7 First-Party Data Strategies to Get More Customer Insights

Performance

Campaign Strategy

By Colin Campbell

Head of Content @ Pixis

As online privacy rules tighten and third-party cookies are phased out, B2C marketers are being forced to rethink how they connect with customers. Instead of relying on outside data sources, the focus is shifting to building direct relationships and learning from the data customers share with you.

First-party data (information that customers willingly share through interactions, such as purchases, email sign-ups, and on-site behavior) is more accurate, more actionable, and often a better predictor of intent. When used well, it allows marketers to deliver more relevant experiences, sharpen personalization, and optimize campaign performance at every stage of the funnel.

In this article, we’ll explore seven proven strategies for collecting, enriching, and activating first-party data so you can uncover deeper insights, drive stronger engagement, and future-proof your marketing efforts.

What is First-Party Data?

First-party data is information you collect directly from your audience through your own channels, like websites, apps, emails, and in-store systems. Because it comes straight from your customers, it’s your most valuable and reliable data source.

First-party data is integral in performance marketing, where direct attribution and precision targeting help drive results. Having accurate, customer-sourced data allows marketers to deliver personalized experiences, optimize campaigns, and measure outcomes with greater confidence. This foundation is what makes strong first-party data strategies so important for modern marketing success.

It differs from second-party data (shared through partnerships) and third-party data (purchased from external sources with no direct customer relationship).

Most companies already gather first-party data across multiple touchpoints: website analytics, CRM systems, mobile apps, loyalty programs, surveys, email engagement, social media interactions, and point-of-sale systems. Together, these sources offer a well-rounded view of customer behavior and preferences.

With third-party cookies disappearing and privacy laws tightening, first-party data is required for strong personalization.

Three major trends are accelerating the shift:

Google’s phaseout of third-party cookies
Apple’s iOS tracking restrictions
Expanding regulations like GDPR and CCPA

A strong first-party data strategy helps you:

Deliver more personalized experiences
Build lasting customer trust
Maintain legal compliance
Improve data accuracy
Reduce long-term marketing costs

Statistics support this shift. According to McKinsey, 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated when this doesn't happen. Companies that excel at personalization generate 40% more revenue from those activities than average players.

First-Party Data Strategies

First-party data only matters when you know how to collect, organize, and use it intelligently to create a personalized customer experience. These strategies will help you get maximum value while staying compliant and building trust.

1. Optimize Website and App Data Collection

Your digital properties are perfect for collecting behavioral data. To make the most of them:

Set up analytics tools like Google Analytics 4 or Piwik PRO to track user journeys.
Install tracking pixels to capture specific conversion events. (Note: GA4 makes it harder to view individual user journeys out of the box, so be sure to enable enhanced measurement and configure events thoughtfully.)
Incorporate event tracking for critical user actions to understand customer intent.
Create thoughtful cookie consent management that balances compliance with data needs.
Improve your form design to increase completion rates while capturing valuable information.

Make sure you capture both explicit signals (form submissions) and implicit signals (browsing behavior) for a complete view of customer interests.

Heineken UK illustrates how this works. It used website data to create targeted, local marketing campaigns that boosted engagement and sales. By analyzing browsing patterns, it delivered more relevant messages to specific customer segments.

2. Create Value-Exchange Programs

Customers are more willing to share their information when they receive something meaningful in return. These programs can be powerful tools for list-building and fueling email remarketing, both essential to performance marketing success.

To design an effective value-exchange strategy:

Launch loyalty programs that reward users for sharing preferences or behaviors.
Offer exclusive content, early access, or tailored product recommendations in exchange for profile data.
Use progressive profiling to gather information over time, avoiding long, intimidating forms. Tools like Typeform or Clearbit can help you personalize interactions without overwhelming the user.
Clearly communicate how sharing data benefits the customer, whether it’s more relevant offers, faster support, or a better overall experience.

These programs turn data collection into a mutually beneficial exchange—and help you build high-intent, re-engageable audiences at scale.

Starbucks exemplifies this with its rewards program. It collects purchase history to deliver relevant offers based on previous orders. Customers get better deals, and Starbucks gains valuable insights.

3. Integrate Customer Data Platforms

Breaking down data silos gives you a complete view of your customers. Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) bring together data from multiple sources, allowing for successful campaign orchestration. To integrate them:

Choose a CDP that works with your existing tech and grows with your business.
Create clear data governance to maintain quality and consistency.
Connect data from all touchpoints (website, app, email, CRM, point-of-sale).
Use unified customer IDs to track people across devices.
Set up automated data cleaning processes.

A properly integrated CDP provides actionable insights for personalized marketing. Tools like Pixis can help organize and manage data for better marketing efforts. Omni Hotels demonstrated this by using integrated data solutions that significantly boosted ad performance. The brand combined data from their website, booking system, and loyalty program to create targeted campaigns that outperformed its old approaches.

If you're just starting out, begin with simpler integration solutions before investing in complex platforms.

4. Incorporate Predictive Analytics for Personalization

To make first-party data even more powerful, apply predictive analytics and AI techniques that translate customer behavior into actionable insights. This drives sharper targeting, stronger engagement, and higher conversion rates; necessary outcomes for performance marketers.

How to get started:

Use machine learning to surface patterns in browsing, purchasing, and engagement behavior.
Build recommendation engines that suggest content or products based on individual preferences.
Apply predictive scoring models to prioritize high-value prospects and flag at-risk customers.
Deploy real-time personalization that dynamically adjusts messaging and content as users interact with your brand.

Predictive strategies work best when paired with robust performance measurement models like multi-touch attribution (MTA) or marketing mix modeling (MMM). These frameworks keep optimizations based on clear cause-and-effect insights, not guesswork.

Spotify demonstrates this with "Discover Weekly" playlists that analyze listening habits to recommend new music tailored to individual tastes. This drives engagement and loyalty by consistently delivering relevant content.

5. Use On-Site Behavior to Refine Customer Segmentation

Your website and app are rich sources of behavioral data that can power smarter segmentation and messaging. By analyzing how users navigate your site, what they click on, and where they drop off, you can uncover meaningful patterns and tailor your marketing accordingly.

To find these patterns:

Track page views, scroll depth, and time on page to gauge interest in specific topics or products.
Segment users based on repeat visits, purchase frequency, or content engagement.
Use behavioral triggers (like cart abandonment or product views) to launch targeted email or ad campaigns.
Combine this with demographic or purchase data for more nuanced segmentation.

Brands like ASOS have used behavioral insights to deliver highly relevant product recommendations and content, boosting conversions and customer retention. With the right tracking setup, this strategy turns everyday site activity into a powerful marketing advantage.

6. Cross-Channel Data Collection

Your customers interact with your brand across multiple touchpoints, so you need cohesive data collection to support your cross-channel marketing efforts. To achieve this:

Create a unified customer identification system that works across channels.
Use consistent data capture methods everywhere, adopting a data-agnostic approach.
Connect offline interactions (store visits) with online behavior.
Use QR codes, loyalty programs, and apps to bridge offline and online experiences.
Focus on the most impactful touchpoints based on customer journey mapping.

PepsiCo successfully implemented multi-channel data strategies for brands like Quaker Oats. It integrated data from social media, website interactions, and in-store purchases to create targeting that delivered strong ROI.

7. Compliance and Consent Management Systems

Strong privacy practices protect both your brand and your marketing performance. Data compliance failures can quickly lead to flagged, restricted, or banned accounts on major ad platforms, putting campaigns and customer acquisition at risk.

To build privacy into your data strategy:

Use consent management platforms to properly capture, store, and manage user permissions.
Write data policies in clear, straightforward language that explains what information is collected and why.
Offer preference centers that let users control how their data is used.
Assign clear ownership for data governance within your organization to maintain accountability.
Run regular privacy audits to stay aligned with evolving regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and others.

Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) is a strong example of how giving users control over their data can deepen trust and create a brand advantage.

Privacy-centered marketing strengthens customer relationships and keeps your campaigns running smoothly. When customers trust how their information will be handled, they are more willing to engage and share meaningful data.

Mistakes to Avoid in Your First-Party Data Strategy

When adding a first-party data strategy, several common pitfalls can derail your efforts. Being aware of these mistakes will help you build a more effective approach.

Over-Collecting Data Without Purpose

Gathering too much data without a clear strategy leads to analysis paralysis. Many companies collect everything possible, then struggle to find what's valuable. Define specific business objectives first, then determine what data you need. This targeted approach reduces compliance risks and makes your data more actionable.

Poor Data Hygiene Practices

When you neglect data maintenance, you compromise the reliability of your insights. This includes keeping duplicate records, not updating old information, and inconsistent formatting. Set up regular data cleaning processes and standardize formats to keep your first-party data trustworthy.

Siloed Data Systems

When your customer data is stored in disconnected systems, you can't create a unified customer profile. This fragmentation prevents understanding the full customer journey. Invest in integrated data platforms that give teams access to a single source of truth.

Not Closing the Feedback Loop

You might collect customer preferences but never act on them. This wastes data and damages trust. When customers share information, they expect personalized experiences in return. Create processes to turn data insights into meaningful experiences that show you're listening.

Insufficient Transparency

Unclear data practices destroy customer trust. Consumers are increasingly concerned about how their data is used. Be crystal clear about what data you're collecting and how you'll use it to benefit customers.

Weak Governance and Security

Poor security and governance put your first-party data at risk. Create comprehensive policies for data access, usage limits, retention periods, and protection measures.

By avoiding these mistakes, you'll build a stronger foundation for your first-party data strategy that respects privacy, maintains quality, and delivers business results.

Final Thoughts

As privacy expectations grow and third-party tracking fades out, first-party data offers a smarter, more responsible way to connect with your audience. When you focus on the information customers choose to share, like what they browse, buy, or sign up for, you get clearer insights into what matters to them. These insights help you create more relevant campaigns, build stronger trust, and stay in line with privacy laws. First-party strategies are a better, more sustainable way to market. The earlier you start building them into your approach, the more prepared you’ll be for the future.