Your Online Resource Centre
Internet Marketing Cookie Conflict
By: JohnScott Dixon
Over the summer 2006, a really cool application was launched by our friends at Google: Browser Sync. It enables me to maintain the organization of my Firefox Browser bookmarks within tab folders across all of the computers I use (see my Web 2.0 Quick List blog). It also syncronizes my cookies and passwords for easy recognition and access to the sites I use frequently. This is a wonderful organizational enhancement as it allows me to perfect the use of my browser from any of my computers. However, from an Internet marketer's perspective, it will cause some new issues/opportunities.
EXAMPLE:
We have a client that is very interested in the Operating System used by each visitor to their website. In particular, when a Mac O/S visitor arrives, they would like present them with relevant information about their software and the Mac operating system (OS X). Once detected, that information is stored and accessed by the visitor's cookie upon subsequent visits. Here's the rub, if the visitor is using Google's Browser Sync and visits the site from their PC, the detected O/S will be a non-Mac OS (Windows XP, Linux, etc.). Does the existing O/S information get overwritten? What should happen?
We now have to create logic rules to govern whether we overwrite, ignore or append conflicting data accessed by cookies.
Is anybody else dealing with this issue? Any ideas? Please email your thoughts to info@thoughtlava.com.
John-Scott Dixon, President - ThoughtLava I have over a decade of experience managing and leading the Ecommerce efforts of medium and large companies. I have held sales, sales management, marketing, operations, IS/IT, legal and executive management positions in start-up to multi-billion dollar organizations. I have also served as an adjunct professor of Ecommerce for the MBA program of the University of Missouri. I led the Ecommerce initiative for Sprint PCS (PCS) and Sprint (FON) as Vice President of Ecommerce. I led the integrated marketing efforts for Insight (NSIT) as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Ecommerce. Today, I am the President of Thought Lava, an integrated marketing and Web strategy consulting company. We generate and direct the flow of creative ideas to develop Internet marketing strategies that increase revenue and reduce operational costs while supporting your brand. Contact us at info@thoughtlava.com or 877.567.LAVA to begin a discussion. |  |
