Since Google Analytics 360 Suite was released a few months ago, marketers have been able to spend time exploring the features, analyzing the suite and determining its applicability. After in-depth research, the CM team has determined that implementing the full Google Analytics 360 Suite is a good idea, and should be required of any marketing team.
Below are a couple of items to think about when deciding if the suite is the right option for a brand and its marketing team.
WHY UTILIZE THE GOOGLE ANALYTICS 360 SUITE
Reaching the free Google Analytics data usage limit?
Per website, the free version of Google Analytics has a 10-million hit limit. The admin section of Google Analytics provides a property hit volume in order to determine if an account is close to this quota.
Using other Google products like Google Tag Manager, AdWords, DoubleClick?
If leveraging other Google tools, the Google Analytics 360 Suite may help consolidate data from these platforms all in one place. Prospective buyers will need to consider how much of their proprietary data they wish to share with Google before committing to the product.
These tools do not offer data privacy at the same level as Adobe or other competitors. If data privacy is high on a requirements list, this tool may not be the right fit.
Have a team or partner to help utilize all the Google Analytics 360 Suite has to offer?
The Google Analytics 360 Suite is an investment and in order to get the most out of it, a trusted partner or internal team should be included in implementation costs. Keep in mind that half of the products are in beta development, so changes may occur. Having a partner along the way will be valuable.
Is the Google Analytics 360 Suite cost justifiable?
Given the cost, marketing teams may want to align with IT to discuss the total cost of ownership. Licensing includes enterprise service and support, and more and more APIs are built into the products which could decrease internal development costs. If budgets are limited, products can be purchased individually or as a bundle. Growing into the full suite could be the right fit.
WHAT IF GOOGLE ANALYTICS 360 SUITE IS NOT THE RIGHT FIT?
Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and Google Data Studio all exist in free forms. As the paid platforms work the bugs out of beta, features will likely trickle down into the free versions of these products. Google Tag Manager has been receiving interface updates alongside its 360 counterpart and Data Studio Free allows unlimited sources for up to 5 reports per account.
In its free form, Google Analytics is still a robust analytics platform. The quotas and the cost will be the biggest barriers for most looking at transitioning to Google Analytics 360 Suite. Don’t be discouraged; determine requirements for the right fit and build a case from there. If an account is under the quota but has a strong case for the full suite, it still might be a great option.
WHAT MARKETERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GOOGLE ANALYTICS 360 SUITE
Google Analytics 360 Suite is a serious contender for those looking to scale measurement, analytics, and data analysis. Its well-rounded capabilities offer a single solution for most analytical needs. Additionally, it brings changes to Tag Manager and introduces Data Studio. Google is positioning itself to lead and compete in full service suite offerings. As the development continues on Google’s new tools, additional strengths and features may come out of the woodwork; hopefully, trickling down to the free platforms, strengthening the need for complete suite solutions.
