Server-side: “tagless” data collection and processing for faster and safer websites

Server-side tag management involves executing tags on the actual server, rather than on the browser. The upshot is that it reduces the number of calls from the browser and turbocharges webpage loading times, while improving the security and confidentiality of the data collected. 

Unified tag collection for enhancing the customer experience 

The most common approach for managing tags involves collecting and processing user data before sending them to partners and third parties directly from the browser. This is the approach used by all the solutions that you probably work with on a daily basis. The higher the number of tags, the more their execution will affect page loading times and therefore the quality of the user experience and sometimes even the conversion rate. Several studies have shown that longer page loading times equate to higher bounce rates – up to 90% for a loading time in excess of five seconds. Since last year, Google has been hammering on about the urgent need to improve loading times in an effort to continue improving the uptake of e-commerce.

The so-called server-side approach is all about unified data collection on a server instead of on the browser, and then processing the data before sending them to partners. The server-side strategy eliminates the need for countless calls to partners from the browser and requires just a single query to the server, which will subsequently process, adapt and divide the data among the different partners.

Since this technology reduces the volume of scripts needed on websites, it helps ramp up page loading times, whether on the web or in mobile environments, while enhancing the user experience. In addition, it offers a far superior level of security and confidentiality by making the data invisible (tracking ID, etc.), whereas they are publicly exposed and accessible in a browser-side approach. 

Server-side TagCommander: tried-and-tested expertise and reinforced security

During the summer, Google launched its premium server-side solution called Google Tag Manager (GTM), which represents the ideal opportunity to share TagCommander’s expertise, since our server-side solution has been available for several years and is used by world-leading businesses to accelerate their page loading times and avoid the risks introduced by JavaScript. The customer experience is vitally important for several brands, and server-side is the key to improving performance in both mobile environments and on the web, with much higher gains for the brands working with our company.

The server-side approach eliminates the obstacles and failures that often plague browser-side tags (network problems, ad blockers, cascading tags, etc.), which can make data up to 30% more reliable and complete when comparing reports for both solutions.

Drawing on its expertise in tag collection and management, Commanders Act offers a powerful and proven server-side solution that complies with applicable European regulations. If this topic makes sense for your business, feel free to talk about it with our teams !