Peter Dunham, CTO and co-founder, Webgains

Since the EU ePrivacy Directive was passed earlier this year, how best to track conversions has been a hot topic amongst performance marketers.

With consumer online awareness on the rise, brands and agencies are facing new challenges when planning and executing digital campaigns. At the moment, cookies are still effective, as consumers are not rejecting them in full force, but future-proofing the way we track conversions in the performance marketing space is paramount.

In order to ensure performance marketing is really performing at its best, the technology net needs to be cast wider than just cookies. The good news is that there are other effective tools out there. It is important to note firstly that performance marketers, unlike advertisers, are less concerned about user profiling and more interested in tracking the device that made the final purchase.

Ultimately, we want to know if a conversion was prompted by an affiliate. Therefore, we have invested in device tracking technology, which works without cookies and has allowed us to see a tracking uplift of 10% from mobile devices.

So what exactly is device tracking? Unlike a cookie, which now needs a user’s consent before it is stored on an individual’s computer or smartphone, device tracking does not collect user profiles. In fact, it is not interested in the user at all.

What device tracking does is analyse the computer or device the final purchase was made from and compares similarities with the device that clicked through from the affiliate banner.

When analysing multiple different parameters to recognise devices, such as the browser, if enough similarities are detected, the affiliate receives a commission.

In terms of the benefits, brands that are concerned about compliance with the EU directive, while still looking to maintain conversions among affiliates, can be assured device tracking technology meets both criteria.

It can work alongside or without cookies, and also ensures programs attract high quality affiliates, that see the value in promoting their brand. By running a more future-proof and technologically advanced program, both affiliates and brands can work together to get those all-important conversions.