Why you don't need third-party data to personalize your website

If you ask 10 marketers, 8 will say third-party data is crucial for website personalization. That's just how the market operates today.

B2B marketers often rely on data enrichment tools like Clearbit, 6sense, and Demandbase, while B2C marketers look to social media networks and search engines for user interest data.

Although this approach is common, the idea that third-party data is the only or even the most effective way to personalize is a myth. In fact, first-party data can provide a far more effective and sustainable solution for website personalization.

Why marketers think they need third-party data

Marketers have long relied on third-party data to fill gaps in customer knowledge.

The idea is that data enrichment platforms provide critical insights – which brands don't have – about customer demographics, business profiles, or browsing habits that can be used to create targeted experiences. And they're not totally wrong.

Having as much data as possible about your customers is, indeed, essential for a successful marketing strategy. So, it is natural to think that website personalization wouldn't be possible without this.

However, while third-party data can provide an initial snapshot of potential customers, it is often outdated, generalized, and lacks the real-time relevance needed for meaningful real-time website personalization. This creates a dependency cycle where marketers feel they need more and more external data to keep up, often at the expense of their users’ privacy and trust.

Why relying on third-party data isn't sustainable

Third-party cookies are about to be deprecated for a reason. Privacy regulations such as the GDPR and CCPA were created to introduce strict limitations on how companies collect, store, and share consumer data because people are asking for this.

But these new privacy laws aren't the only reason not to rely on third-party data. The main one is that third-party data is volatile, often stale, or inaccurate by the time it’s collected and processed.

Marketers have no control over the quality or reliability of the information, which means personalization efforts based on third-party data can easily miss the mark. Worse, the very foundation of third-party data—mass data aggregation from disparate sources—is under threat from stricter regulations and rising user distrust.

Why first-party data is better

First-party data offers a powerful alternative that’s not only more sustainable but also more accurate and effective. Unlike third-party data, which is bought and often outdated, first-party data is directly gathered from your own users through their interactions with your website, apps, and content. This type of data is inherently more reliable because it’s rooted in actual, real-time user behavior.

Some of the major advantages of first-party data include:

• Real-time accuracy

  First-party data reflects what users are doing at the moment. You can use it to tailor content based on live interactions, such as the products users have clicked on, their browsing history, or even the geographic location from which they're accessing your site.

• Control and ownership

  You have full control over how you collect, store, and use this data. It’s not reliant on external vendors, and there’s no risk of it becoming suddenly unavailable due to changing privacy laws or the deprecation of third-party cookies.

• Trust and compliance

  With privacy laws tightening, relying on your own data helps ensure that your personalization strategies are compliant with regulations. First-party data is collected with the user’s consent, which fosters greater trust.

What kind of first-party data you can use

So, what types of first-party data can you leverage for website personalization? Let’s break it down:

• Behavioral data

  Actions users take on your website, such as pages viewed, items clicked, time spent, and forms filled out. For example, if a visitor frequently browses articles on a specific topic, you can highlight related content or resources tailored to their interest.

• Geolocation

  Knowing where your users are coming from can allow you to deliver location-based personalization. Whether it’s displaying region-specific promotions or automatically adjusting language settings, geolocation is a powerful tool.

• Traffic source

  Understanding where your users are coming from—organic search, paid search, social media, ABM campaigns, etc.— can help tailor their experience. For example, someone arriving from a paid ad might see a different offer than someone who found you through an organic search.

• Browsing history

  Another effective strategy is personalizing based on past visits. You can surface content or product recommendations based on what users have previously interacted with, creating a seamless and personalized browsing experience.

• User type

  Even if users are not logged in, you can still offer personalized experiences by segmenting visitors from customers.

How Croct helps you leverage first-party data

Croct enables you to maximize the potential of first-party data without relying on third-party sources. With Croct, you can deliver real-time personalization by gathering insights from users’ live interactions with your website.

Whether it's understanding where a user came from, what they’re looking at, or what they’ve done on previous visits, Croct empowers you to act on that information instantly, providing personalized content, offers, and experiences tailored to each user’s unique journey.

Moreover, Croct offers website personalization while ensuring full compliance with privacy regulations. This way, you can build trust with your audience while delivering the relevant, timely content they expect.

By shifting to first-party data, you not only gain a more accurate and trustworthy source of information but also future-proof your personalization strategies in an increasingly privacy-conscious world.

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