Rewind time back to the 1990s internet boom and there was plenty of discussion about cookies. Nowadays, mainstream media talking heads and tech journalists alike rarely mention cookies.
The elimination of cookies from the public discourse also extends to marketing attribution models. If current trends hold, cookieless marketing attribution models will be the wave of the future as the push to protect user data continues to strengthen.
A Breakdown of Cookieless Analytics
The transition to cookieless analytics and cookieless attribution essentially amounts to no longer tracking buyer behavior before the point of purchase. There has been a strong push for consumer privacy protection in which the breadcrumb trail that buyers follow toward the point of purchase is kept secret. Businesses that prioritize customer privacy often find the favor is returned in the form of increased patronage.
The growing shift away from third-party data for prospect targeting and monitoring has set the stage for a mutually beneficial rapport. In short, transparency promotes trust and ensuing purchases. Though some customers are willing to share details about their actions online and offline that led up to the point of purchase, most prefer to keep such information private.
Companies are quickly transitioning to obtaining first-party information from customers instead of fully relying on arguably quaint cookies. New customer-oriented approaches to attribution are taking shape with each passing day.
Attribution in a Post-Cookies World
Cookies have not been completely phased out yet the trend is toward voluntarily entering into cookie tracking or refusing such tracking. Cookieless attribution models amount to diversification that facilitates an understanding of buyer behavior without reliance on tracking their actions before the point of conversion. Businesses are now shifting toward probabilistic models and contextual targeting instead of solely relying on cookies for campaign analysis and conversion tracking.
Contextual targeting empowers marketers to instantaneously display ads in accordance with webpage content, guaranteeing advertising is relevant to target buyers. Probabilistic modeling is also helpful for analyzing consumer behavior and trends with the use of complex algorithms that tell the true story of how different touchpoints play a part in the buyer journey.
Savvy business owners and marketers now understand that they can gain valuable insights into buyer behavior while safeguarding consumer privacy through the personalization of experiences. As time progresses, more businesses are pivoting toward cookieless attribution models accompanied by a wide range of data collection methods such as:
- Customer surveys
- Loyalty programs that reveal insights into purchases
- Customer preference disclosure centers
Adaption is the Name of the Game
The pace of technological and social change has never been faster. Antiquated tech and even social norms are disrupted with each passing day. Marketers and businesses willing to adapt to the quickly changing tech and social landscapes are succeeding in a new era highlighted by the prioritization of consumer privacy.
An acceptance of cookieless analytics empowers marketers to deftly transition through the dynamic marketing landscape while fortifying bonds with target customers for a long-term relationship that benefits both parties. Though there is minimal discussion of cookies in the mainstream media, it is in the interest of every business owner, marketer, and manager to keep their finger on the pulse of the emerging trend away from customer tracking toward privacy.
Statista reports less than one-third of those living in the United States consent to cookies. The trend is clear: web users are growing increasingly reluctant to share their personal information and online activities with websites, businesses, and marketers. Though the shift toward privacy makes it more challenging for businesses to provide personalized ads and other experiences, it is possible to understand customer behavior with the use of attribution models that do not include cookies.
As time progresses, more businesses are moving away from the analysis of third-party cookies in which display ads are tailored to web users’ online searches, preferences, and actions taken online. Some businesses are growing more reliant on first-party data willingly submitted by users who surf the internet to specific websites or directly interact with businesses. Such data provides invaluable insights into buyer behaviors, setting the stage to appropriately attribute ensuing conversions to specific touchpoints without relying on arguably intrusive data tracking.
Though few users know it, the authentication process that occurs when logging into accounts permits activity tracking and eventual attribution after purchase. The simple act of logging into a website often provides consent for data to be shared. Businesses then attribute ensuing actions including sales to individuals who have been authenticated.
Creative Approaches to Customer Analysis are a Competitive Advantage
Cookieless attribution amounts to strategic methods for gathering data about customer conversions, web traffic activity, and marketing metrics with an overarching focus on anonymity. Device fingerprinting and even tracking on the server side will likely become even more popular in the years ahead. Though such data is limited, it guarantees user anonymity while empowering advertisers to better develop buyer personas based on relevant information.
Businesses and marketers willing to adopt creative approaches to better understand customer behavior and buying decisions will strengthen bonds with those targets. It is those strong bonds that ultimately drive sales.
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