Lately, we saw a lot of buzz around the new version of Google Analytics. A lot of blogs covered the subject, talking about the new layout and improved features. Google provided us with early beta access to the new version, but after a couple of weeks with this new version we felt it was time to write about what we dislike and miss in the new interface. Some features we often use are missing or completely disappeared. As a result, we often have to fall back to the old layout.
1. No more (scheduled) email reports
We use email reports to send periodical reports to ourselves and our customers. This feature has disappeared completely and we have no clue why it’s gone. It probably has to do with the disappearing of PDF exports as well. Although the interface wasn’t that good, it should not mean they should kill the entire thing.
2. No more exporting to PDF
We make a lot of use of the ability to export data, because not everybody specializes in Google Analytics. By doing this we can provide some of our colleagues with data they normally can’t find or don’t know where to look for. Unfortunately Google removed the possibility to export to XML or PDF, so only exporting to TSV and ‘CSV (for Excel)’ are available.
3. No more weighted sorting
One of the nicest in Google Analytics was weighted sorting, this feature brings you the most interesting rows first by weighting number of visits and other metrics against each other. In the new version weighted sorting disappeared and you have to, like old times, make sense of the data yourself.
4. No more percentage differences when comparing to the past
Another useful feature is the ability to compare stats to the past, but somehow Google removed the most useful metric, the difference as a percentage. I guess you have to take out your Casio yourself now. At the right you can see the old comparison view, which is nice and tight, below you find the new view.
5. No more clickable mini graphs and headers
As you can see in the image to the right, you can no longer click on the header (‘New Visits’). Before you could also click on the small graph to go the relevant page, both functions have been removed. This requires you to move through the menu, which now also has more levels, leading to a lot more clicks and more time spent waiting on the interface to load.
6. No more graphs when filtering
When you filter your results by searching (which requires an extra click now too), the big graph above the table does not change and still contains the graph for all results. This is confusing and also not really useful, as often you want to the see exactly that graph, but for the results you filtered.
7. No more total number of pages with segments
The pagination at, for example, the landings pages report no longer considers segments, and always shows the total amount instead of the amount for the particular segment you’ve selected. The results are empty for pages that are not in your segment. For example, this change removes the possibility to see the total number of unique landingspages for a particular segment. We use the total number of unique landing pages coming through search engines as one of our metrics, the new layout makes it impossible to get this number.
8. No more easy selection of weeks
Like most companies, we use weekly reports and analyse a set of KPIs to get insight in our business. In the old version of Google Analytics it was quite easy to select weeks/ months with one click. In the new version it’s only possible to select a complete month, Google removed the function to select a single week (by clicking on the half circle next to a week, in the old layout).
Ofcourse we searched for answers on why Google removed these features in their latest version. Google explained that the new version of Google Analytics was only in beta and some features mentioned above should be restored in the “final” version. But unfortunately Google announced last week that the new version of Google Analytics is released to everybody, so it looks like these functions are delayed or will never make it into the new version of Analytics.
Beside missing some functions, there are also a lot of improvements: navigating through Google Analytics is easier and the new design makes it more usable. New features like the possibility to measure page loading time are awesome. Eventually we should and want to switch to the new version, but Google should first restore some of the missing functions.
As long as both versions are available, we should be fine. Let’s hope Google eventually moves all features to the new version so we can leave the old one behind for good.
friends,
feature will be offered in paid version I think. sooner or later things will become paid.
I imagine this will be where we all have to start paying… All this free stuff from Google was way to good to be true, now we’re all hooked time to cash in…
I hate the fact that all organic traffic sources are now merged
I hate the fact that you can’t click on the top of each tree view sections
Linking with Webmaster tools didn’t work for me
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Sorry but google won’t start making people pay, they may be retarded sometimes with their feature changes but they’re not stupid.
The one thing that ticks me off the most about the analytic changes is the inability to view all your web properties and % change, #visitors per month all at once.
I can’t easily open acounts in tabs anymore either, which is a nightmare for me.
I really hate the startup view.. (I can’t compare all my websites on the overview).
Google has started with such a good product (google websearch) but the more products they make, the worse it gets.
I’ve never been a fan of Google and the only good products I’ve seen are:
Google Websearch
Google Chrome
OLD Google Analytics..
Oh, so true. There are quite a few things missing in the new Analytics layout. I hope the realize how much worse the new version is, before they make the old version disappear forever…
Luckily the option to check the analytics through the old version is still available. Hopefully Google will not make this a paid service. Personally I think the old version will still be a better product even if the users have to pay
I’ll start off by admitting that the new features that came along with the new interface are great additions (social engagement, Webmaster Tools integration, etc.). However, the interface itself from design and functionality perspectives is borderline atrocious. The old one was fairly logical (it did have its own flaws, though minor compared to the new). The grouping of reports within the navigation is a bit frustrating to use, though I’m sure at least a small portion of this frustration can be attributed to just being accustomed to the old layout. Perhaps one of my biggest gripes: Nearly all important information and visuals are below the fold. This is a big no-no from a UI design perspective, which surprises me greatly with Google. In the past, they were great with UI.
Oh…and no REGEX? It’s now extremely cumbersome to filter out multiple keywords or selections.
In all, I feel Google took two steps forward with new features and ten steps backward with the interface and overall ease-of-use.
behind every product change from these big compmaies there’s always a team of smart professionals, usability testing, lot’s of brainstorms and even polls, but hey what happened to all that inside Google Analytics headquarters?… did they just ask own project manager to draw the new design?.. did they geve a freshman intern decide the usability of new interface?.. did they ever sat dow to the new beta and preted to be a webmaster who actually has to use this new product, or they just made a lot of assumptions “this new feature will be cool, they will like it!”
i will use the old version as long as possible. the new is horrible, you still cant see all of your sites on one page by default; there are now more clicks to be done to access data; no PDF as mentioned; etc, etc, etc..
but – they’re smart, aren’t they? so here’s a question – if on purpose, why such a retarded new version? what do they want to accomplish with that? what is the reason behind this all?.. they can’t be that retarded, can they??
I have just logged into GA today (March 26th 2012) and at last Google has added the functionality to export to PDF as well as the ability to schedule emails. At last it was getting cumbersome switching back to the old interface when clients wanted quick reports!
Sucks big time
I hate the fact that organic sources of traffic are merged
This new GA interface sucks arse, big time. Just doing a simple thing like trying to set the dashboard interface is like trying to solve a rubiks cube in the dark whilst standing in a bucket filled with fire ants. Why do they change things that arent broken???
FML.
Oh, and by the way, search referral data sucks too. I got sites where 28% of my traffic shows “not provided”
You can apply Weighted sort from the top of the Data table you chose: right next to the Plot rows and Secondary Dimension tab there is a “Sort type” option, and from the drop down menu you can choose Weighted sort
And now you can choose a time frame of a couple of weeks as easily as well 
Maybe these weren’t available when you wrote the blog post but, they are now. Thank God!
The new interface is a complete nightmare! Seems they have removed the ability to switch back to the old version now as well!
Indeed, I sorely miss the aggregation of web properties, as many have bemoaned. I keep telling myself there must be a way to replicate it with the new interface, but every attempt leaves me flummoxed.
I suggest we use the new Analytics interface as little as possible, so they can see in their stats that people are not comfortable with it
And not to mention that it’s impossible to delete a website one added
@Greg (http://pixelass.com/):
Don’t forget Google Maps!
We’ve seen the atrocious version that Apple came out with, and I haven’t been to Bing or MapQuest in a loooong time, but I imagine any improvements pale in comparison to Google’s achievements on that front.
Let’s not forget also the Droid cell phone operating sytem. Sure it can be buggy, but I think the benefits over iOS are almost enough to make it better than iOS. Before regaling me with a heated diatribe, remember that i said, “almost.”
I also sometimes get a nice point in the direction of cheapest products with Google Shopping (formerly Products, right?). I mean, my go to is always Amazon first, but that is my #2 search for shopping. You might be grouping that any many other services into “Google Websearch,” but I think that is like calling the Library of Congress a short novel. There are so many useful specific searching capabilities on google.com. Google Image search is one of my ultimate favorites. The ability to search an image by color is just mind-blowing, and I was already in love when they added the size parameters.
Just remember that they are doing their best, even though they might not be pumping a lot of money into the Analytics at the moment.
<3-ing Google forever (probably),
Tom
Hear! Hear! It sucks so much that it hurts.