Assessment of Skills and Knowledge(ASK) in Fundamental Marketing Concepts Practice Test

Why do some businesses' servers place a 'cookie' on a visitor's hard drive when the visitor accesses their website?

1. To eliminate theft

2. To ensure privacy

3. To protect data

4. To track usage

The correct answer is: To track usage

Cookies are small files stored on a user's computer by their web browser when they visit a website. The primary purpose of placing these cookies is to track usage patterns and user behavior on the site. This tracking helps businesses gather data on how visitors interact with their website, such as which pages are visited most often, how long users stay on those pages, and what products or services they might be interested in. By analyzing this data, businesses can improve their website's user experience, personalize content, and tailor marketing efforts to meet the needs and behavior of their audience. For instance, they might use the information to implement targeted advertising or to streamline the navigation process on their site, ultimately driving engagement and conversions. While cookies can have implications for privacy, data protection, and security, their primary function in the context of web analytics and business strategy is to enable the tracking of user activity.