What Are Cookies — and Why Are They Going Away?
The world after cookies is nearing. It’s time to change how businesses interact and connect with their target market while maintaining privacy and offering value
Small data files called cookies are kept on a user’s browser. They aid websites in remembering data including as user preferences, login status, and—most importantly for marketers—user behavior.
Cookies come in two primary varieties:
- First-party cookies: These are made and saved by the website you are currently on.
- Third-party cookies: These are set by websites other than the one you are currently on; ad networks frequently use them to follow users between websites.
Digital advertising has always depended largely on the use of third-party cookies, which enable everything from retargeting advertisements to full audience analysis.
However, governments and tech companies are reacting as customers’ concerns about data security and privacy grow. More privacy-centric digital ecosystems are being pushed by laws like the CCPA (California) and GDPR (EU), as well as browser improvements like Chrome’s Privacy Sandbox, Firefox’s ETP, and Safari’s ITP.
The Debate Over Third-Party Cookies
Third-party cookies aren’t nearly as innocent as first-party data, which is generally considered to be the “chocolate chip” of tastes. The debate surrounding third-party cookies is one of the main causes of the cookieless future.
But why are they so contentious?
First of all, third-party cookies are frequently sent without knowing of the user. This implies that advertisements you see while browsing might be secretly installing third-party cookies on your computer, which would enable these third parties to monitor what you do online.
In their best form, third-party cookies make advantage of this monitoring feature to present tailored experiences (mainly tailored advertisements) on other websites you visit. To observe how a user receives a third-party cookie, which modifies how they are shown ads, follow along in the image.
What’s the big deal, then? Although they can be a little troubling, specific ads aren’t all that horrible, are they?
Both yes and no. Third-party or not, cookies aren’t necessarily evil or dangerous. But for a lot of consumers, being tracked just makes them uneasy.
First-Party Data: Your New Best Friend
The first party data collection is the primary data. Similar targeting is possible with this option because cookies are still being used. However, first-party data techniques only monitor a user’s actions within the website that uses them. Wayfair.com will remember the couches that Consumer A looked at the previous time they visited, but those chairs won’t follow them to other websites.
With the help of first-party data, marketers may better target ads to users on their own websites without having to follow users across platforms. Although some customers will value the personalized touch, first-party data collection may just seem aggressive to those who are just looking and dislike being seen.
Possible Effects of a Cookieless Future
Even while there are many privacy and security benefits to a cookieless future, not everyone will find it simple.
Also, we’re not just discussing hackers who take advantage of cookies. Instead, the difficulty of moving away from cookies currently impacts many marketers, businesses, and site owners. Finding alternate tracking signals and solutions may be essential to anyone using cookies to track or create a client journey.
Here are some of the major players on the web that will be influenced by the cookieless future:
For Users
The future without cookies is mostly helpful to users. Users can surf with confidence that their cookies and sessions aren’t used intentionally as many browsers and websites have completely stopped using cookies.
As a result, websites will no longer be able to track user behavior or create annoying user profiles using cookies. For the majority of web users, the cookie-free future appears to be very hopeful.
For Site Owners:
Site owners will need to start altering their user interactions and make sure that users have a consistent experience, even though they won’t have to worry as much about cookie-related security risks.
For example, in the cookieless future, using session cookies to save login sessions, which are used by the majority of websites, would become more and more insecure and not wanted. In order to utilize alternative (and more secure) personal identifiers, site owners should instead start deploying first-party data means.
For Marketers
A cookieless future will have some of the most significant effects on digital marketing since advertisers mostly use third-party cookies to deliver customized adverts.
However, that isn’t always a terrible thing; in fact, it might even be advantageous. However, given that a cookie-less future essentially removes a large portion of the data gathered for marketing, how can that be?
Keeping up with cookieless trends and cookie alternatives is the solution. Cookies are not the only trustworthy (or even the most secure) way to gather user data, despite being a dependable standard for a long time. In order to sustain targeted ads, even in the face of sophisticated ad blockers, many marketers will need to implement first-party data tactics, as we’ll see later.
How to Get Ready for a Future Without Cookies
The cookieless future is already here, whether you’re ready for it or not.
We are already well into the transition period, with the fact that several significant platforms, such as Google Chrome, continue to stall the depreciation of third-party cookies. Therefore, now is the ideal moment for marketers, companies, and site owners to get ready for the cookieless future.
Confirm compliance to privacy
The basis of a successful cookieless strategy is compliance. Privacy laws such as the CCPA and GDPR require that companies:
Obtain your consent:
Tell clients what information you’re gathering and why
Be open and honest: Explain in detail how their data will be utilized. In addition to ensuring legal conformity, this fosters trust.
Improve the infrastructure
A robust infrastructure is essential to efficient first-party data management. Purchase tools that will allow you to centralize and arrange your data:
Keep your info in one place:
Combine information from several sources to produce a single source of truth for your insights about your customers.
Make the data useful: Create customized advertising, forecast consumer behavior, and improve your approach by utilizing the centralized data.
Summary
There has never been a better moment for marketers and website owners to make the switch, as the cookieless future is now here.
Many people who now use cookies to market to and target clients may find it challenging to move to a cookieless future, while the fact that it offers numerous privacy and security benefits.
You can provide superior cookieless experiences and track the outcomes from a single dashboard with Akalp Techno Media Solutions‘ application hosting, database hosting, managed WordPress hosting, and APM tools.
Get in touch with a hosting specialist at Akalp Techno Media Solutions right now to find out more and arrange a free demo.
