You have probably acceptedcookiesfrom a website at some point, as almost all of them have a notice about it. These "cookies" are great allies for marketers, but they can raise suspicions about user privacy. Do you know exactly what they are and how to use them properly for your digital marketing?
Let's find out!
What is a cookie?
Acookieis a small file sent by a website and stored in the user's browser, allowing the website to check thebrowser'sprevious activity. This makes it possible to identify users who visit a website and keep track of their activity on it.
Now, a little history...
Cookies originated in 1994, when a Netscape employee set out to create an e-commerce site with a shopping cart that would store the user's favorite items. To avoid consuming too many server resources, he decided that the best way to manage this was to store the information on the user's computer... and as they say, the rest is history.
Types of cookies
- Session cookies: these are the most common and also the most short-lived, as they are deleted when the user closes the browser.
- Persistent cookies: unlike the previous ones, these cookies are not deleted when the browser is closed, but when they reach their expiration date or when the user deletes their browsing data. They are used to store information about a user's behavior on a website for a certain period of time.
- Secure cookies: This type of cookie is used exclusively in HTTPS connections and stores data in an encrypted format so that it is not vulnerable to attacks.
- Zombie cookies: their main feature is that they are stored on the device rather than in the browser, meaning they can be accessed regardless of which browser is being used. They are also capable of copying themselves after being deleted, and are often used for illegitimate purposes.
Cookies in marketing
Cookies have two mainfunctionsthat are extremely useful for marketers:
- Rememberingwhether a user has previously accessed a website inordertoact accordingly, for example, by not showing them content they have already seen several times or remembering their username and password.
- To learnabout the user's browsing habits, for example, to show them advertising related to their interests.
Cookiestherefore enable advertising that is better tailored to the interests and previous behavior of users and therefore has a greater chance of converting.
For visitors to a website, the use of cookies also has certainadvantages, such as offering them more useful content or facilitating navigation. But it also comes with some problems, such as concerns about online privacy.
Therefore, in order to use cookies appropriately, advertisers must always clearly explainwhat types of cookies they are using and what they are used for, and give users the option to reject them if they wish.
At anunciart, we give you the best tips for your company or business with the aim of helping you achieve your marketing goals.
