Server-Side Tracking to Counter 3rd Party Cookie Blocking

Dynamic changes are taking place in the digital field. The third-party cookies, which are those rocks of internet advertising and web analytics, are headed toward obsolescence. However, due to increasing privacy issues, browsers such as Chrome, Safari, and Firefox are working to resolve them. This poses a significant challenge: how can businesses go on pursuing the client’s understanding and providing personalised experiences after the removal of cookies?

The answer lies in a powerful new approach: server-side tagging, also known as server-side tracking. This technique helps to avoid existing problems with third-party cookies; it uses your web server for most of the operations.

There have been many discussions and debates about whether third-party cookies will soon disappear. Moulded for decades, these trace elements have been the pillar of online advertising, giving brands the possibility of reaching customers precisely.

Did you know?

• Currently, Safari has turned off third-party cookies, as well as Firefox. 
• Chrome is planning to eliminate third-party cookies by the end of 2024.
• Google Ads and Meta’s services are expecting to turn on first-party cookies for partners to use soon. It may not restore the tab that shows customers’ full activity history on the web, but it will look into their behavioural patterns on the internet’s two most popular sites.

Does this mean an end to the prominent targeted advertising? Not really, with the introduction of server-side tracking, a tool that equips businesses to succeed in the era of cookies’ decline.

Why is the Third-Party Cookie Fading Away?

Imagine a user browsing a travel website. Traditionally, third-party cookies placed by advertising platforms would track every click, building a profile of the user’s travel desires. This data would then be used to send a high volume of targeted ads for flights and hotels across the website.

However, users are cautious of their privacy while using the internet services and various governments are passing legislation such as GDPR and CCPA to control it. Consequently, browsers are beginning to block third-party cookies, thus breaking the connection between the users’ web activities and specific targeted advertisements.

The Rise of Server-Side Tagging

Imagine a scenario where a visitor browses your website. Traditionally, third-party cookies would have been placed by external domains, like analytics or advertising platforms, to track their journey. 

Here’s how server-side tagging works:

• The visitor interacts with your website.
• Instead of relying on browser-based cookies, relevant data is collected on your server.
• From there, the data is forwarded to the analytics or advertising platform.

Data Security and User Consent:

It is important to respect the user’s privacy. Here’s how to ensure responsible data collection practices:

• Be honest and concise with the user about possible data collection and its application.
• Make sure you have acquired the permission of users before gathering and transmitting any data to the other platforms.
• Extend top priority to the safety of the users’ data and use effective and secure methods towards the server, where the users’ data will be saved.

Setting Up Server-Side Tagging

Though setting up server-side tracking can seem overwhelming, it is fairly easy if the developer team has experience doing it. These are the fundamental procedures for setting server-side tracking.

Step 1: Choose a tracking platform

Select a tracking solution that collects data with high accuracy standards in mind, having necessary security measures, and fitting your company’s requirements. Another aspect that you should think about is the possibility of expansion of the used programme, its interface, and compatibility with other tools used in analytics. Here are some popular options:

• Google Tag Manager Server Container: This is suitable if you are already utilising the Google Tag Manager for your company. This is an intuitive tool that is easily compatible with other analytics as well as advertisement tools.
• Cloud Functions (Google Cloud Platform) or AWS Lambda (Amazon Web Services): Although these serverless computing platforms could limit the capacity of developers to build custom tracking solutions, there is more flexibility than in designing solutions. They need advanced technical expertise and experience.

Step 2: Deploy the tracking code on your website 

This code is utilised to gather data regarding user communications and send it to the tracking platform.

Step 3: Configure your tracking settings 

Manage your tracking settings, such as goal setting, metrics, and filter exclusions.

Step 4: Test your tracking 

It’s also necessary to perform pre-data collection testing to confirm the functionality of the tracking mechanisms. 

Best Practices to Optimise Server-Side Tagging

It is now clear that server-side tracking can be a powerful solution to prepare enterprises for the cookie-less world. Let’s explore the best practices for the most efficient use of server-side tagging.

• Accuracy is Crucial: Make sure that your tracking codes are accurate to avoid the accumulation of wrong data that can hugely influence the findings. 
• Embrace Continuous Monitoring: Check your data daily to detect any issues with its quality. Continual data backups mean problems can be identified and fixed before they are widely noticed, which also preserves the value of the data analysis.
• Collaboration is Key: Involve your technical team in the entire process. They are the most important when it comes to laying down proper setup, solving all sorts of technical issues that may come up, and ensuring the proper functioning of your tracking system.

Seamless Integration: Server-Side Tagging with Google Analytics

Google Analytics is one of the top platforms for server-side tagging. It is commonly used to track website data. Shifting to server-side tagging for Google Analytics can also efficiently track users’ behaviour even if third-party cookies are no longer practicable. For guidelines on how to do server-side tagging, refer to the Google tagging documentation.

Advantages of Using Server-Side Tracking through Google Tag Manager (GTM)

• It is an easy-to-use tool even for users who do not know any coding at all. This makes it a great option if you want to set up server-side tracking with minimal intervention of technical expertise.
• It lets you define tags and triggers, and they track the exact data that you want. That is why, if you have any special requirements for tracking, this way GTM becomes your only choice.
• Have all of your tracking codes in one place. This will make the tracking process easier and help you avoid data mistakes.
• GTM is free, which would reduce the likelihood of firms having to spend any cash if they were to adopt this tool.

The Benefits of Server-Side Tracking

This approach offers several advantages:

• Server-side tagging takes into consideration the privacy of the users. This means that depending on third-party cookies is less of an issue because there is more influence on what data is being collected and how it is being used.
• Cookie-based tracking is distributed by changing browser settings and using ad blockers. Contrarily, server-side tracking collects data straight from your server, which means that the data gathered about the consumer will be much more genuine and accurate.
• You get to control which data is being collected and how this collected data will be used with the help of external applications. This enables you to achieve compliance with new changing tracking policies such as that of GDPR and CCPA.

Drawbacks of Server-Side Tracking

• Method tracking on the server side tends to be slightly more complicated and demands more technical skills and tools.
• If third-party tracking is not available on the server-side, then in many cases, very less valuable data can be collected.
• The use of servers is likely to be more costly because of the extra technical support it will need.
• There are possibilities that server-side tracking may be incompatible with some of the browsers, and therefore, only a limited amount of tracking is possible.

How Server-Side Tracking Boosts Your eCommerce Sales and Marketing

eCommerce companies have to change their approach toward the marketing of their business. Server-side tracking comes forward as a rather powerful solution to confront this cookieless world. Here’s how server-side tracking enhances your eCommerce business and marketing:

1. Personalised Customer Experiences:

Suppose a customer visits your shoe store. For this, previously, you would have to rely on third-party cookies, gradually constructing a rather vague picture of the clicks they make. In server-side tracking, the data is gathered on your server as it works in the backend. This makes it possible to give the visitor highly targeted recommendations based on what they do on your site and not a mere history of site hopping. Thus, this specific approach promotes customer interaction and dependence that leads to a sale.

2. Data-Driven Marketing Decisions:

The server-side tracking allows you to get much more reliable and detailed customer information. It enables you to know the likelihood of the products being viewed, abandoned carts, and customers’ behaviour on your website. This data allows you to make accurate marketing decisions. You will be able to target audiences with incredible precision, work on the positioning of the products on the website, and fine-tune the tactics applied in e-mail marketing.

3. Improved Measurement and ROI:

Tracking for conversions becomes easier through server-side tracking since you can assign them to certain marketing activities. This will give you an overall picture of the Return on Investment (ROI) for the various campaigns. You can then manage your investment by directing it to the significantly effective channels so that you get optimal value for money.

4. Increased Client Trust:

Server-side tracking allows you to manage the kind of information that is gathered and processed. This also helps you implement new privacy regulations like the GDPR, CCPA and you will be in a position to gain your clients’ trust.

5. Future-Proofing Your Business:

The new eCommerce industry will soon be cookieless. Thus, avoid any delay and practice tracking on the server side to gain a competitive edge. You will have a strong foundation built for data collection and can then continue personalising client relations, developing effective marketing strategies, and surviving in the age of the digital revolution.

Server-side tracking allows you to receive the tools to see your customers in a better light, meet their needs, and make decisions that drive your eCommerce business’s success. This is mutually beneficial for you and your customers. While implementing server-side tagging requires some initial setup, the benefits far outweigh the costs. 

You gain control over your data flow, improve data accuracy, and ensure continued access to valuable user insights – all while prioritising user privacy. This new technology might seem daunting, but the learning curve is manageable. You can seamlessly transition to server-side tracking and ensure your marketing efforts continue to thrive in the cookieless future.

The Future is Server-Side Tagging

Quite simply, third-party cookies will soon no longer exist. Thus, it becomes essential for eCommerce businesses to engage in server-side tracking as they face an ever-changing environment. Thus, by having more capabilities on your server, you can get the users’ data accessibility while keeping the user data secure. 

Utilise server-side tracking and regain the management of tracking on your website amid the cookieless world. With the help of your server, you have an opportunity to get the necessary and uninterrupted access to useful user data as well as provide high levels of user privacy.

Conclusion

Server-side tagging enables you to gather useful data about your clients. This is where the integration of your eCommerce store with reliable fulfillment software such as Shiprocket matters. The in-built features can help the sellers manage end-to-end operations seamlessly. Starting from the issuance of automated order tracking to inventory management, low shipping rates, and tracking of products. Shiprocket ensures delivery is as quick as possible to the target customers. 

The shipping options are useful to power up the marketing campaign or restructure product offerings. This complete image of server-side tracking implemented coupled with a superior fulfillment solution like Shiprocket will not only assist you in outshining your rivals but also provide you with the tools to create a superior consumer experience that will support sustainability and business development.