after getting used to the convenience of online shopping.

So retailers are having to think outside the box this year and come up with some innovative ideas to get people shopping online whilst making Christmas still feel special. Here are some of our favourite virtual events!

Selfridges are running some fantastic virtual events this year, including a virtual santa meet and greet! Sign me up!

Virtual Meet and Greet Santa with Selfridges

John Lewis have set up a fantastic virtual Christmas Shop where you can view all they have to offer on an online shop floor, you could certainly spend far too long on this!

Virtual Shop with John Lewis!

Harrods are offering a personal shopping online experience, where you can ‘shop the store from home’. A fantastic idea to give people that ‘personal touch.’

Harrods Personal Shopper Experience

Debenhams have opened a virtual Beauty Room, what better way to feel pampered without leaving your home?

Virtual Beauty Room.

And MADE have launched their first ever virtual reality showroom!

MADE’s Virtual Reality Showroom

Have you come across any great online retail ideas? Let us know!

Google Maps has become more ‘social’ with the Local Guides follow feature

The Google Local Guides program has over 120 million members globally and although they are mostly invisible, they are an essential part of Google Maps. They provide valuable reviews as well as images and additional content. They also answer critical questions about local businesses and local places making it a fantastic experience for all users.

The Guides are now about to become more visible. Users of Google Maps will be able to follow local guides to see their reviews etc. But this will only be rolled out to a limited number of cities initially. ‘Top Local Guides’ (which will be chosen on their activity level) will be found under a ‘For You’ tab at the bottom of the Google Maps app. 

This is exciting stuff as previously Google have failed at creating a social platform and this could be the next big thing for the search giant.

Top Tips for Being a Smart Searcher 

Daniel Russell, a Senior Research Scientist, Google Search Team has recently written an article on how to be a smarter searcher. With search having been around for over 20 years and there are billions of queries every day. But how can you ensure that you are getting the right and best answer to your searches?

Here are Daniel Russell’s top tips.

1. Do more than one search
2. Check source credibility
3. Don’t include the answer within your search query
4. Start the search broad, then start to narrow it down
5. Mix and match the phrases you use
6. Explore beyond the web

If you want to know more about the above then follow the link to read Daniel’s article.

Google’s New Audio News Update

Google has seen an opportunity to start focusing more on audio news. Google has stated that they will start listening to what is being said within an audio file, analyse it and pull together what may be of interest to a certain user. Your News Update is an exciting, and smarter way to listen to the latest news, all hosted by the Google Assistant! Why not give it a try by updating your settings!

Communication is Key

Communicating with your customers is key to running a successful business. Keeping people as up to date as you can will help them to feel calmer and more at ease. There are a number of tried and tested ways that you can do this.

Changes to Your Site

It is fairly easy to make some simple changes to your website that will inform any visitors of changes to your business and circumstances. You can apply pop ups so that when customers land on your page they are instantly told about any recent developments. Banners are also a handy way to let customers know about changes and news.

Keeping your blog up to date will also give customers a place to go to see what’s new with your business.

Changes to Delivery

This is extremely important. People are less likely to get upset and complain if they have been pre warned about any changes to your delivery times. If there are going to be delays then let your customers know before they order, or as soon as you possibly can to avoid any unnecessary frustration!

With the latest issues that the world is facing, working from home where possible has become inevitable for some people.

For some people this will be easier than it is for others as they may already have a home set up or experience of working from home previously. But for others, this isn’t something that they have had to implement before and the change in circumstances can have an impact on how you work

Here are our top tips for working from home and how to ensure you stay productive and don’t burn out!

Act as if You Were Going Into the Office

The best way to get your head into work mode is by preparing as if you were going into the office anyway. Always get up, shower and get dressed. You may not want to wear smart work wear if you are at home but staying in your pyjamas until 2pm will mean that your focus could slide significantly. Have your breakfast and coffee as if you would normally, walk the dog before ‘leaving for work’, kiss goodbye to your partner and head to your working space. All these small routine actions will help you to stay productive and professional.

Plan Out Your Day

Make sure that you have a set calendar for the day. Work can inevitably change as priorities change but starting out with an idea of what you are going to be working on throughout the day will help immensely. Have morning catch ups as a team either via skype or Google Hangouts and discuss what the plan is for the day ahead so everyone knows what they are working on and you don’t drift away from what’s important. Additionally, if you work alone, a calendar will make you feel more at ease and focused on the tasks at hand.

Stay Connected

It is vital to ensure you can keep in touch with everyone you need to. Communicating with others will not only keep you sane but it will keep spirits high and allow you to do your job properly. Skype and whatsapp groups will enable you to share not only important information but lighthearted conversation. Work together as a team to build effective channels of communication that work for everyone. And if you work alone then make sure you have some sort of human interaction throughout the day, whether it is a quick catch up call with a friend, or a chat over the fence with a neighbour.

There is a new EU regulation coming into action which has been brought about to tackle fraud. It will mean that when purchasing there will be a two factor payment authentication which will in turn increase the use of biometric technology.

The new regulation has been named The ‘Strong Customer Authentication’ (SCA) which will come into play this year, September 2019. It will require the payer to use a minimum of two methods of authentication. These methods will be a combination of:

1. KNOWLEDGE
something you know – for example a password

2. POSSESSION
something you have – for example a phone or physical key

3. INHERENCE
something you are – for example your fingerprint or facial recognition

Although Mastercard have promised that they will work as closely as possible with merchants to ensure that the transition goes as smoothly as possible there could be some disruption to sales.

Therefore it could be wise to keep a closer eye on sales and use different methods of communication to inform your customers of the updates to your payment systems either via mail-out, social media, or email to ensure that you are reaching all your customers, avoiding any loss of sales or disappointment. The new regulations are compulsory for all companies within Europe, the deadline is the 14th September and if payment systems don’t meet the requirements prior to this date then payments won’t be processed.

There will be some exemptions to the new SCA regulations such as low value transactions where the spend is under £30, recurring transactions (direct debits that have been previously set up), Apple and Google Pay and merchants that are trusted by shoppers which shoppers can choose to add to a ‘trusted list.’

You will need to be fully prepared for the change and ensure that all your payment systems are up to date and meet the regulations to avoid payments being refused. Changes to your website payments systems may need to be made in order to ensure that you comply with the new regulations.  Merchants may need to change their systems to handle 3DS 2.0 or other SCA methods. If you have a payment system that is integrated within your website then you will need to ensure that it is up to date to meet the regulations, get in contact with your web developer to find out how to process this.

Speak to your website developer today and get ahead of the game!

This month we have been working flat out on new website launches and new Google Ad campaigns for various clients, as always it is all hands on deck here at Verve! However, we have still managed to rustle up some snippets from the SEO world so we hope that you enjoy reading the latest from the land of search!

Google’s Core Update

So let’s address this first. Google has recently rolled out it’s new Core Update and it took five days to do it. But why should we care? Well.. when Google rolls out these more substantial updates, having the knowledge of when the update started and ended is extremely useful for tracking traffic increases and decreases within analytics. The timeline of the update can help us understand if a certain  website got effected by an algorithm update, a technical issue, or any other issue that might be completely unrelated.

If there are multiple updates being carried out within the same time period then this can make our job harder to analyse any issues that may arise. But it isn’t impossible and as great SEO’s that’s where we welcome the challenge.

Why not read our latest blog? The importance of SEO!

Google Changes the Way it Thinks

Google is becoming more and more portal and less and less SEO! This is having a big impact on the user journey for people using google to search and in turn will ultimately have an even bigger impact for pretty much every company. However, there are some plans that you can put into place for your SEOs to jump on!

Build Your SEO Team

Ensure you have a competent team of SEO professionals in your team and advise everyone else in the team about the importance of SEO. Educate them! Don’t forget there are always talented agencies that can assist you with your SEO needs (we like to think we are one of them).

Ensure that you are Creating Quality Content

Bloggers, social media managers, copywriters and anyone else who is creating content for your website need to be writing authoritative and comprehensive pieces that are good enough to stand a chance organically against the vast amount of content that there is floating around the web.

Authors need to understand that there is a lot they need to become skilled at such as SEO-friendly JavaScript, schema and rich snippets. It is vital to regularly review copy to provide quality for Google.

Schema and JavaScript for SEO

Developers need to be adding schema on to your site correctly which will help crawlers understand your content correctly and this will increase the chances that the content gets featured as a snippet.

There are also plenty of other actions which you can take to keep up with Google SERPs but we don’t want to go on! If you want more advice or want to increase your SEO productivity then get in touch to see how we can help!

Links and Title Tags STILL Matter to Rankings

Apparently, in 2019, links and title tags still matter to achieving a good place in Google’s search. It is important to let non-seos know that these tags (which they may feel lack real importance) are still vital to good SEO.

Google has now announced the new features that are available! Read all about them below:

Seasonality adjustments

If you have a sale or promotion on the horizon you can now use these adjustments to give a signal to Google’s Smart Bidding system to prep more effectively!

More in-market audience segments

New segments in categories are now available such as beauty, sports, education and real estate! Exciting stuff!

Calls for Local Campaigns

This feature launched last year. It is one of Google’s automated campaign formats which is aimed specifically at increasing traffic to physical locations. Soon we will be able to drive calls to business locations!

Group Locations for Local Campaign Messaging

We can now set up location groups, or subsets of locations to tailor budgets and messaging to specific places focused on in-store promotions!

Asset reporting for Local Campaigns

This enables you to be able to see how the creative elements of your campaigns (ad headlines, descriptions, images) are performing. But only labeled as ‘Best’ or ‘Good’.

Promotions in LIAs

Local Inventory Ads now have promotions available. This is the Shopping ads that show products available in stores located close to the searcher. They can be used to highlight special offers or promotions.

The world of search is rapidly changing and we will endeavour to continue to bring you the latest and most interesting updates from the world of search. That’s all for this month! We will catch up in August!

Google Update their GoogleBot

Google have been making changes to update their GoogleBot to improve its efficiency at crawling the web. This created some complaints from SEOs who remarked that they had worked on all the workarounds wasting their time now that GoogleBot will ditch these when the new version is launched.

Some companies will be upset at the time taken to work on the workarounds but ultimately this is for the best. Google are correct that they should change GoogleBot so that developers, webmasters and SEOs don’t have to use workarounds for Google to index, crawl and rank the pages.

Redirect or 404?

A new Twitter poll has revealed that SEOs advise to 404 rather than redirect when removing old content if the page itself cannot be updated with more relevant data. But ultimately this really depends. If you can’t create content close enough to the original that was being displayed then it probably is wiser to 404 rather than redirect to something too different to avoid confusion.

It wasn’t that long ago that we saw a lot of SEOs say they send 301 pages to their homepage. According to Google this is a bad move.

Google and Brackets

Recently google announced the before and after search commands and some SEO’s haven’t realised that google uses brackets. And when google uses these brackets it is a way of quoting a search phrase. This is because people can search using quotes so Google can’t use quotes reliably meaning that brackets are a much better option.

If a searcher used “how to wear a headband” Google would say that actually they had searched for (how to wear a headband).

Rowen Barbary have been working with Verve for over 10 years and they approached the team with the task of giving their website a complete digital transformation and we were more than happy to oblige.

As a company that pride themselves on customer service, Rowen Barbary needed a website to reflect this and to help them to grow as a business. The new website will be built on a Magento 2 platform which is ecommerce. This will allow Rowen Barbary to sell their products online to successfully meet customer demand.

Overview

On May 25^th the GDPR comes into force across all EU member states, bringing the biggest changes to data protection laws in a generation. This is going to affect all businesses and particularly those involved in eCommerce and digital marketing. If you’ve not reviewed your website or email policies yet time is running out. With this in mind we have compiled a GDPR guide of must do’s to ensure clients understand the steps they need to take ahead of the new regulations.

Our experts can advise you and recommend necessary amendments to your website, security and digital marketing in accordance with GDPR directives. We can review your online presence and carry out essential alterations in advance of the GDPR deadline.

List of ‘Must do’s’

The new regulations are far-reaching and extend to every aspect of your digital presence, data collection and online strategy. If the answer to any of the following questions is ‘No’, you should contact us in respect of the GDPR and amendments you need to make to your website or online marketing.

• Data capture – Have you modified your opt-in preferences in view of the GDPR Changes? Fundamental changes are required to your registration and opt-in mechanisms.
• Privacy statements – Have you updated these and their prominence on your website and emails? Like data capture, this a key area of the new regulations.
• Emails – Have you reviewed GDPR requirements for sending emails; to whom, when and for what? It is likely you will have to renew your customer opt-ins – before May 25^th.
• Cookies – Are you aware of changes to cookie notices requiring more ‘affirmative’ consent?
• Security – Are you confident your data and how you store it meets the stringent security demands of the GDPR? Can you demonstrate this?
• Data quality – Do you maintain and demonstrate data quality updates? Do you cleanse your data and delete redundant records?
• 3^rd parties – Have you revised contracts with 3^rd party suppliers? Non-compliance by suppliers could make you culpable.

Data capture – Opt-ins and consent

Strict criteria for opt-ins are stipulated in the GDPR. Users MUST have explicit choice in how they are contacted and what they are contacted about. Most current practices won’t meet the new requirements. If you rely on Consent as your Lawful Basis for handling individuals’ data this must satisfy the new opt-in requirements under the GDPR. If not, you will have to re-obtain opt-ins ahead of the May 25^th deadline.

• Consent must be ‘freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous’ and ‘easily withdrawn’
• Opt-ins, T’s and C’s and Privacy Notices must be distinctive, separate and unrelated and consent cannot be a pre-condition for delivery of a service
• Pre-populated tick boxes are outlawed and ‘double opt-in’ confirmations are recommended
• Consent must be ‘granular’, with separate opt-ins across distinct channels

Privacy statements

Privacy Notices are a key component of the GDPR and must include clearly stated requirements. Layout, design and formatting are also important requirements, requiring Privacy Notices to be accessible, engaging and easily navigable.

• Full details of all information collected, stored and processed
  1. Who is collecting it, how and for what reason
  2. How information will be used
  3. Who will it be shared with (and why)

• How this will affect individuals and their rights to oppose it
  1. Including a direct link to the ICO to report infringement and poor data management
  2. Security measures must also be explained, emphasising protection against breaches

Emails

You are required to clean up your email lists and MOST IMPORTANTLY, update the ‘Lawful Processing Rights’ for every customer.

• If your database of subscribers were not collected according to GDPR standards (see opt-in), then you will need to do some housekeeping.
• It is likely that you will need to re-confirm consent among existing customers, especially if they haven’t purchased for a while. This could include re-permission emails so that they can choose to re-opt in.
• It is almost inevitable that you will need to obtain renewed opt-in for large numbers of your email subscribers
• We can tell you more about this and help deliver campaigns.
• But you only have until May 25^th to do this – after that you will be in breach of GDPR and liable to fines.

Cookies

More often than not, cookie acceptance notices are standardised and generic. Under GDPR this will no longer be compliant, as it only suggests implied consent rather than demanding a positive, freely given action. Websites will need to gain active opt-in for cookies and ensure privacy notices provide details of cookies used and for what purpose. Consent will need to be an affirmative action, not a preconditioned acceptance of visiting a website.

Data security

Websites (indeed, all data collection & storage mechanisms) must review and demonstrate secure and robust data capture and storage. This should involve techniques like encryption, anonymisation and access control. Systems and software packages should be included in Privacy Notices, as should back up procedures.

• Data management systems and resources should not only keep all personal data safe but be capable of managing communication preferences
• Access to data must be regulated and permissioned.
• Data sharing must be encrypted and security protected and all parties must illustrate policies to ensure against data privacy breaches and responses, should this happen

Data quality

The GDPR emphasises the importance of data quality and ‘minimisation’.

• Non essential data should not be collected and existing data not required for immediate processing should be deleted.
• Data quality needs to be regularly maintained and verified
• Individuals will now have specific rights to ensure this is applied
• Inconsistencies, spurious data and duplicate records need removing

Our software licenses were purchased with this in mind to support the data quality of our clients.

3^rd parties

This includes any additional organisation or individual handling, using or acting on data on behalf of a website. This could be anything from payment mechanisms, delivery companies, through to analytics or data validating services. 3^rd parties are classified as ‘Processors’ under the GDP and for each one, contracts, security and Privacy Notices need reviewing, both for GDPR compliance and responsibility mitigation.

We appreciate this change can be a little daunting however our team are here for you to advise and recommend the essential alterations needed to ensure your compliance.  Please feel free to give us a call on 01743 360000 or send an email to info@verve-design.co.uk