Tips to pitch server-side tracking to stakeholders

Server-side tracking is a data collection method that gathers user data from a website and routes it through a cloud server before transmitting it to third-party platforms. Shifting data processing from browsers improves accuracy and privacy. It also reduces data loss caused by browser restrictions and ad blockers.

Despite server-side tracking's effectiveness, getting stakeholders on board can still be tricky. In this article, we’ll share some helpful tips for making a strong case for server-side tracking.

In the age of ad blockers, browser restrictions, and data regulations, server-side tracking has become a handy solution for more accurate data tracking. Server-side tracking offers high data control and flexibility, which makes it a lifesaver for numerous businesses that want to track data while staying compliant.

Whether your stakeholders have a technical or marketing background, the key to successfully pitching server-side tracking is to focus on the business benefits and support your points with real-world examples.

Around 33% of users globally utilize ad blockers. Besides ads, they can also block Google Tag Manager tracking scripts and/or other tools. One common method that allows blocking involves targeting the gtag.js and gtm.js loading path and file name.

Server-side tracking can make tracking scripts more resilient to ad blockers. For instance, a Custom Loader alters the script loading path, making it much harder for ad blockers to detect and block them.

Browsers such as Safari, Firefox, and Brave have limits on the lifetime of third-party and even first-party cookies in some cases. The limitations aim to improve user privacy and reduce web tracking. For instance, with web tracking through Google Analytics, cookies are set by the domain https://www.google-analytics.com and typically last 1 or 7 days. If you're using server-side GA with a custom domain for your server-side Google Tag Manager (GTM) setup, the cookies can persist for up to 400 days.

Server-side tracking allows controlling what data is sent to analytics platforms. These platforms receive only the information configured in the server GTM container. The data can be easily anonymized to ensure no sensitive information is passed to third-party vendors.

When using web tracking pixels, you have no control over the data collected. Even data like a user's first and last name can be extracted. In contrast, server-side tagging gives you full control over the data shared with each vendor. They can only access the information you include in the request.

That's an increasingly important benefit due to data privacy regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, etc. To comply with them, you should strictly control when you collect information about your site visitors and to whom you share it. Server-side tracking lets you fully control data flow and the data you send to various platforms.

With server-side tracking, you can capture offline events such as phone orders and in-store transactions. This leads to more accurate measurement of the paid campaign performance and lets you keep all the data in one place.

Offline conversion tracking allows you to not rely on the pixel but to send the event and conversion data through webhooks or other methods to the server container.

These are among the most important benefits of server-side tracking worth mentioning when pitching to stakeholders. For the full list of advantages and detailed description of each, see our blog post on the server-side tracking benefits.

Besides outlining the benefits a business can gain from server-side tracking, it is also important to explain why these advantages can be implemented and how everything works behind the scenes.

So, server-side tracking works as follows: after gaining user consent, the data from the website is sent to a cloud server. Then, it is routed to third-party vendors and analytics platforms. The cloud server acts as a proxy between a website (or another data source) and external tracking tools. 

Server-side tracking business cases from real companies will prove the effectiveness of this configuration. For this purpose, you can use Stape's case studies. Below, we list some of the most popular case studies, but you can find more by following the link to the case studies category.

While presenting server-side tracking to stakeholders, specific practical challenges may arise, for example, the complexity of setup, the cost of implementation, and maintenance. In such cases, providing complete data on the available market options is crucial.

Today's market offers numerous easier options to set up server-side tracking only on specific platforms, and can be more cost-effective.

On the example with Stape, we provide the following server-side solutions:

Stape is a platform designed to make server-side tracking configuration and maintenance as easy as possible. As listed in the section above, we provide many services besides server hosting so that any business can find the right option for its needs.

Here are some of the reasons why the business can benefit from configuring server-side tracking with Stape:

1. We offer the lowest prices on the market. We have free plans for server hosting and Signals Gateway, and the paid plans start at $17/month for sGTM and Signals Gateway hosting. Gateways are even cheaper—they start at $8/ month. Our charging system is reasonable—we charge only based on the incoming number of requests, unlike Google Cloud Platform, which also charges for outgoing.

2. We provide 24/7 support, a community, and free courses. Those new to server-side tracking can easily pass the Stape Academy and configure server-side tracking. In case of any problems, we provide 24/7 support and have our own community where you can ask questions.

3. We develop unique technologies. We constantly create new features and power-ups that allow you to easily set up data and get the most out of it. Here are some of the popular solutions we offer:

4. Stape is the largest contributor to the tag library, with 80+ tags approved and added to the server GTM library. The tags, variables, and clients are essential for handy data tracking management.

These are some of the key points that make Stape stand out. For more benefits, please check our article on why there are no alternatives to Stape.

Pitching server-side tracking to stakeholders is challenging. To succeed, you need to point out the key benefits, such as accurate data tracking, high data control, and easier data regulation compliance. Backing up your points with concrete examples or evidence of how server-side tracking has led to more reliable data can strengthen your argument. We hope this article has helped you gather the key insights needed to present the case for server-side tracking effectively.

Stape can also help you pitch the idea to stakeholders. Feel free to contact us so that we can discuss your case and provide support in this process.