Affiliate Tracking Cookies at Risk! Jupitermedia
Cookie based tracking issues have been one of my top industry concerns for a long time. I have heard startling numbers about the percentage of sales that can’t be tracked due to various cookie issues – especially since spyware and privacy issues continue to be highlighted more & more in the news.
However I could never get my hands on a study that looked at the number of surfers who delete or block cookies until now. This is not good news!
The report found that as many as 39% of online users may be deleting cookies monthly and 44% of online users believe that deleting or blocking cookies will protect their privacy and enhance Internet security.
“Users Removing Cookies causes Trouble for Marketers”
http://www.threadwatch.org/node/1884
Jupiter Research Marketing Cookies Study
http://www.jupitermedia.com/corporate/releases/05.03.14-newjupresearch.html
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#1 Linda AKA Catalyst wrote on March 21, 2005 :
I have been meaning to come back and post some comments about this issue. But have not had time. Here is a comment on the Search Engine forums regarding a discussion I started on the issue over there.
Curt mentions part of the issue that has REALLY been bothering me. I was concerned when many of us were lobbying about the spyware and adware issues (trying to fight parasites) that the whole thing could backfire on us if certain people started classifying cookies as spyware.
From Curt:
“That’s because we got too many ignorant people saying bad things about cookies of which they do not really understand their nature. There’s so much misleading information out there that make cookies look dangerous when they are not dangerous. It all started back around 1997 with very old browsers not securing cookies from other domains. That problem has been fixed for a long time, but still the myths persist and new myths have been invented many by the anti-spyware companies themselves to promote their own product.
Rather than educate people about real spyware, they instead scare people into buying their spyware removers by including cookies in the same category as spyware. Of course almost all people have spyware if they classify cookies as spyware causing people to buy their products. Invent spyware where there is NO spyware in order to boost the bottom line.”
http://www.searchengineforums.com/apps/searchengine.forums/
action::thread/forum::affiliate-programs
#2 5 Star Affiliate Blogs, SEO Blog, Best New Affiliate Programs » Blog Archive » Some Better Tracking Cookie News wrote on April 19, 2005 :
[...] new Atlas research which shows users dont delete cookies as often as they say they do. The Jupiter Research cookie report I bl [...]
#3 fivekitten wrote on June 28, 2008 :
I know this is an old post – just want to add the comment that I delete my internet cookies and files every day so my internet loads faster and doesn’t lag. I feel bad if I clicked on anyone’s affiliate program and they didn’t get credit for it!