Web tracking is a critical aspect of online marketing, and it holds immense potential for entrepreneurs and business owners. Its power lies in the ability to measure the success of digital marketing efforts through web tracking and web analysis. However, it’s essential to note that online marketing can only be considered professional when effective tracking methods are in place.
The importance of web tracking in online marketing is not to be underestimated because it plays a significant role. In the following sections, we will delve into this vital topic in detail.
The importance of web tracking in online marketing is not as small as a mouse, but as large as a mammoth.
We would therefore like to discuss this important topic in detail below. Please note that this article primarily focuses on tracking methods designed for website owners, entrepreneurs, and online marketing experts looking to optimize their websites.
What does tracking mean?
Tracking can have different meanings depending on the context, but in general, it refers to the process of monitoring and following the movement, progress, or behavior of something or someone.
Tracking in Technology and Data
In the digital world, tracking is often associated with the collection and analysis of data related to online activities. This includes tracking user behavior on websites and applications. Marketers, for instance, use web analytics and cookies to track user interactions with websites, enabling them to understand user preferences, improve user experiences, and deliver personalized content and advertisements. This is known as “user tracking.”
What Is Web Tracking?
In the context of web analysis and online marketing, “tracking” refers to technologies and methods that allow the tracking of a user’s actions in the vast World Wide Web, including individual websites. In professional jargon, this is also referred to as web tracking, user tracking, or online tracking.
The term “tracking” is not exclusive to online marketing; it is also commonly used in package delivery. Most package carriers (such as DHL or FedEx) offer tracking services, where recipients receive a tracking number that allows them to track and check the exact location of their package at any time.
What Data Can Be Collected Through Web Tracking?
What is the benefit of web tracking? Website owners can obtain valuable data on user behavior on their respective websites through professional user tracking. When properly configured, tracking methods can collect and compile data such as:
- Which websites were visited before a user landed on the analyzed website?
- What is the average time spent or dwell time on a specific website?
- Which products perform the best in terms of sales or are most frequently purchased?
- What objects, buttons, or links did users click on?
- Which campaigns and media led to contact inquiries?
- What keywords did users enter in search engines before landing on the analyzed website?
- Which files were downloaded?
- What technologies (device category, browser, browser version, screen resolution, etc.) do website visitors use?
- From which regions (countries, regions, cities/municipalities) do users originate?
- And more
The more data you collect, the more insights you can draw from it. Professional web tracking is a fundamental requirement for effective web analysis.
Types of Tracking Methods
There are a plethora of tracking methods available. In this article, we will focus on the most important methods for the target audience mentioned in the introduction.
1. Tracking Cookies
Before the introduction of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), the use of cookies was among the most popular tracking methods. A cookie is a small piece of data stored on a desktop PC, tablet, or mobile device to store user data. The exact location of the cookie depends on the web browser used (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc.).
Tracking cookies can be divided into first-party cookies and third-party cookies. Third-party cookies allow the tracking of user behavior across multiple websites. One well-known but controversial third-party cookie is the “_ga” cookie, used by Google Analytics for data storage and remarketing. Google uses several other cookies as well.
Example of Remarketing Based on Tracking Cookies:
You enter “buy Nike shoes online” in Google and end up on the category page of an online shop that offers various Nike shoes. Since the page loads too slowly and this annoys you, you click on X after just a few seconds to close the tab again. However, a _ga cookie has already been stored in your browser, which now follows your trail on the World Wide Web.
You now go to other websites and at some point you end up in a forum that allows Google Ads ads to be displayed. You will see an HTML5 banner of the online store you initially visited with the message “Up to 30% off Nike shoes”. You click on the banner and wait for the sale page to load, although the loading time is still too long for your liking.
The generous discounts make the offers very appealing, leaving you with a positive impression of the online store despite the initial negative experience. In this example, tracking cookies are used to display effective remarketing ads.
2. Tracking Pixels
A tracking pixel is a code snippet that is added to the head area of a website to collect website data. When collecting conversion data through a pixel, it is referred to as a conversion pixel, while data collected for retargeting is called a retargeting pixel.
In contrast to tracking cookies, which are stored in a user’s browser, tracking pixels send behavior, event, and/or conversion data directly to the corresponding web server. For example, the Facebook pixel is very well known and, like the _ga cookie, is extremely controversial for data protection reasons.
3. Session Tracking
Due to increasingly strict GDPR regulations, session tracking is gaining popularity. Providers like etracker use session tracking that operates entirely without setting cookies, falling under the category of “cookieless tracking.”
Cookieless tracking from etracker Analytics uses website data from web servers as well as information that the respective browser sends to the corresponding web server to retrieve website content. This information is transmitted every time a page is viewed. They make it possible to link individual page views into related sessions.
Since the session tracking from etracker Analytics does not collect any information that comes from the memory of the end device used and therefore no user data is read from it, it is considered GDPR-compliant – even without the use of a cookie banner, see also https://www.etracker.com/session-tracking-einwilligungsfrei/ .
4. Server-Side Tracking
Server-side tracking is currently a widely discussed topic. With this method, information and data from website visitors are sent directly to the server hosting the website (or app), which then forwards the data to the relevant analytics instance.
The previously mentioned tracking methods, “Tracking Cookies” and “Tracking Pixels,” fall under the category of “Client-Side Tracking,” with the client being the web browser used.
The undeniable advantage of server-side tracking over client-side tracking is that it cannot be blocked by ad blockers and bypasses the limited lifespan of tracking cookies. Due to GDPR, there has been a paradigm shift towards server-side tracking.
5. Newsletter Tracking / Email Tracking
Newsletter tracking (or email tracking) allows you to determine how high the opening rate of a particular newsletter is, who opened the newsletter, and who clicked on which link (click rate). There is also the possibility of creating a profile via newsletter tracking. For example, you can sort the newsletter subscribers who clicked particularly often on links included in the newsletter into a specific list and send them special mailings.
Since so-called web beacons, also known as measuring pixels or tracking pixels are used in newsletter tracking, consent is required.
6. App Tracking
In addition to tracking, where behavioral and conversion data is stored and collected on websites, there is also app tracking. This method allows you to analyze the behavior of app users, collecting information such as device, location, used technologies, and more.
The Goals of Web Tracking and User Tracking
The primary goal of web and user tracking is the web analysis option, which is essential for professional online marketing. The data collected (among other things) via the above-mentioned tracking methods enables you to create detailed website analysis and evaluate extremely interesting information and behavioral data.
You can use web tracking to measure and assess the success of specific campaigns. For instance, you can determine if a particular newsletter led to increased purchases of a featured product. You can also use professional tracking methods to get your Google Ads campaigns up to speed by identifying the converting keywords and promoting them more.
Web tracking and web analysis can also help you identify and eliminate display errors on your website.
The list of goals and benefits of web tracking is extensive. For this reason, the importance of tracking in online marketing is very important. And if you don’t rely on web tracking and web analysis, you’re making a huge mistake as an entrepreneur, as valid data is extremely valuable and is rightly called “the gold of the 21st century”.