Here is a small but important update to Google Analytics: Developers can now create a single reporting view that includes both web and app data. Google says this will help businesses that have multiple digital touchpoints for their users (web, mobile apps, other devices) to better understand them.
Until today, Analytics users had to choose between an app view or web view when they created views. Both options provided a slightly different experience.
Now, no matter how users collect their data (whether on the web or from a mobile app), all of the stats can appear in a single view, which should indeed give businesses an easier way to gain insights from their users’ behavior through Google Analytics. This also means that the current web “Visitor” and “Active User” app metrics are now combined in a single “User” metric.
Instead of talking about “Visits” — which really only makes sense on the web — Analytics now refers to “Sessions” across the service. According to Google, this will give you “a clear and consistent way to analyze and refer to all of your Google Analytics data.”
Users who want to keep their web and app metrics separate will have to filter them in their reporting views.
As part of this update, Google’s analytics.js library for web apps now also includes the ability to track the user’s screen name, app name, app version and exception tracking.
These new features will roll out to all Analytics accounts over the next few weeks.