Understanding Google Consent Mode V2 is essential for eCommerce stores to balance user privacy with effective data tracking. This article explains what Consent Mode V2 is, how it affects data collection, and why many online stores are seeing traffic drops. It also provides simple strategies to reduce these effects, such as improving cookie consent banners, enhancing user experience, and using tools like the Magento 2 Cookie Consent (GDPR) Extension.
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Read below guide to protect user privacy, stay GDPR-compliant, and maintain valuable insights to create personalized shopping experiences while minimizing traffic loss.
‘Consent’ and Compliance
On 7th March 2024, the EU Commission introduced its Digital Markets Act (DMA) as the European digital strategy clearly defined as “objective criteria to qualify a large online platform as a gatekeeper and ensures that they behave in a fair way online and leave room for contestability.” It means that in order to use Google Ads, one must implement Google Consent Mode V2. Let’s first understand Google Consent Mode V2, then its impact on online store traffic while delivering a personalized experience, and finally, strategies to overcome the effect of ‘Consent mode’ on traffic.
Google Consent Mode V2
Google Consent Mode V2 is designed to manage user consent for cookies and data collection. It enables site owners or admins to handle data tracking and analytics to modify them according to the user's preferences, privacy, and other data and regulatory compliances. Consent mode enables communication of the users' cookie or app identifier to understand the 'Consent Status' and share with Google Search to enable or disable data tracking. This consent status understanding enables 'Tags' to adjust their actions and behavior according to the users' preferences and respect their choices. The Consent mode gets users' consent choices from their cookie banner or widget and accordingly adapts the behavior of third-party tags, analytics, ads, and more that create or read cookies.
Google Consent Mode V2 and Data Loss: The Data Loss Happens
As the user disagrees with data sharing consent with Consent mode V2, then certain data loss occurs as data like site traffic, user interactions, Page time, conversions, and more will not be tracked. It results in a decrease in reported analytics data. Of course, some data through these events won’t be tracked as considering users’ preferences, privacy choices, and other compliances. The occurrence of data loss of Google Consent Mode V2 at the following events;
When the user prefers to deny consent for tracking of activity, interaction, and conversation, then the Google Consent Mode V2 alters tag behavior and limits the data collection and ultimately, specific interactions, activities, and conversations will be untracked and will create gaps in the data
Tags like Google Analytics and Google Ads follow user preferences, and if a user declines, they won’t collect and capture the data for the user’s session, resulting in a loss of data for that session
Sometimes, the consent is there, yet the data is used anonymously for privacy regulations. Then, there will be data loss as the data collected will have fewer details
Consent Mode V2 and Traffic Drop: Understanding the Reasons
After the introduction of Consent mode V2, the site owners, eCommerce store owners, and marketers are facing difficulties in capturing users' data and tracking their interactions and conversations. The privacy norms and data protection regulations with 'Consent mode' make it difficult for site owners to get into their users' behavioral analysis, which results in a drop in traffic to their sites and eCommerce stores. Let's understand the reasons for traffic drops and then discuss ways to fix them.
1. User Consent Requirements
A. Explicit Consent
With the use of Google Consent mode V2, it is necessary to get users’ explicit consent to track cookies and other browsing activities. If users decline consent or don’t interact with the consent banner, then Google Analytics won’t track their cookies and other browsing activities. Here, only the users who agreed or gave consent will be tracked, which results in a huge traffic drop
B. Opt-Outs
When users who prefer to ‘Opt-Out’ from tracking are not allowed to be tracked, and site owners won’t have an analysis of those users’ activities.
2. Delay in Data Recovery
Sometimes, the delay in data recovery occurs due to the time machine learning (ML) models take to adjust and adapt to the new terms for data collection losses the traffic. To successfully implement the Google Consent mode V2, Google’s machine-learning models need a period of 7 to 20 days to adjust and adapt the new data collection method with the ‘Consent mode’ reflecting a temporary drop in the site traffic.
3. Conversion Tracking Impact
The Google Consent mode V2 reflects conversion data discrepancies due to consideration of the users’ Consent status. It could be possible that it might not make up for the absence of direct tracking data, which may result in the initial drop in conversions and traffic data.
4. Technical Implementation Challenges
If the required tags and consent signals for ‘Consent mode’ are incorrectly set up, this may result in a discrepancy in data collection and a drop in traffic at the initial level.
These are the possible reasons behind the traffic drop with the use of Google Consent mode V2 for sites and eCommerce stores. Now, we can further discuss ways to fix this traffic decrease and drop in data collection due to the ‘Consent mode’ so site owners, eCommerce businesses, and marketers can address this concern, understand their user's behaviour, and improve their site performance by fixing the traffic drop.
How to Fix Consent Mode v2 Traffic Drop in Magento 2? - Strategies to Tackle Challenges
We have some effective strategies to overcome the challenges of Consent mode V2 and manage the traffic drop on your eCommerce store and sites.
1. Optimize Your Cookie Consent Banner
- Message – Define and elaborate the role of cookies to enhance the user experience (UX)
- Design and Placement – Give it an appealing look and place it appropriately without disturbing the experience
- Options – Offer users the simple and easy options to accept or personalize it
- A/B Testing – Try to test different versions to find the most acceptable version
2. Enhance Your Analytics Implementation
- Server-Side Tracking – Keep track of data users on the server side that gets missed or skipped because of consent restrictions or denial by the
- First-Party Data – Capture the first-party data from direct interactions like user registrations, surveys, and feedback
- Event Tracking – Try to track events and other activities to learn user behavior even with available limited data
- Data Layer - The data layer can be used to capture all the relevant information and forward it to the analytics tools
3. Enhance User Experience (UX) and Transparency
- User Education and Awareness – Make your users aware of the advantages of accepting cookies and its benefits to enhance their experiences
- Transparency – Always be transparent about what type of data is being captured and how it will be used for user benefits and performance enhancement
- Privacy Policy – Ensure privacy policy terms are updated and easy to access
- Feedback Mechanism – Follow a feedback process and facilitate users to give feedback based on their consent-sharing experience to improve further changes
4. Use of Alternative Tools
- Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) – Get help from Consent Management Platforms or CMPs to easily manage consents while adhering to the regulations and compliance.
- Privacy-Focused Analytics – The use of ‘privacy-focused analytics’ can be helpful; it works without using cookies.
- Tag Management Systems – Get help from any ‘tag management system’ to manage, deploy, and control tags according to the agreed consent. This Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Enhanced Ecommerce Tracking for Magento 2 Extension by MageDelight enables eCommerce site owners to enhance eCommerce conversion tracking. This seamlessly integrated tag management plugin helps site owners track user activities in real time on any Magento eCommerce store.
- Heatmaps and Session Recordings – With the help of ‘heatmaps and session recordings’ it is easy to learn and understand user behavior without using cookies
5. Expert’s Tip: Use of Cookie Consent Extension
Always check projections with the help of Google Search Console or take help from different analytics tools that prioritize user privacy.
One of the most effective and efficient strategies for overcoming the challenge of traffic drop due to Google Consent mode V2 is to take help from a ‘Cookie Consent Extension.’ A Cookie Consent Extension enables Magento eCommerce store owners and marketers to display simple, easy-to-understand, and more acceptable ‘Cookies Consent’ under applicable compliances and regulations.
Cookie Consent (GDPR) for Magento 2 by MageDelight is one of the effective and efficient extensions that help eCommerce brands and marketers to make their stores compliant for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and enable them to protect users' privacy and customers' data. It helps to create a 'Cookie Notice Module' adhering to the GDPR regulations to ensure users' consent before tracking their activities and data. With the help of this extension, eCommerce store owners can add a privacy policy and cookie consent checkbox to keep users' privacy intact and enable an easy and simple-to-initiate account deletion request for a better user experience.
Here, we have the features of this 'Cookie Consent Extension' by MageDelight.
- Customizable cookie consent popup banner
- Easy Installation with minimal configuration
- Make eCommerce store fully GDPR compliant
- Compatibility with Google Cookie Consent Mode V2
- Display privacy policy in a popup, new page, or frame
- Keep a record of customers who have accepted the privacy policies
- Restrict access to your store unless customers accept your cookie policy
- Disallow various customer actions unless a customer agrees with the privacy policy
- Create unlimited privacy policies with version numbers ascending in hierarchical order
Purpose-built to manage ‘Cookie Consent,’ this Cookie Consent (GDPR) for Magento 2 by MageDelight strengthens user privacy.
Let’s explore the features in detail that empower businesses to align with GDPR compliance and EU data protection regulations.
1. Seek Privacy Consent
Magento 2 Cookie Consent (GDPR) Extension enables customers and users to accept the privacy policy compulsory in order to place an order, register, contact you, or subscribe to your newsletter. Store owners can easily customize the privacy checkbox consent text and choose whether the policy should be displayed in a popup, frame, or on a new page via the Magento 2 Cookie Consent (GDPR) Extension.
2. Manage Privacy Policy Versions
Magento 2 Cookie Consent (GDPR) Extension enables store owners to create unlimited privacy policies according to their needs. All the policies you create can be managed based on their version. You can name the version hierarchy as you wish. In this extension, by default, only the latest or most recent policy version will remain active, and your customers will be prompted again to accept it
3. Enable Customers to Initiate Account Deletion Request
This Magento 2 Cookie Consent (GDPR) Extension enables your customers to easily initiate account deletion requests from their end. Once they do, you will be notified via email. You can approve or disapprove such requests with just a few clicks. Additionally, it helps you connect with them and understand their concerns with personalized offerings to retain them.
4. Send Account Deletion Emails for Approval
It enables the eCommerce store admin or owner to send and receive emails whenever a customer initiates an account deletion request for approval or disapproval. Plus, this Cookie Consent (GDPR) for Magento 2 Extension helps configure all the templates from the back end for more personalized communication.
5. Cookie Policy
eCommerce store owners can ask their customers' consent to use the cookie policy by displaying an elegant bar on the front end. Plus, they can customize the cookie bar's position, color, description, and button text to make it more visually appealing and accessible. Moreover, the cookie expiry date can also be prescribed easily. This feature will restrict users from accessing the website or eCommerce store unless they accept the cookie policy adhering to the EU's Privacy & Cookie Compliance.
The introduction of Google Consent Mode V2 was done to secure both users' and customers' privacy and safeguard their personal data. Nevertheless, the Utilization of 'Consent mode' restrains user tracking and the capacity to capture customer data for analytics, which is shown in the decrement of traffic. With the help of these strategies and Magento 2 Cookie Consent (GDPR) Extension, the Magento 2 eCommerce store owners and marketers can minimize the impact of Consent Mode v2 on traffic and keep valuable insights to learn about user behavior. eCommerce businesses are focused on experiences to deliver personalized offerings, experiences, and journeys, so the use of customer insights, their online shopping behavior, and other interactions are essential to crafting the desirable experience. Having prior consent to use their various data analytics helps to enhance their online shopping experiences.
Final Words
Google Cookie Consent Mode V2 has been developed for eCommerce store owners and marketers to manage user consent and handle the cookies and data collection for further personalized experience under applicable privacy and data protection compliances like GDPR. However, this may negatively impact traffic toward particular sites where users decline to give consent for tracking activities and data collection for analytics. Here, we have discussed Google Cookie Consent Mode V2, traffic drop, the reason for traffic drop, and strategies to overcome the impact of ‘Consent mode’ on any Magento 2 eCommerce store. With the help of these strategies and the Magento 2 Cookie Consent (GDPR) Extension, eCommerce businesses can enhance personalized experience, adhere to compliances and regulations, and thrive in the online shopping sphere.