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Tracking shifts & targeting tactics 🎯Maintaining your Shopify store's edge in the post-cookie era

After a series of delays in 2023, Google Chrome, the leader in internet browsers holding over 65% of the market, is set to remove third-party cookies 100% by Q3 of 2024…

This monumental shift is set to switch up digital marketing as we know it.

Why?

Because as you know, third-party cookies are like little spies that track user behavior for us across the web. And, without them, marketers will have a harder time targeting ads and measuring the success of their campaigns.

It's like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded - not impossible, but definitely more challenging.

This week, we're diving deep into what this means for you as a Shopify store owner, and how you can pivot your strategies for continued success. We’ll explore alternative methods like contextual advertising, first-party data, direct message marketing, and other cookieless tracking solutions.

In the end, this change might actually be a good thing, so hold onto your hats, because it's about to get interesting!

⬇️ Let's dive in ⬇️

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The Cookie Crumbles: Understanding & Navigating A Cookieless Future

Cookies have long been the crumb trail that marketers relied on to understand and retarget their audience. And now, with Google Chrome phasing out third-party tracking cookies by the end of 2024, it's time to rethink our marketing strategies.

That being said, this move isn't isolated, as other major browsers have already taken steps in this direction, emphasizing privacy and changing the game for digital marketers and Shopify store owners alike.

And, as we move towards a cookieless world, it's imperative for e-commerce businesses to innovate their approach to tracking, targeting, and engaging customers.

The Impact on Shopify Stores

This transition impacts several key areas:

• Digital Identity - Without cookies, tracking user activity and engagement becomes challenging, complicating ad impressions and customer classification. This could lead to potential sales losses, as even basic metrics become harder to measure.

• Ad Targeting - Marketers will lose access to a wealth of data, making targeted ads less precise and potentially affecting return on ad spend (ROAS) and customer acquisition costs.

• Attribution - Determining the effectiveness of campaigns and marketing efforts will face hurdles without the accurate behavioral tracking provided by third-party cookies.

Your Post-Cookie Toolkit

As we say goodbye to third-party cookies, let's explore some tools and strategies that can help you stay ahead:

Direct Relationships

This is your golden opportunity to double down on building direct relationships with your customers. Direct message marketing, encompassing email, SMS, and messaging apps, stands out as a great tool, boasting impressive returns and genuine connections.

Why Direct Message Marketing Shines

• Engagement Powerhouse:  Email and text messages offer direct lines to your subscribers, often resulting in higher engagement rates.

• Cost-Effective: Compared to the steep costs of top-of-funnel advertising, direct message marketing is a more budget-friendly option that targets interested individuals, thereby reducing costs.

• Ownership of Relationships: In direct message marketing, you're in control. You "own" the relationship with your subscribers, setting the stage for strong customer bonds.

Now, the million-dollar question:

“How do we attract subscribers in a world without cookies?”

Acquiring Subscribers

While acquiring email or text subscribers can be challenging, it's far from impossible.

Consider leveraging first-time purchases, (as mentioned in last week's newsletter here) offering exclusive deals, or creating compelling content that encourages sign-ups.

Boost First-Party Data Collection

First-party data is like a secret diary that a website keeps about its users. It includes information like browsing history, search queries, and purchase history.

This data is collected directly from the users and is specific to the website they're visiting. It's a goldmine because it allows you to directly engage, and create personalized experiences and targeted ads without the need for third-party cookies.

You can also build detailed customer profiles by implementing things like surveys and loyalty programs. 

A great first party tool Shopify has announced is Shopify Audiences.

It uses first-party data from participating ecommerce sites to create custom ad-targeting audiences for Meta, Google, Pinterest, TikTok, Snapchat, Criteo, and other large platforms.

This results in better ad performance for Shopify Plus merchants, and fulfills a much needed solution to the change!

Explore Second-Party Data

Collaborate with businesses that have direct relationships with their users to share relevant data ethically.

• Utilize Heatmaps and Customer Data Platforms: Understand consumer behavior on your website with tools like heatmaps and consolidate your first-party data with a customer data platform (CRM) for a unified view of your customers.
  

• Adopt Server-Side Tracking and Alternative Methods: Consider server-side tracking for a more accurate and private method of tracking user behavior. Investigate other tracking technologies like fingerprinting and device ID tracking for comprehensive insights.
  

• Marketing Automation and Data-Driven Attribution: Leverage marketing automation across all customer lifecycle stages and employ data-driven attribution models to understand the impact of your marketing touchpoints.
  

• Contextual Advertising: Align your ads with relevant content. For example, placing your running shoes ad on a fitness blog, and not just anywhere on the web. You are placing ads on websites that are contextually relevant to the product or service being advertised. This way, you're reaching your target audience without relying on third-party cookies.

Wrapping Up!

It’s never too soon, or too late to prepare your Shopify store, and by focusing on building direct relationships with your consumers and leveraging technology to gather insights ethically, you can create personalized, engaging customer experiences that drive loyalty and sales.

The future of e-commerce is personal, direct, and privacy-focused.

"Change is not a threat, it's an opportunity. Survival is not the goal, transformative success is." – Seth Godin

Here's to turning challenges into opportunities and continuing to grow our stores in meaningful ways!

Until next time,

The Early Checkout Team

P.S. Remember, in every challenge lies an opportunity to excel.

The Early Checkout Team

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