How to Prepare for a Cookie-less Future

Written By: Cheryl Paiero

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It’s been in our ears for a few years now; a cookie-less future. While Google has put this off a couple of times, they have announced that by the end of 2024, Chrome will stop the use of third-party cookies. This means businesses need to start preparing now.

What are cookies?

Cookies are pieces of data that websites leave on a users’ browser. Some of these cookies are considered essential while others are considered non-essential. 

Essential cookies are also known as first-party cookies. These cookies are stored on a users’ browser directly from the website or domain they are visiting. First-party cookies help websites work properly and enhance the user experience by performing functions such as retaining login information or remembering what a user puts in their shopping cart.

Non-essential cookies are also known as third-party cookies. These cookies typically contain a unique identifier that can be linked to a specific person, meaning that these cookies qualify as personal information under data privacy laws. These are also the cookies advertisers have been relying on with the use of tracking pixels such as the Meta Pixel or LinkedIn Insights Tag.

What does this mean?

In a third-party cookie world, advertising platforms were able to collect data from users on their off-platform activities. This allowed them to build a large profile of people by knowing what other websites they went to, their shopping behaviours, search queries, etc. This was incredibly helpful when it came to advertising across platforms because they had a ton of data on their users.

Now, advertising platforms are going to have to only rely on their on-platform behaviours for audience targeting as well as any additional first-party data the advertiser gives them to use, such as website visitors, contact lists, e-newsletter lists, etc. The removal of third-party cookies is going to make targeting audiences with digital advertising more challenging.

How to prepare for a cookie-less future?

In moving to a cookie-less future, businesses will need to shift their digital strategies to focus on obtaining first-party data (data that the business owns). Not only that, they will need to ensure they aren’t violating any privacy laws when they do so. Some ways to prepare for the cookie-less future are:

• Ensuring that your business’s website has a privacy policy.
• Including a website pop-up asking visitors to allow cookies.
• Ensuring conversion tracking events are set up correctly in analytics (if using.)
• Getting direct integrations with advertising platforms set up.
• Including lead generation in marketing strategies.

Preparing for the cookie-less future can be overwhelming, but our team at Jelly is here to help. From analytics tracking to digital advertising, our digital ads team possesses the knowledge and tools to ensure your business is ready for the cookie-less future.