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It’s possible that there might be some compatibility issues between Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Chrome and Apple’s new M1 chip. This might be causing the lag observed on the website, particularly as you’ve noted issues with overall speed and responsiveness when scrolling or clicking. The fact that the issue has persisted despite trying scripts from other sites tends to implicate GA4 as the primary cause. It’s also insightful that the problem has only presented on Chrome and with M1 Apple machines, which narrows down the potential sources of the issue. However, to verify this, you might want to systematically disable and enable GA4 to rule it out as the root cause conclusively. If you’ve got an M2 machine available, you could also test on this – or alternatively ask users for their feedback – to see if the problem persists there too.
While the issue is frustrating, remember that Google Analytics is an intricate tool with numerous benefits, such as providing insights into user behavior that can help optimize your website. If the issue can’t be resolved, there are alternative analytical tools available like Matomo, Heap, and Mixpanel, to name a few, which could be a good switch, while keeping similar functionalities. Still, remember to engage a professional programmer to aid with the transition as these tools still involve a learning curve and will need to be smoothly integrated into your current website setup to avoid further issues.
Remember also to lodge a complaint with Google highlighting this issue. As a large company, they might not be aware of the specific problems affecting individual users or their sites. Your input will be helpful in flagging up and rectifying any compatibility issues between GA4, Chrome, and the Apple M1 chip.
