Google Analytics 4 (GA4) vs Universal Analytics (UA)

Last Wednesday, 26th October we hosted our latest event “Google Analytics 4: Migration, differences, metrics, and the future”. This workshop was led by Michele Sforza, SEM Account Manager at Jevnet and co-organised by Frizbit. Overall, the event was full of good energy and a lot of learning curiosity about this new tool.

If you were not able to attend the event, do not hesitate to stay and read through as we will summarise the most important ideas, conclusions, and key learnings of the event. Our main takeaway is that it’s not about unlearning a tool, but about getting to know a new platform almost from the ground up. 

Without any further ado, we hope you find it as useful as we have!

Watch the replay of the session in Spanish

What is Google Analytics 4?

Source: Adobe Stock

The first thing our guest speaker emphasised was to recall that GA4 is not an accounting tool, but an analytics tool, so the data it provides is quantitative. 

Another key factor, before moving on, is to understand that although the name GA4 suggests that it is an update, in reality, it is an almost completely revamped tool.

So what’s going on with Google Analytics?

The irrevocable implementation of Google Analytics 4, which will make the traditional Universal Analytics obsolete, as well as its historical data, is getting closer and closer. In other words, the countdown to migration has begun.

The most important dates to keep in mind are:

• July 1st 2023: Data collection by Universal Analytics stops.

• October 1st 2023: Data within the tool will be deleted, and access to the platform will be restricted.

“But if I have until July 2023, why should I start now with the migration?” While we’ll get into this in more depth later, we can tell you that the longer you take to start the migration, the less historical data you’ll have on hand to readjust your digital strategy next year.

Other considerations as to why the change needs to happen now:

• Not only will Universal Analytics stop working, but all data you collect via Data Studio or from any Universal Analytics source is also going to stop working.

• GA4 rejects third-party cookies. We’ve been saying it a lot, and the cookieless future is coming. That said, if you have remarketing listings, no data will be collected either, as they will stop receiving cookies.
  
• You can’t compare apples and oranges, as they say colloquially. In this case, you can’t compare UA users with GA4 users.

Why Google Analytics 4?

Source: Adobe Stock

This is perhaps one of the biggest questions surrounding this matter: Why, if UA was working well, does there have to be a new update? 

The change is nothing more than a prelude to what lies ahead for the future of Google and the privacy of its users. As we know, Universal Analytics is almost entirely based on the use of third-party cookies, something that is totally incompatible with the ‘cookieless’ future of web analytics that Google has been supporting. In other words, Universal Analytics is incompatible with the new interests and privacy policies of the users. 

Google Analytics 4 features

The cornerstones on which it is based are privacy, omni-channeling, and comprehensive data analytics.

In terms of privacy, GA4 is getting closer and closer to the ‘cookieless’ future and personal data protection. One of the most important new features is that it identifies users without the use of cookies, while relying more on machine learning. 

Regarding the omnichannel pillar, we can finally measure real customer journeys, i.e. multi-platform and multi-device, measuring each user touchpoint. In this way, we will finally be able to unify and measure more real interactions, adjusted to the lifestyle of our users, which allows us to act with even greater precision at the right time, whether it is through the web or through apps. 

Finally, the third major pillar is comprehensive data analytics. While UA allowed us to evaluate the sessions of each user, their navigation and the overall traffic very accurately that a website received, the analysis of interactions was lagging behind. With GA4, measuring events (actions and conversions) is possible in a more insightful way.

Having said that, the most visible changes within the platform are:

• The ‘Views’ column has completely disappeared, and with it, the possibility to create filtered reports in a visual and intuitive way. We now have the new term ‘Data-Stream’, which is a flow of data from which we take the information and varies depending on whether it is from the web or an app.  

• User measurement is much more accurate and multi-channel. GA4 is able to recognise the same user, even if they are using different devices, which is very different to how it worked with UA. This is why, when comparing users between UA and GA4, the measurement would be incorrect. It is very likely that you will experience a decrease in users in GA4 compared to UA. It is not that GA4 is not registering users; it just does it in a more accurate way.

Google Analytics 4 vs. Universal Analytics

One of the key differences to grasp is the change of approach of the tool. It moves from being session-centric to user-centric, i.e. focused on interactions and events while respecting privacy.

Universal Analytics:

• Session-based
• Unlimited data retention
• Complex user experience
• Automatic page views and user data
• Data taken from a sample (not accurate) – more inaccurate sessions
• Structure: Category – Action – Tag
• Bounce due to lack of engagement
• Users: Cookies

Google Analytics 4:

• User-centric and event-driven
• Limited data retention 
• Intuitive navigation
• Automatic event tracking
• More accurate data without sampling – less accurate sessions
• Structure: Event name – Parameters
• Bounce if a session is not of value*: does not stay at least 10 seconds, does not make two visits to two pages or does not make a conversion
• Users: generate valuable sessions*.

What information should I keep?

One of the most important points is that you can’t compare UA data with GA4 data, because their measurement system is different. So if you want to collect historical data by 2023, the time to start migrating from UA to GA4 is now.

What’s new in GA4

Source: Adobe Stock

n addition to the features mentioned earlier, one of the new developments that we are most excited about is the almost automatic direct integrations available. 

Among them, we can highlight the following:

Firebase: This platform is directly linked to the development and analytics of mobile applications. It is one of the most relevant integrations for GA4, as in fact, its structure and interface served as the basis for the development of Google Analytics 4.
It is relevant because: It creates an automatic data analytics flow to GA4, being able to track users entering both through the app and the web. 

Google Tag Manager: This tool is designed to make implementations and updates to our website easier.
It is relevant because: The integration with GA4 will reduce the time to measure results on the web, possible errors will be minimised by timely reporting them, and finally, it will be easier to update new implementations.

Search Console: This tool is totally oriented towards SEO, analysing what position each page occupies within the search engines, and how well the pages can be navigated, among others. Although it was already in Universal Analytics, some new features include the introduction of a new series of exclusive reports for Search Console within GA4.
This is relevant because: It will be possible to combine metrics and dimensions from GA4 and Search Console to make a joint analysis and create new reports based on this. 

Advertising platforms: GA4 is very well-prepared for the integration of Google Ads, Ad Manager, Display & Video 360 + Search Ads 360 (for its paid version).
It is relevant because: We will be able to visualise all the data of all the campaigns automatically and in a more complete way. We will be able to know which campaigns have had better conversions and results. On the other hand, we will be able to create audiences based on the campaign reports and export them to other ad platforms to maximise conversion and conscious retargeting. 

Why should I prepare for the future with GA4? 

The most straightforward answer is that the shift is inevitable, and the main reason is the advent of the ‘cookieless’ future. 

As a study by Pewreserach shows, 72% of people who use the internet report feeling watched and their privacy threatened after their online behaviour is tracked. This is why for several years now, the digital environment has been preparing for this with the elimination of third-party cookies and the validation of own cookies in browsers such as Firefox, Safari and soon Google Chrome. 

E-commerce and Google Analytics 4

Source: Negative Space/Pexels

Perhaps one of the most important changes is for the e-commerce industry. While in UA, every step the user made was registered, in GA4 this code has changed radically, becoming incompatible with the previous version.

There is also a relevant change in the events. Previously in Universal Analytics, the events were named by each user as they saw fit. Now, in GA4, these events already have a recommended nomenclature, which will impact the reports and make their results more accurate. Again, this is one of the ways in which GA4 continues to demonstrate its accuracy.

Migration from Universal Analytics to GA4

Source: Stock Adobe

This is a phase from which we cannot simply run away. There may be many doubts; however, we have identified a number of key steps in the process. To do this:

1. Audit the current Universal Analytics account: write down all events, goals, audiences, segments, and roles within the last year.
2. Develop an implementation plan: migrate goals to conversion events, migrate custom dimensions, migrate custom reports to Explorer or Data Studio as well as permissions and roles, among others.
3. Create and configure GA4: Configure data streams, integrate GA4 with tools (GAds, Search Console etc., activate Google Signal, leverage the new data-driven attribution model, internal IPs, cross-domain and exclude referral list. 

How can I export the data?

There are several options within it via the paid version of Google Cloud or manually by downloading report after report. 

Final recommendations:

In addition to migrating as soon as possible, the advice is oriented in four directions:

• UTM: Monitor all UTMs, as they will change. 
• Audiences: Start creating audiences as soon as possible.
• Download reports: Download reports via Google Sheet and its Google Analytics extension.
• Attention to details: This tool comes with default settings, so it is important to adjust your settings. We recommend:

1. Change the value of Data retention 2 months to 14 months.
2. Configure the domains if you have more than one to build a solid customer journey. 
3. Define internal traffic for better metrics.
4. Configure referrals that you don’t want to measure, such as third-party payment platforms.
5. Adjust the time of engaged sessions to really measure if the sessions are of value or not. 

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve probably noticed that this specific workshop was loaded with valuable information about this great GA4 tool. 

On behalf of the Frizbit team, we would like to thank our great speaker Michele Sforza for delivering such an interesting and engaging workshop. Thanks also to all those who, either remotely or online, were able to join us during the event.

If you don’t want to miss our next events, we invite you to follow us on our Eventbrite profile, where we update information about upcoming workshops and meetings.

See you next time!

 

 

Click here to watch the replay of the session in Spanish

On the 22nd of September, we hosted our first event after the summer break, and we must admit it felt like a great way to come back to the routine. As usual at our events, we enjoyed -which was maybe – the last open terrace networking session of the year with some mandatory beers. 

This time, the main topic of the event was the controversial ‘cookieless era’. And our main goal was to equip our attendees with the tools and strategies so that they could stay at the top of their game. Questions such as “Can I actually do retargeting without ads/third-party cookies?”, “What are the cookieless strategies I can implement?”, “What’s the difference between first-party and third-party cookies?” were answered by our host and CEO, Ata Gur.

So, if you couldn’t join us at the event, but still would like to learn more about the main takeaways, keep on reading to elevate your marketing skills.

To start off, it is essential to understand the customer journey that a user usually does while navigating a website with a conversion purpose, whether that is a sales or acquiring leads goal. 

The usual journey has 5 stages that customers go through until they reach the intended purpose. It starts with a 100% conversion rate and ends up with a 1% conversion rate and an estimated value of $25 USD. 

The key takeaway #1 is that client acquisition is indeed an expensive process already, so why not look further into retention to maximise all efforts?

As shown in this graphic, returning customers frequently represent a higher conversion rate than new customers. So, if you have an e-commerce and your sales goals aren’t going as expected, perhaps your focus shouldn’t be on “how to acquire new customers?”, but rather on “how can I better nurture my returning customers?”

At this point, you have seen why retention is crucial for any eCommerce business. Now, let’s move forward with the alternatives to the retention channels that you have:

• Email, SMS, social media, app push notifications & web push notifications: Belong to the owned media category and work with first-party cookies.

• Retargeting ads: Bring the customers back with third-party cookies, and a pay-per-click basis. The ROI is usually adequate, but the ‘cookieless era’ is their biggest threat. Many browsers are restricting its usage, such as Safari, Firefox and soon Google Chrome. This revolutionizes the way we are used to doing retargeting because every retargeting service provider like Facebook, Google, Criteo or other third-party providers will need to change or else become obsolete. 

You might be thinking: “Okay, but I still hear “cookies”, both first and third-party cookies. What’s the difference?”

To keep it short, the main difference is that with third-party cookies, our information can be accessible to all the ads network. Our information is available and shared with others who we don’t trust or know anything about. In fact, 72% of the users reported feeling observed and tracked for their online behaviour, according to Pewresearch.org. 

On the other hand, with first-party cookies, we can rest assured that our information will be stored safely, as it is directly anchored to the domain we are at. This means our information isn’t shared with others we aren’t aware of.

 

Alternatives to third-party cookies for retargeting

Now, let’s dive deeper into what it means that we are moving into a ‘cookieless world’ and what actions you can take to minimise the loss.

The first thing to have in mind is that the cookieless world is nothing more than a new system that is here to stay and is here to protect the privacy of users. As it is an imminent change, there’s no reason to avoid it or delay its implementation.

The key takeaway #2 is that now we need to move forward with understanding and building new cookieless funnels. Our efforts should be focused on first-party cookies channels.

In the following graphic, you can find an example of what a cookieless funnel can look like:

What are the main advantages of relying on first-party cookies, and what channels do you have at your disposal?

• The channels you can use are: push web, push app, email, and SMS
• The main advantage is that you can double your reach by attaining both registered and non-registered users (A.K.A. you don’t need a form to target users with push web and push app notifications)
• You can hyper-personalise the experience, meaning that automatisation doesn’t have to feel cold and robotic.
• You can interact with your audience before they even register with push web and push app notifications, even if they are not on the app or site.
• The interactions can be intentional, meaning you can set them up according to the behaviour of the user. 
• Users don’t stay in just one channel: maximise your marketing efforts so that you can target your users across their customer journey.

Key takeaway #3: Maximise your retargeting efforts by relying on first-party cookies channels.

Discover the benefits that Web Push Notifications can bring to your e-site

In this case, we are going to revise further our starred channel: Web Push notifications. We found there was an industry gap for this particular channel and have specialised enough, which has led us to know the ins and outs of it.

Web push notifications are the newest retention channels for websites, in which messages are sent by a website and appear on the screen of a user’s device. As we mentioned earlier, messages can be sent even if the website is closed, and they can operate without personal data. It is the latest and a very powerful digital channel for websites to re-engage and communicate with subscribers who opt-in to receive them, providing useful/interesting information.

Where can you use web push notifications or browser push notifications?

The coverage you get by using these notifications is great.  

For browsers, they are fully operative on:

• Safari
• Chrome
• FireFox
• Microsoft Edge
• Opera

On the other hand, in operating systems they work on:

• Microsoft Desktop
• MacOS
• Android
• iOS (coming soon with iOS 16 in 2023!)

Key takeaway #4: Web push notifications can bring a higher opt-in rate, increasing your reach and retargeting possibilities. Web push notifications have a 5% to 10% opt-in rate, whereas email opt-in ranks at a 2-4%. With the release of the web push notifications on iOS 16, it means the current rate is likely to increase by 50%.

 

What are the expected results? 

To make it clear, you can find in the following chart how all the different channels can be compared in terms of opt-in rate, click rate and reach rate:

With these graphics, we can see clearly that, on average, web push notifications have better performance rates than other channels, including social media posts.

Emails, on the first hand, require that users confirm their opt-in, which can easily push back the users to complete the action. Social media, on the other hand, usually prioritise paid ads, meaning that organic posts are hardly seen by your audience. 

With web push notifications, the opt-in only requires one click from the user. The click rate can be completely personalised and tailored to the part of the customer journey your user is at, making it relevant. Lastly, the reach is definitely one of its strengths as typically you aren’t competing with other brands, opposite to what happens in social media.

Another great advantage of using web push notifications is that they are completely GDPR friendly, as they don’t require the usage of personal data for them to succeed.

How do we use web push notifications at Frizbit?

We begin by analysing your sales funnel and creating hyper personalised notifications for each stage of the funnel. For instance, if in an e-commerce a user is interested in the category of the same product, but doesn’t add the product to their cart, they will receive a notification that helps them to go back and purchase a particular product. 

Key takeaway #5: Nothing is more relevant than sending the right message, to the right user, at the right time, through the right channel. And web push notifications can help to do this effectively. 

If at this point, you are wondering if the web push notifications can be beneficial for your business, you can apply for a free demo here.

First-party cookies retargeting strategies

We want to show you that moving on from third-party cookies is possible. You can do retargeting without relying on them while keeping in line with the newest GDPR regulations.

In the following graphic, you can see what an integral strategy, incorporating different first-party cookies channels, looks like:

In this example, we are showing a retargeting strategy for abandoned carts. As seen here, you can combine different channels seamlessly, creating personalised flows with specific timing options. 

What are the expected results you can look for with each channel?

Definitely, using all the channels strategically can represent an increase in sales or in your conversion goals. Each channel has a particular strength, and whether you should use one or another in a higher proportion depends on the purpose and industry of your brand. 

To summarise:

• The cookieless world is approaching, and we are leaving behind the so-known third-party cookies, which can limit the way we know on how to do retargeting.
• We recommend investing time and effort in developing strong owned media channels.
• Start creating first-party cookies retargeting funnels using channels like web push notifications, email marketing and SMS
• The key element of success for any retargeting strategy is to send the right message, to the right user, at the right time, through the right channel.

Having said this, we would like to thank everyone who took part in this experience and made it possible. Special thanks to Áticco Working Spaces for their collaboration and continuous support.

If you missed the event and want to have a deeper understanding on how to do retargeting without third-party cookies, the replay of the session is available here. 

Also, if you’d like to stay in the loop and attend our future events, make sure to join our Growth Marketing  Barcelona Meetup group.

We hope to see you at our next event ?

 

On the 20th of July, we organised our last event before the summer break. Aside from the dynamic roundtable discussions, thanks to our moderator Tim Çakir, we also enjoyed a thriving networking session with some mandatory cool beers. 

For this roundtable, we wanted to create a more enriching experience for the attendees, which is why we brought together two other marketing tech automation startups: Vidjet and Spitche, with their corresponding CEOs and co-founders Baptiste Nicolas and Kevin Markowski. Representing Frizbit, we had our CEO and co-founder Ata Gür on the stage. 

Keep on reading if you want to grasp the key takeaways from this event.

Spoiler alert: Our moderator, Tim Cakir, did not hold back in any of his questions!

Previously, we stated we wanted to provide value to our audience, which is why throughout the roundtable, we discussed the future and trends for eCommerce, the changes they had faced in the customer journey, and how the solutions of each of the speakers add value to any online store owner.

“The right time, the right place and the right audience.” quote by Tim Çakir.

If we were to highlight a key phrase to get the core of the event, this would definitely be it. Any marketer, eCommerce manager, or anyone involved with digital businesses will agree to the veracity of this quote. The tools and answers from the roundtable will help you accomplish this goal, so without further due, let’s dive into the main insights from the event.

 

Quick guide: Essential Tools for eCommerce Automation

Pexels/ Andrea Piacquadio

 

Answering the question of “how any of these tech solutions can help the industry”, the main insights were the following:

 

• If you are looking for ways to humanize and make more “tangible” your products/your brand in the online space, then a shoppable video app like Vidjet is your way to go. This tool will also help you get closer to your customers in the crucial purchasing decision moments through honest video content.
• If you are looking for ways to improve trustability and boost your engagement with social proof, this is what you need for your business. Spitche works with brand ambassadors from your own community in a win-to-win environment.
• Last but not least, if you are looking for a way to engage with registered and non-registered customers without ads and bring them back to your site, then the Frizbit automation system is the tool you require. Its hyper-personalisation, multi-device communication, cookieless operation and consumer-behaviour patterns are what make this tool so attractive for online business owners.

 

If you haven’t started to automate your business with the marketing tech available at the moment, you are losing on ways to scale and be more profitable. Each of these solutions targets a different pain point that normally an online consumer can face. By addressing and acting at the right moment, we are sure your online business will get the push to reach the next level.
At the moment, at Frizbit, we offer a demo of our retargeting solution. You can apply directly here and be eligible for a one-month free trial.

What is changing in the customer journey scenery?

 

Constant changes and a fast-paced lifestyle are the new normal. Therefore, we should expect that customers are changing their patterns and behaviours too in their purchase journey. 

During the event, this was one of the questions that Tim asked the speakers, and from it, we can take that there are changes from the pre-purchase to the post-purchase. Let’s see what this is about.

Consuming less is the new trend, and from the pre-purchase phase, users want to be sure of what they are purchasing. If we have an eCommerce, it isn’t enough to only display pictures of our products anymore. It simply might not be enough.

So, what can you do to reassure your customers? 

Try implementing dimensional strategies such as on-face preview tools and videos showcasing the different textures -if that’s the case. And why not? Integrate the usage of augmented reality to create more real-life-like experiences.

 

 

The second change we can experience in the online customer journey purchase is the announced C2C era. It stands for “Connect to Customer”, and the truth is, it couldn’t be more accurate. 

The new C2C era stands for more sustainable and long-lasting relationships, which ultimately translates into finding tools to engage with customers on deeper levels. 

What does it look like from an eCommerce perspective? 

Now more than ever, placing your products in front of the best customers is imperative. One of the ways to achieve this is by enhancing the UGC. The biggest lesson we take from the roundtable is that within your existing customers, you can find superfans hidden in your audience, and they can boost your conversion rates through values such as honesty, trustability and transparency. These are all values that the now-a-day consumer demands.

 

Lastly, one of the biggest shifts the online space is facing is undoubtedly related to the privacy of users. This is imminent, and the biggest challenge we are facing is undergoing the ‘cookieless’ era. Reaching and accessing your customers could get really tough if you are not prepared for it. 

If you are not allowed to conduct retargeting with ads any more, how will you be able to boost your sales? Using cookieless strategies such as web push notifications will not only allow you to stay in line with the new data regulations. It will also allow you to talk to your customers in real-time, even if they are not on your site. So, say hi to multi-device messaging!

 

How does the future of eCommerce look like?

Two words: harmonisation and humanisation.

Creating in-sync customer journeys is essential to any online business that wants to thrive in the digital world. Nowadays, customers have more dynamic and complex behavioural patterns. This is why, if you run an eCommerce business, being present at different touchpoints and devices along the journey is crucial. 

Automation tools can become your best ally, helping you display the right message to the right customer at the right time. We hear this constantly, but it is true, and what’s best is that you don’t need to figure it all out on your own. There are already existing tools that track behavioural data for you to connect to your customers in a timely manner.

With automation, we always face the risk of losing the spark of the human touch. This is why, for the future of eCommerce, it is now necessary to find ways that resonate with users and speak directly to them. Some of the ways we learned at the event are the usage of video messages created by people for people, hyper-personalised messages and peer-to-peer connections. 

 

 

Key takeaways:

• The future of eCommerce is changing within 3 pillars: privacy, authentic online experiences, and the appearance of the C2C era.

• Connecting to a deeper level with customers is essential. Some great tools to do it are hyper-personalised messages, human and kind video messages, and enhancing your UGC.
  
  
• If used correctly, the tech marketing tools can help you boost your eCommerce. Using marketing automation tools isn’t equivalent to delivering cold messaging to your audience.
  
  
• Harmonisation is crucial to any eCommerce that wants to adapt to the dynamic and fast-paced environment

 

Having said this, we would like to thank everyone who took part in this experience and made it possible. Special thanks to our speakers, moderator, and Áticco Working Spaces for their collaboration and continuous support.

 

If you missed the event and want to catch up with the latest digital marketing strategies and tools using first-party data, the replay of the session is available here.

 

We hope to see you at our next event ?

 

 

‘Cookieless’ strategies for eCommerce and CMOs

 

On the 10th of May, we organised our very first on-site meetup of this year after a long 2-year covid-break. At this conference co-organised by Jevnet, Áticco Workspaces and Frizbit, we covered key ‘Cookieless’ strategies that eCommerce managers and CMOs should adopt to cope with the upcoming restriction of third party cookies, which will take place by the end of 2023.

The roundtable was composed of compelling digital marketing experts such as Oriol Cortejà, the head of SEM; Josep L. Dorsé, the senior BDM of Jevnet and our co-founder and CEO, Ata Gür. 

 

“How we adapt to this new reality will determine the success of businesses in terms of business and sales.  For those able to adopt new strategies, their results will improve in comparison to the eCommerce who are reticent” -Josep L. Dorsé.

 

With this quote, we dive into the main challenge and impact most digital businesses will face with these new changes regarding the privacy data of users. It is no secret that the way we develop digital marketing campaigns will need to change soon, and the faster we adapt, the easier it will be.

 

The moderator, Josep L. Dorsè and the panellists Ata Gür and Oriel Costejà

 

The roundtable aimed to provide the audience with the leading strategies and alternatives and explain the impact of this new regulation on digital businesses. 

Next, we will be discussing the main takeaways of this lively event.

 

What does the cookieless future mean for marketers?

The digital marketing industry is quite dynamic and in constant change. We have been exposed to different challenges in the past. However, our teams and strategies have been the key assets to help us overcome the obstacles. And in this case, it shouldn’t be any different.

From the point of view of a user, it is true that the privacy boundaries in the digital ecosystem have been crossing off-limits in recent years. As an ecosystem and as marketers, we should aim to create dynamics that reduce any potential threat to our users.

The cookieless future means for marketers that we will have to adapt and modify our existing strategies in the best interest of the users. Luckily for us, in the same way that the industry evolves, so do our tools to get closer to the users in the digital space, such as the first-party data cookies.

 

How will the new restriction affect the digital marketing industry dynamics?

There are three trends that are shaping the behaviour of the industry.

1. Privacy of Users: The expectations of users about privacy and transparency directly impact how we gather and collect data.
2. Platform & Tech Changes: All browsers are restricting the usage of mainly 3rd party cookies.
3. Regulation: Restrictions are more rigorous on the use of personal data, which ultimately results in implementing additional requirements in the way users give their consent.
   

Impact in the short and medium-term.

The consequences this will bring to the digital marketing ecosystem gravitate towards two main aspects: 

1. How brands can reach and measure new audiences to connect with them.

2. How publishers will be able to monetise their content through paid ads. 

Having said that, the restriction of third party data cookies will immediately result in:

1. The inability of digital businesses to track demographic information, customer behaviour or interests of their users.

2. The change in how we collect historical data (Welcome GA4)

3. Difficulty in tracking the customer journey.

4. As a direct result of the previous statements, companies will no longer be able to run personalised
   retargeting ads and effectively measuring their marketing efforts.

5. The loss of conversions and the decrease in the reach ratio.
   

And how does this look in the long term?

Source: Digital Marketing Transformation Presentation by Google

 

We have been undergoing a tendency in which users are more concerned with their privacy and the way their data is being handled. As it can be seen on the graph above, moving towards the cookieless future, there is a clear trend in which the usage of cookies to create conversions will keep decreasing over time. 

On the other hand, an apparent change is happening aligned to the preference of users and shifts within the industry. The modelled conversion model is a clear example of how digital businesses will benefit from adapting cookieless strategies. The trend shows a clear increase in the revenue ratio thanks to its features combining first-party data with machine learning algorithms. 

Alternatives and tactics for implementing first-party data strategies.

Now that we understand the impact and direct consequences for businesses, a question to be asked is: How can I manage to have a competitive business while still enduring the cookieless restrictions?

Generally speaking, marketers and advertisers will need to modify their actions under two principles:

1. Transparency profiling:

Independent of the platform used, being transparent and informing the user about what information is being collected will play a vital role in the navigation of users.

2. Reporting:

Report all the digital assets and the information gathered from campaigns to enrich audiences.

As mentioned before, every major shift also comes with an opportunity for evolution and growth. We will introduce you to 4 alternatives to third-party cookies that will help you thrive with success in your future marketing campaigns:

 

1. Meta Business:

   

   Example of Conversions API sharing data directly from Shopify to Facebook.
   Source: Rui Zhi Dong 

   
   The platform will still be an option for running advertising campaigns. However, they will operate under their own Conversions API to remain up to date with the new cookieless restrictions. It works by directly sharing with Facebook the data gathered from an eCommerce platform to reach the highest results. This alternative is excellent if you are familiar with the previous Pixel usage. This method will allow advertisers to develop successful campaigns, track conversions and make adjustments in the Ads manager when needed.

    

2.  Consent Mode:
   

   How Consent Mode works by Google

   
   It is an API compatible with Google Ads, Floodlight and Google Analytics, developed by Google. This feature aims to improve metrics and data reporting, modelling, and accuracy. It works using two new tag settings that will help to control ads and analytics cookie storage based on user consent status.
   
   For this feature to work under the cookieless restrictions, the user needs to enable the consent mode first. Once it is on, it informs the new Google tags that permission has been granted to use first-party cookies for ads and analytics.
   
   With these changes, and combined with the modelling conversion, Google is confident that they will be able to have a significant impact on digital businesses by providing users with more precise data.

    

3. GA4 / Google Analytics 4:

Google Analytics 4 – Sample Demographic Report
Source: Google

 

Migrating to Google Analytics 4 as soon as possible is essential for any online business that strives to build strategies based on historical customer data.

In addition, by migrating to this analytics platform, website owners will be able to better understand the true customer journey in a cross-platform setting.

Within its benefits, the platform announces to provide intelligent business predictions and behavioural algorithm data to drive impact for companies. GA4 announces businesses will be able to scale through accurate data.

 4. Web Push Notifications Retargeting:  

Example of Web Push notifications by Frizbit

Following the cookieless trend, web push notifications are the only and latest available method to perform dynamic retargeting. It is simply a push notification sent through browsers on both mobile and desktop devices. This is becoming the only tool for running retargeting campaigns using first-party data.

 

It is a tool aligned to the new preferences of users. All that is needed for an eCommerce to send hyper-personalised push notifications in real-time is that the visitor opts-.in to push notifications from the website.

Web Push notifications opt-in process by Frizbit

 

With this channel, it’s possible to retarget users through every step of their shopping journey while respecting the privacy and data of users and also being competitive in the digital ecosystem.

 

We can conclude that collecting data from visitors and providing personalised experiences will represent a complex challenge. However, at Frizbit, we believe that adapting to the new strategies as early as possible will bring positive results to any business in the long term.

 

Lastly, we would like to thank everyone who took part in this experience and made it possible for the event to be quite insightful for everyone attending. Special thanks to our co-organisers Jevnet and Áticco Working Spaces for their collaboration and continuous support.

 

If you missed the event and want to catch up with the latest digital marketing strategies and tools using first-party data, the replay of the session is available here.

 

We hope to see you around next time!

On the 18th of February, we organised the second meetup of this year about: ‘How to Use Push Notifications on your Website as a Growth Channel’. In this meetup, Ata Gür introduced us to the new digital marketing channel ‘web push notifications’ (a.k.a. browser push notifications), explained the best practices on how to use them and have an automated retargeting channel to recover conversions without spending any budget on advertising.

It was great to see the interest and engagement that everyone showed during the presentation. Next to that, it was nice to see how new contacts were made during the networking session. We recorded the full-length video of the presentation.

We also made a gallery of pictures of the event. You can check them out below.

We hope to see you at the next event!

On the 17th of December, after a two year break, we organised our second meetup: ‘How to Get Value out of your Stubborn Freemium Users’. Mark Smit, CMO at ModelManagement.com, showed us a real-time growth hack on how to convert those stubborn freemium users.

After Mark’s presentation, people had the opportunity to network while having drinks and some food. It was awesome to see all the CMO’s, Digital Marketers, Product Managers and many more professionals come together to listen to Mark, ask him questions and network with each other.

Check out some of the pictures that we made below:

We hope to see you at the next event!

On the 28th of January, we organised our first meetup event of this year. Juliana Turnbull took us through the different essential elements of SEO and showed us some elements that we can implement within our WordPress CMS. After the presentation, people had the opportunity to network with each other along with a beer and some snacks.

CEOs, founders, marketers and other professionals attended the event. It was great to see so many people showing up. We would like to thank everyone that attended and Juliana Turnbull for speaking at the event.

We have made a gallery of the pictures that were made during the event. Check them out below.