The Power of Server Side Tracking:

TESTIMONIAL

“From managing campaigns to bringing new possibilities to the fore, Wolfgang’s strategy still drives real growth, whilst maintaining strong ROAS levels. Their consistency, open communication and responsiveness, makes it seamless and a joy to work with.

Thanks folks for all your efforts!”

Mark Newcombe, Customer Acquisition Manager, Intersport Elverys

WOLFGANG DIGEST

Elverys, a leading sports retailer, was facing a significant challenge due to reduced visibility from Safari ITP and browser blockers. This was impacting their ability to effectively track and optimize their Facebook campaigns, in turn, driving CPCs up and CTRs down. The solution? Implementing server-side tagging with Facebook’s Conversion API to enhance targeting precision and increase ROAS.

CHANNELS

GROWTH

ROAS +52%

THE CHALLENGE

Elverys faced a significant challenge due to reduced visibility from Safari ITP and browser blockers. This was impacting their ability to effectively track and optimize their Facebook campaigns which was driving CPCs up and CTRs and ROAS (return on ad spend) down on the platform.

The solution? Implementing server-side tagging with Facebook’s Conversion API.

OUR STRATEGY

There were two implementations we needed to combine here.

1. Server side tagging - this shifts the tracking process from the client’s browser to the server, ensuring data is sent directly to the desired platforms without interference.

The benefits are:

Enhanced Data Accuracy: By bypassing browser restrictions, server-side tagging ensures more accurate data collection.
Improved Page Load Times: With fewer scripts running on the client's side, websites load faster, enhancing user experience.
Data Privacy Compliance: Server-side tagging aligns with data privacy regulations, ensuring user data is protected.

2. Facebook’s Conversion API (CAPI) - this complements server-side tagging. It allows businesses to send web events from their servers directly to Facebook, ensuring accurate conversion tracking, and overcoming limitations imposed by iOS 14+ on pixel-based tracking.

INNOVATION USED

Server side tagging is a new approach helping clients overcome recent changes which have impacted visibility and new expectations around data privacy.

We opted for a patient, phased approach to the server side tagging and Facebook CAPI roll out. This was to allow the systems to analyse the data and optimise for it. Rushing this ran the risk of inaccurate results.

Initial Observation Phase (28 days): Thorough observation of the metrics, focusing on Facebook (FB) Costs and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) revenue data over a 28-day period.
Implementation & Learning Phase (14 days): Following the initial observation, we implemented the Facebook Conversions API (CAPI) and entered a 14-day learning phase. This period allowed for system adaptation and data stabilisation.
Post-Implementation Analysis Phase (28 days): After the learning phase, we embarked on a 28-day analytical phase, scrutinising the updated Facebook costs and GA4 revenue figures to assess the impact of the changes.

While the data from the Facebook interface presented notably positive trends, it was essential not to rely solely on these numbers. For a holistic and realistic view, studied the GA4 interface. The figures here are more aligned with our business realities, primarily due to the GA4 attribution model, which offers a comprehensive view of customer interactions and more accurate revenue attributions.

BUSINESS GROWTH

After adopting Facebook CAPI, Elverys saw a 52% ROAS increase in GA4 and a 245% boost in the Meta interface. Enhanced tracking allowed for more informed marketing decisions and improved ad targeting. Server-side tagging alongside Facebook's Conversion API effectively overcame traditional tracking issues, greatly enhancing ROAS and marketing efficiency.

+52%

ROAS: 28-days pre vs 28 days post implementation