Now we know what you may be thinking. No more cookies? We’re not talking about the tasty little treat but instead digital cookies which help businesses remember visits to their site. This makes it easier for them to get customers back to the website and tailor website experiences to their needs.
Cookies were created back in 1994 by web browser programmer Lou Montulli who worked for one of the very first widely used web browsers, Netscape.
With constant updates and changes in technology, however, the cookie looks to be on its way out to keep data more secure for internet users. To find out more about the future of the cookie and what it will mean for your business, be sure to read below.
What is happening to the cookie?
It was announced in 2020 that Google would make the use of cookies disappear by the end of 2023 in a bid to improve the privacy of online users and keep their data safe. This will make it harder for businesses to track online users which will undoubtedly hit eCommerce and dropshipping businesses the hardest.
Why will this impact businesses?
Businesses have relied on providing first-class experiences for each of their customer profiles since they first began. It is what makes customers want to purchase something and then continue to come back to the business for more. This is true both online and offline.
However, now that companies can no longer gather data on their customers, it will be harder to personalize experiences and attract customers back to their websites. This will undoubtedly lead to fewer customers visiting these eCommerce sites which will result in fewer sales and profits. This is the last thing that businesses will want with the ongoing cost of living crisis that is hitting them and individuals hard at the moment.
What you can do to prepare your own business before cookies are removed?
There’s still time to do all you can to save your business from the incoming cookie removal. Try any of the following tips to reduce your chances of being hit hard.
Develop a first-party data strategy
This is information that a company collects from customers. This could be their name, age, or email address and is gained from the customers directly rather than the cookies. If you’re not sure how you can implement this strategy then why not consider working with a leading specialist in the eCommerce industry?
Reach out to customers directly
Whilst this update will impact your new customers, you mustn’t forget about your existing ones. These are the people that have bought from you in the past and helped your business get to where it is today.
That’s why you should reach out to them. Give them a perk or benefit and show them how much you care. This will help build an emotional connection between them and your business which will get them to come back in the future.
Consider other marketing tactics
Whilst the present and future of business look to be online, it’s easy to forget that in the past, marketing was done offline. Consider implementing these strategies into your business plan and you could keep your customer count rising. Offline marketing examples include:
- Billboards
- Flyers
Hopefully taking these points on board will help you tackle the loss of digital cookies head-on and sail your eCommerce business through stormy seas.