Cookies
Cookies are information files stored on the computer by the visited website to identify users' browsing experience. This is done so that information or preferences provided in a previous session can be easily remembered when users revisit the website.
Cookies are used on almost every website. They are created when a user first visits a website. The web server sends a short information flow and a registration request to the web browser. When the user returns to this site in the future, the web browser converts this data into a cookie format and sends it back to the web server.
Cookies principally keep records of hardware data, shopping cart information, passwords, account numbers, IP addresses, language preferences, the number of visits to the website and similar information. Cookies are stored in a file on user's devices. For example, Google Chrome stores all cookies in a file labeled "Cookies". Chrome users can view the cookies stored by the browser by clicking on the "Cookies" tab here. It has two copies, one on the computer and one on the website.
Information recorded by cookies and user activities are examined to make improvements on the website. Thus, a customized experience for users is developed. At the same time, this information is analyzed by website analysis programs such as Google Analytics, and this provides information about which pages are visited the most, how much time visitors spend on specific pages, and many other statistics about users' behavior on the websites. This valuable data contributes to improvements in marketing strategy.
E-commerce websites use cookies to know what products are in users' shopping carts and which products they have purchased in the past. Or, a comprehensive content site uses cookies to remember the contents you viewed in the past. Some sites utilize cookies to remember your login information and to authenticate.
What are the Types of Cookies?
Not all cookies perform the same function. Each existing type of cookie has different types for different scenarios. They all have different coding structures and tasks.
In general, there are two types of cookies. These are divided into two categories as session cookies and persistent cookies.
1. Session Cookies
Session cookies are temporary cookies that are only used while browsing the website and located in the computer's temporary memory. They have a certain usage period. They are never stored on the hard drive. They are used solely to help remember the pages previously visited. They are removed automatically when the user leaves the site.
2. Persistent Cookies
Persistent cookies are cookies that stay in the subfolder of the computer for a long time. This cookie reactivates when the website is visited. Persistent cookies are used for identity verification and tracking. It contains important information such as how many times the user has logged into that website before, under what name they registered, and password.
Other Types of Cookies
Essential Cookies
It is necessary to accept these cookies to navigate on the website. They must be used to open an account, log into the account, navigate the website, and make transactions.
Essential cookies cannot be used for marketing activities. Cookies continue to be stored on the computer and are remembered when the application is returned to. They are stored until deleted.
Advertising Cookies
Advertising cookies are cookies used by a third party to advertise and customize web content and to gather information about visitors during your visit to the website.
They collect information from the websites you visit and share this information with institutions. On the basis of this information, ads that interest you will appear in front of you. Although these ads target you through your cookies, your actual identity is not disclosed. Advertisers use these cookies on their sites to better target ads.
What Do Cookies Do? / What are Cookies Used For?
With the development of technology, it has become important to know what users are doing on the website they visit, how much time they spend, which products they review and even which credit cards they use. Therefore, cookies have become frequently used on websites.
Of course, cookies do not have a single use. Cookies generally collect information such as a user's search activity, purchase history, username and password information. What do cookies do?
1. Session management: Cookies help associate things the server needs to remember such as session information, shopping carts, preferred products, last viewed products, with the user.
When a user logs into a website, the server sends a session identification cookie to the client. Once the user completes the login process, their identity is verified and they can access important information previously recorded.
2. Personalization: Personalization is the process of creating a tailored experience for visitors on a website. Cookies, by helping a website "remember" user actions, enable the website to customize the user experience.
The personalization goes beyond customizing the content, it shapes all web pages and other elements that make up the website according to statistics and predictions. User preferences, themes and language settings can be given as examples. Thanks to cookies, the content the user is interested in is remembered and the related content is presented to the user.
3. Tracking: Tracking cookies are used to track users' web browsing habits, browsing histories, products searched for, and what is in the shopping cart. With this information, users' interests are determined and when browsing different sites, ads related to the product they previously examined are presented.
They are also used to constantly monitor the usability and performance of the website. They help confirm whether the website is working as expected for end users and notify you if any issues arise in the performance of your website.
