The next few months will bring lots of travel for the Stilwell family. A wedding in Chicago, business trips, a new grandbaby in Missouri, and an “empty nester” long weekend on the beaches of Florida are on the horizon. All these trips mean lots of research about where to stay, how to get there, and what to do once we are there. I don’t always log in to a travel website when I am planning my vacation, so unless a travel brand has a way to recognize my anonymous visit, it could assume I am my college-age daughter or my octogenarian father-in-law. The offers served to me could easily miss the mark. Even though I haven’t authenticated, I’d still like relevant offers. 

As virtual, often anonymous interactions become the norm, travel brands need innovative ways to connect with people, particularly people who may become their best customers. Imagine being able to tailor your travel website’s content, offers, and services to individual preferences, even when you do not know who is on the other side of the screen. This is the power of recognizing anonymous site visitors. Let’s delve into why that matters so much for travel marketers and look at how to make it happen.

A very high percentage of your travel website visitors are likely anonymous. How do you make those website visits a win for your guests without knowing them? For years marketers have used cookies that allow websites to remember preferences and behaviors. Utilizing cookies provides insights into people’s browsing history and interests. That, in turn, informs marketing.

But cookies, at least the third-party variety, are soon to be history.  Android and iOS already restrict their use, and Google has announced that it will retire them in the second half of 2024. So, what does that mean for you as marketers? How can you understand campaign effectiveness? How can you personalize website interactions? How do you understand, for instance, why people may get deep into the funnel on your site yet still abandon their session? 

Well, necessity being the mother of invention, there is a solution that can help your brand, in real time, understand who is on your website and, within milliseconds, allows you to engage in a more customized and personal way without relying on third-party cookies.

By using a first-party tag, you can match the IP address against a Zip11, utilizing hundreds of demographic and behavioral data points to know more about what matters to the household. That means you can provide, in real time, a more compelling offer and a better experience. During this period of transition, you can phase in this first-party cookie strategy and start accessing and learning, comparing current measurement and attribution efforts against this new brand-owned and managed capability. 

In addition, your owned media (website, apps, blogs, social media, channels, and emails) should always have a first-party tag you own and control to capture anonymous and known visitors to feed back into your first-party graph. This pseudonymous graph removes any doubt about who knows the most about your website visitors – you do! This first-party tag ensures you never have to relinquish control of your most valuable asset, your customer information, to a third party.

Once you can recognize your site visitors, what does that enable? Travel brands win or lose in large part due to customer engagement and must up their game to retain loyal travelers and win new ones. In the post-COVID environment, we are seeing many new travel segments such as “bleisure” travelers who tack on a few days of leisure to the end of a business trip, or digital nomads who can now work remotely from anywhere. How can you capture the attention of these new travel segments and turn them into loyal customers? 

1. Tailored content delivery

By better understanding your anonymous site visitors, travel brands can anticipate their interests and present personalized, relevant content that resonates. This can lead to longer engagement, increased chances of conversion, and better customer experiences. 

2. Dynamic user experience

Imagine a website that adjusts its layout, navigation, and design based on the inferred preferences of each visitor. This level of dynamic interaction enhances user satisfaction and makes navigating the site more intuitive and enjoyable. 

3. Effective lead generation

Knowing the interests of anonymous visitors allows travel brands to strategically place lead generation forms, offers, or promotions that are more likely to capture the visitor’s attention. This not only boosts conversion rates but also effectively nurtures potential leads.

4. Reduced abandonment rates

Understanding when and why visitors abandon their journey through the website funnel can lead to targeted improvements in those areas, thus reducing those rates and increasing the chances of conversion. Also, having the ability to remarket to those who have dropped off your site without fully engaging can drive huge dividends.

Recognizing anonymous site visitors can undoubtedly personalize the customer experience, but it’s crucial to strike a balance between personalization and privacy. Clear communication about data usage, opt-out options, and compliance with data protection regulations are essential to building trust with your audience and help ensure they understand the value exchange. Working with partners that put consumer data privacy at the forefront ensures your brand hits the mark with both privacy compliance and customer satisfaction.

As technology advances, recognizing anonymous site visitors will become more sophisticated and seamless. Artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities are expected to play a significant role in deciphering visitors’ behaviors and preferences, leading to even more accurate personalization. Smart marketers are starting to take advantage of these capabilities now. Layering AI and ML with pseudonymous recognition will enable your brand to continue to weave a clear picture of your best customers, allowing you to exceed expectations and build brand loyalty.

I am excited about my upcoming travels and cannot wait to see how the travel brands I engage with continue to surprise and delight me. 

By harnessing data and technology responsibly, these brands can bridge the gap between virtual interactions and real-world connections, ultimately redefining the way travel brands engage with customers and create loyal and lifelong relationships.