Every company, every business, regardless of the area in which it operates and the product it offers, is focused on the effectiveness and profitability of its investments. This is a measure of success. The more precise this measure is, the more strategic flexibility is possible.
However, estimating the ROI of an online business is no longer as simple as it used to be. The traditional method of using a web-based pixel to send information about your customers to analytical platforms is no longer as effective as it used to be. The ever-increasing number of ad blockers, browser security protocols, and the tightening of privacy policies impose restrictions on this method.
Using server-side tracking is the answer to almost all the mentioned problems. Here are the best server-side tracking tools to increase the ROI of your business with the least effort.
1. Server Google Tag Manager Container
A server Google Tag Manager container processes tracking requests on your own servers, rather than executing multiple scripts in the browser. It can be hosted on Google Cloud Platform by default, or you can choose a third-party hosting solution. Whatever your choice is, using a server GTM container increases the ROI of your business by recovering the conversions lost due to ad blockers and ITP restrictions, which can be as much as 15-30% more complete data volumes.
The advantages of using this tool include:
- First-party data ownership, where your customer data is stored on your own servers.
- Improved data quality, where the data is enriched on the server before it is sent to Google Analytics, Google Ads, Meta, etc.
- Ability to bypass browser extensions that block third-party cookies and scripts.
- Improved privacy compliance through IP anonymization and data filtering prior to processing.
2. Stape
Stape.io is an all-in-one B2B SaaS platform that offers managed hosting services for server GTM containers, as well as dedicated gateways for Meta Conversions API, Google Ads, TikTok Events API, and Snapchat Conversions API. Pricing plans it has are generally cheaper and more packed than those of the competitors. The platform is quite beneficial in terms of ROI, as it automates the complex infrastructure required for server-side tracking. Additionally, Stape is GDPR compliant through European hosting services and data anonymization. The configuration process is simple and clear; it does not require ongoing maintenance once everything is configured and tested.
Key advantages include:
- Fully managed server GTM hosting with autoscaling during traffic spikes like Black Friday or campaign launches.
- Pre-built gateways that simplify integrations with major ad platforms for precise attribution across multiple touchpoints.
- Power-ups, including Custom Loader to bypass ad blockers, Cookie Keeper to extend cookie lifetime, Anonymizer for privacy compliance, and many others.
- User-friendly onboarding and detailed documentation on how the platform works and how to configure tools and features used.
- Built-in debugging tools, request logs, and real-time performance tracking to monitor your data analytics pipeline.
- Ability to manually configure existing configurations.
3. Addingwell
Addingwell is a European-based server-side tracking platform that offers managed hosting services for Google Tag Manager server containers. Addingwell is quite strong in terms of GDPR compliance and data privacy. Many companies partner with it to increase their ROI, as this company ensures the functionality of the data analytics pipeline under European privacy regulations while ensuring the accuracy of tracking.
Key advantages include:
- EU-based infrastructure that supports GDPR compliance and keeps raw data within European borders.
- Simplified setup process for businesses transitioning from client-side to server-side tracking.
- Supports major analytics tools and ad platforms, including GA4, Meta, and Google Ads.
- Transparent pricing structure that helps in marketing costs planning and ROI calculations.
4. Littledata
Littledata is a server-side tracking platform that is specifically tailored for Shopify stores. It allows for automatic connections to Google Analytics 4, Google Ads, Meta, and other platforms. Online businesses stick to Littledata as it reliably collects the data on the customer journey, which is often an issue with traditional client-side tracking.
Some of the advantages of using Littledata include:
- Native Shopify integration, which may be easier to implement compared to other platforms.
- Automatic tracking of online events such as add-to-cart, checkout, and purchase events.
- Server-side connections for accurate data collection despite browser restrictions on traditional tracking pixels.
- Built-in customer value tracking to record the average over time.
5. Taggrs
Taggrs is a European server-side tracking platform that offers server GTM hosting with a focus on simplicity and speed. It maximizes ROI by saving time and effort in implementing server-side tracking. At the same time, it allows for accurate measurement of marketing investments for all channels.
Key advantages include:
- Quick setup process with server-side tracking running in hours rather than weeks.
- European hosting for better decision-making on data processing and compliance with the GDPR.
- Simple interface developed for marketers.
- Competitive and scalable pricing system.
6. Snowplow Analytics
Snowplow is an enterprise-grade behavioral data platform that allows organizations to collect, process, and warehouse event data under complete ownership and control. It can help generate higher ROI through the provision of strategic insights that can be used for advanced analytics and machine learning models.
Key advantages include:
- Complete ownership of the data, with all customer data stored in the chosen data warehouse, such as BigQuery or Redshift.
- Schema-based validation for the collection of high-quality, consistent data across all touchpoints.
- Real-time event streaming for the analysis of the collected data and the optimization of business processes.
- Flexibility in the creation of custom events and entities based on specific business decisions and ROI measurements.
7. Piwik PRO
Piwik PRO is a privacy-focused analytics platform that combines the features of a web analytics platform, a server tag management tool, and a customer data storage. It can help generate higher ROI for organizations that value privacy through the provision of accurate analytics. It is important to mention that it maintains compliance with regulations such as the GDPR and HIPAA.
Key advantages include:
- Consent management, which allows the tracking of customer behavior while ensuring that the tracking is compliant with regulations.
- EU and private cloud hosting, important for the storage of customer data in controlled environments.
- Audience segmentation, which allows the creation of target audience groups.
Conclusion
Having a clear understanding of ROI and what influences it is important for making strategic business decisions in digital marketing. When the conventional tracking setup is not able to track conversions properly, the overall decision-making suffers.
All the tools discussed above help to overcome this challenge by shifting the data collection process to a server environment. There, you are in control of the process, thus having complete data for your customers and improving investment planning based on your marketing needs. Thus, do not hesitate to switch to server-side tracking, as it is the future of data tracking and the key to long-term success.
