Mediaboss Marketing

Google Analytics 4 hasnt exactly got off to the best start with marketers.

In fact, its getting pretty awkward some advertisers are so disappointed with the new program that theyve even been hosting funerals for its predecessor, Universal Analytics.

But what is it about GA4 thats got the world of digital marketing so riled up?

We decided to ask our readers in a GA4 readiness poll to find out. Below, weve put together a list of the most common complaints. Let us know if you and your team can relate

GA4s user interface was hands-down the biggest issue our readers reported.

The UI was described as slow, laughable and a few other adjectives were opting not to publish.

Independent sales and marketing contractor, John Erikson, told us:

Another major concern for marketers has been the delay of same day data on GA4.

Advertisers have stressed that they need the ability to monitor performance constantly and are confused as to why the new analytics platform doesnt appear to have this function.

Ron Weber, Sr Director at Actian, explained:

Marketers raised concerns about discrepancies on GA4 too.

Differences in information had resulted in some worrying that the data being served therefore couldnt possibly be accurate, resulting in people questioning if they can trust GA4.

Sabine Walton, Senior SEO Manager at Handlerbund Marketplace, told us:

Marketers across the board have been reporting that GA4 is incredibly difficult to use.

Even seasoned advertisers are finding it challenging trying to navigate their way around the new platform.

SEO and marketing consultant Jason McDonald told Search Engine Land:

With so many marketers struggling as they try to figure out GA4, many are questioning why Google hasnt provided more educational resources explaining how the new tool works.

The marketing team at Storis told us:

Some advertisers explained that marketing doesnt wear a one size fits all hat.

While some of the more complex settings may suit some, other professionals, such as bloggers, would just like access to basic tools on GA4 and are wasting time and money trying to understand features they dont need to use.

Eb Gargano from Productive Blogging told us:

Another common complaint from marketers responding to our poll was the lack of features GA4 has to offer in comparison to Universal Analytics.

Marketers seemed particularly bothered by the removal of attribution features.

Elizabeth Rule, account manager and local SEO analyst for Sterling Sky, told us:

Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.

Clients and marketers alike have desperately been trying to recreate reports in GA4 that they previously relied upon when using Universal Analytics.

Unfortunately, it seems for many that this task has proved far more difficult than it should have been.

Tom Demers, co-founder and managing partner of SEO and PPC agency Measured SEM, told us:

Marketers also complained that they were struggling to simply create reports in GA4 an issue that didn't impact them when they were working with UA.

According to many marketers who took part in our poll, Google has made many unnecessary changes when it comes to building reports, making their workload more difficult.

Eric Bushaw, search engine optimization manager at G5, told us:

Several marketers contacted Search Engine Land to report bugs within GA4, claiming many features weren't working as intended. Issues being flagged included syncing issues with Looker Studio Dashboard and AMP new script not working.

SEO consultant John McAlpin told us:

Marketers have found the enforced migration from Universal Analytics to GA4 tough, so it can be reassuring to know this challenge is being felt across the industry.

But regardless of how difficult the adjustment has been, search marketing expert and SMX Advanced speaker Kayle Larkin told Search Engine Land it's important marketers get on board with Google's latest analytics program as it will likely be around for a long time. She said:

Larkin went on to explain that change within any platform and any industry can cause people to panic. But as time passes, confidence and familiarity increases, causing attitudes to change. She concluded:

If you're struggling to navigate GA4, why not sign up for a GA4 training course?

Alternatively, for free information and resources on how to use GA4, read the Google Analytics 4 account training guide and support guide

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10 things we hate about Google Analytics 4 - Search Engine Land

Lucky7Trader - stock.adobe.com

Pay in primary care is going up, compared with other specialties, according to a survey by AMGA Consulting.

Primary care compensation went up an average of 6.1%, beating pay raises of 1.5% and 1.6% for medical and surgical specialties, respectively, according to AMGAs 36thannual2023 Medical Group Compensation and Productivity Survey. Rates were 6.1% for family medicine, 6.4% for internal medicine, and 5% for general pediatric and adolescent medicine, according to the survey.

Work relative value units also increased in primary care at rates of 3.4% for family medicine, 1.8% for internal medicine, and 8.9% for general pediatric and adolescent medicine, AMGA said.

It appeared the increase in compensation levels is evidence that organizations are raising compensation based on 2021 evaluation and management coding changes implemented by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), AMGA Consulting Director Elizabeth Siemsen said in a news release announcing the figures.

Survey results indicate that the gains for primary care are evident as the smoke clears from the slow transition to the utilization of new wRVU weights for compensation calculation and the volume swings of the pandemic, Siemsen said.

Among medical specialties, cardiologists saw a 2.1% increase in compensation; gastroenterology decreased by 0.6%; hematology and medical oncology rose by 3.2%; and neurology grew by 1.9%. For surgical specialties, general obstetrics-gynecology rose by 2.4%; emergency medicine dropped 0.7%; general surgery increased by 2.5%; and orthopedic surgery grew by 4.6%, according to the AMGA figures.

As physician salary goes up, median compensation follows the same trend for advance practice clinicians. Primary care nurse practitioners (NPs) saw a 6.1% increase in compensation; physician assistant (PA) compensation grew by 7%. For NPs in medical specialties, compensation grew by 6.2%, while PAs in surgical specialties rose by 5%, according to the AMGA figures.

Those results may demonstrate the impact of the post-pandemic hiring market for APCs and the increased APC utilization to address access by medical groups as patient demand rebounded, according to AMGA.

For the 2023 survey, median net collections grew by 5.2%, showing a larger disconnect between collections and physician compensation than in previous years.

It is clear from the data that revenue gains are not going directly to physician compensation, AMGA Consulting President Fred Horton, MHA, said in a statement.

Rather, groups are using that revenue to address non-provider expense increases, Horton said. A lower compensation-to-collections ratio suggests that a higher percentage of revenue is going to cover all the expenses that have seen an increase in the past few years. These include staff expense, supply expense, and the like. Basically, we see that this data reflects that organizations are focusing on the management of the changing financial demands for medical group operations.

The 2023 survey was announced at the end of June. It contains data from 446 medical groups representing more than 193,000 physicians and other providers from 194 specialties, according to AMGA.

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Physician compensation going up in primary care - Medical Economics

Photo: Contributed

Navigator Multimedia is one of Kelownas longest-standing digital marketing agencies and is celebrating its big 3-0 this year.

With its long history in the digital game, Navigator not only witnessed some of the internet's biggest leaps but also helped guide businesses through those technological evolutions. A company with humble beginnings, one of its early tasks was transferring media files from older storage devices such as CDs and floppy disks (very popular back in the day). But today, the company is at the forefront of web design and marketing businesses online.

Navigator Multimedia is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary, which is not a small feat for the digital marketing world, CEO Rob Raybould says. Were proud of how far the company has come and where its going.

To commemorate its 30th birthday, Navigator put together the top 30 digital strategies it has learned from three decades in the industry. It is a way to inform the community of its milestone and to share some of its knowledge. Whether its creating a mobile-friendly website thats easy to navigate or using fine-tuned brand voices to create emotional connections for its clients customers, Navigator knows how to get the job done.

By partnering with Navigator Multimedia, businesses not only stand to gain an amplified online presence but also benefit from ongoing support, analytics and updates, ensuring their digital strategies remain effective and relevant in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

But no two businesses are alike, and Navigator knows exactly how to tailor their services to the clients they partner with. Its small but mighty team of 10 employees and contractors each have a specialized role within the organization, from SEO experts to developers and project managers, to help its clients with their particular business needs. Raybould says his employees impress me every day with what they produce.

Navigators ability to deliver high-quality websites and digital services for its clients comes from the relationships it has built since 1993. Its not a traditional business-client connection but a partnership of understanding, and a passion to help its clients become successful. Navigator gets to know each of its clients and their needs so well that it can offer suggestions that will take its clients vision from a hazy dream to a successful reality.

Weve been here for 30 years, and were planning on being here for at least another 30 years, Raybould says. We attribute a lot of our 30 years of success to the partnerships we build. We intimately know the companies that we help, and we can strategize with them.

Navigator specializes in marketing for tourism industry and housing service industry clients, such as property managers, developers, landscapers, and interior designers. Ready to partner with anyone who needs to be noticed, who needs to drive traffic to their website or who is looking for an improvement to their bottom line, Navigator wants to help guide your business on its path to success.

Navigator Multimedia stays on top of the ever-evolving algorithms and digital trends, applying the best strategies to enhance each clients online presence and help it outrank competitors in search engine results. Its holistic approach includes business branding, web design, content creation, search engine optimization, email marketing and pay-per-click advertising, ensuring a well-rounded and impactful digital footprint.

Were always testing and proving strategies, Raybould says, and then were able to share that with our partners to build a network of success.

More information about Navigator Multimedia, as well as its 30 digital strategies for businesses online, can be found on its website.

Photo: Contributed

This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

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Here's to 30 years of navigating the digital seas with one of ... - Castanet.net

The disruptions to DBS Bank's digital banking services in May this year were caused by "human error" in coding the programme that was used for system maintenance, according to preliminary investigations by the bank.

This was reported by senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in response to aparliamentary question this week and was targeting disruptions that happened on 5 May this year where DBS customers were unable to access internet and mobile banking, electronic payment, and ATM services.

WhileDBS fully restored affected services after six and a half hours, MAS has stated publicly that it regards this second disruption within a period of two months as unacceptable, and that DBS had fallen short of MAS expectations for banks to deliver reliable services to their customers, saidShanmugaratnam.

Don't miss:MAS fines DBS, OCBC, Citibank and Swiss Life for Wirecard breaches

"DBS preliminary investigations showed that the disruption was due to human error in coding the programme that was used for system maintenance," he said. "The error led to a significant reduction in system capacity, which in turn affected the systems ability to process internet and mobile banking, electronic payment, and ATM transactions."

According to DBS, the cause of the incident was unrelated to the earlier March 2023 disruptions, which was caused by inherent software bugs.

In March, just days after banking application DBS PayLah users faced delaysin receiving their cashback for a SG$3 meal subsidy initiative, the service went down once again. DBS users found themselves unable to log onto DBS' digital systems after access was disrupted with the bank later saying that access was intermittent.Services were restored by 5.45pm according to an update by the bank at 7.30pm.

However, shortly after, theMonetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) released a statement saying that the disruption was "unacceptable" particularly as it was coming a year after a similar incident in November 2021.

"DBS has fallen short of MAS expectations to maintain high system availability and ensure its IT systems are recovered expeditiously," the statement read.MAS has also instructed DBS to conduct a thorough investigation to establish the root cause of the disruption and to submit its investigation findings to MAS. "MAS will take the commensurate supervisory actions after gathering the necessary facts," it said.

Following the March 2023 incident, DBS convened a Special Board Committee to oversee the root cause investigation and a comprehensive review of the banks IT resilience, saidShanmugaratnam. MAS has since required the Special Board Committee to extend its review to cover the latest incident and to use qualified independent third parties for the review after the May 2023 disruptions. More details on the disruptions will be provided by the bank publicly when the review is completed, saidShanmugaratnam.

"The imposition of capital requirements on DBS reflects the seriousness with which MAS views the recent disruptions and the impact that they have had on customers. MAS may vary the size of the additional capital requirement imposed on the bank and take other regulatory actions depending on the outcome of ongoing reviews," he added.

Shanmugaratnam's statements come afterDBS bank users experienceddifficulties accessing banking and payment services on 5 May due to a "higher volume traffic" on its digibank, according to the bank who were responding to frustrated users on its Facebook page who were unable to access mobile banking services.

It later posted a statement on its Facebook page confirming that someretail customers faced difficulties accessing its banking and payment services, including DBS/POSB digibank Online and Mobile, DBS Vickers mTrading, DBS PayLah! and ATMs.

"Our digital systems returned to normal within 45 minutes at 1.30pm. Most of our ATMs are also up and running," it said. "Please be assured that our systems are uncompromised, and your monies and deposits remain safe," it continued.

It's CEO,Piyush Gupta, then put up an official apology on the bank's website. He said:

We apologise for the digital disruptions that have recently occurred. Our customers rightly expect more of us, and we are committed to doing better.

Gupta then acknowledged MAS' supervisory action and noted thatMAS latest action will have an incremental 0.3%-point impact on DBS Groups 31 March 2023 Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio, reducing it from 14.4% to 14.1%.

Related articles:MAS slaps DBS bank with additional capital requirement following "unacceptable" slew of outages DBS' digital banking services disrupted once again just weeks after major outage DBS, Singtel and The Hour Glass top SG's strongest brands in new report

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DBS' digital banking disruption caused by 'human error', according ... - Marketing Interactive

Apple is taking aim at a tool the ad industry uses to monitor internet users by cracking down on tracking parameters from web links.

Users encounter tracking parameters on URLs from an ad campaign circulating on social media or over email. The URL can contain special text to help marketers confirm that users are clicking their links through a marketing campaign.

An example of a tracking parameter (Credit: SEMRush)

However, tracking parameters can also help the ad industry profile a user's web-browsing activity by indicating which sites they used to view and click on a marketing campaign. That privacy risk is causing Apple to take action.

Some websites add extra information to their URLs in order to track users across other websites, the company says. Now this information will be removed from the links users share in Messages and Mail, and the links will still work as expected. This information will also be removed from links in Safari Private Browsing.

Details about this link tracking protection are thin. But in a session at this week's Wordwide Developers Conference (WWDC), an Apple engineer said the parameter removal will happen in Safaris Privacy Browsing mode as part of browser navigation, and when copying a link.

When a tracking parameter is detected, Safari strips the identifying components of the URL, while leaving nonidentifiable parts intact, said engineer Michael Hesse. The resulting feature sounds similar to how Mozillas Firefox also strips(Opens in a new window) out URL tracking parameters.

Although the change may upset internet marketing firms, Hesse said they can still track ad performance through better approaches. "Remember that ad attribution can be done without identifying individuals across websites. For example, Private Click Measurement is a privacy-preserving alternative to tracking parameters for advertising attribution," he added.

It's also looks like the tracking parameter can still appear(Opens in a new window) in marketing emails sent directly to a user. With Apple's approach, the tracking parameter is only removed during the sharing process within Messages and Mail.

The big question is whether Apple will expand the crackdown to all forms of tracking parameters, or if itll make certain exceptions. In the case of Firefox, the browser only removed the tracking parameters used by companies such as Facebook and Hubspot, but not by Google. A Firefox user also has to manually turn on the blocking by switching the browsers Enhanced Tracking Protection from Standard to Strict.

Apple customers can expect the link tracking protection to arrive in iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma, which launch this fall.

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To Improve Privacy, Apple to Strip Tracking Parameters From ... - PCMag