Why do YOU need a Cookie Audit?

Here’s an interesting thing to ponder: Complying with the new EU Cookie Law which comes into force at the end of May (26/05/2012) will cost you money. Is it just costly bureaucratic overkill – even worse – could it lose money for internet businesses? By highlighting web safety, including cookies (which are, after-all, little bits of code stored on a website users’ computer by a website) could we damage consumer confidence and effect internet sales? These are concerning thoughts. No-one wants to pay for something they don’t feel is necessary, nor do they want to lose money as consumers lose confidence in the method they use to operate their business.

Last week the respected industry publication Marketing Week suggested that complying with the new EU cookie law is actually a great opportunity to increase consumer trust in what your business does.  This article, and the debate surrounding it, has had me thinking.

On the face of it this is just the age-old marketing adage – ‘turn a negative into a positive selling point and spin’. Yet I keep coming back to the idea that they make a good point. It will soon be law to tell customers and users on your website all about the cookies you store on their devices. To my mind, the only way to see this is in a positive light. We have to comply and it’s not something we can change. Better to find the positives than dwell on the negatives (monetary and time costs being two significant downsides).

I’ve encountered several excuses that website owners could hide behind for not complying with the new law during my research for WDLs own Cookie Policy document:

Browsers should do it – it’s like a TV, it’s either off or on and the user chooses which; The ICO (Information Commissioners Office) acknowledges that browsers, going forward, should play their part. Browsers need to help consumers make informed choices about what cookies they allow to be stored on their devices in conjunction with website businesses being open and honest about the cookies they are using. So the people interpreting the EU Law for the UK know this argument, have thought about it, and aren’t buying it.

No-one is going to find and prosecute me, I’m only tiny compared to all the other internet businesses out there; – Don’t underestimate yourself or sell yourself short. Present your business well to consumers, as one that is considerate with their data and is completely open about the cookies it is storing on other peoples’ devices.

I’ll wait and see what happens before I take steps to comply because it’s all so confusing at the moment; It’s true – the guidelines, which have been in publication for a year now, are difficult to interpret. However, highly respected agencies, who have the interests of businesses in mind, have recommended that you take action.

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)  has published a report on compliance with the new EU cookie law which is easy to read and understand and gives clear guidelines telling businesses what their responsibilities are and what they can do to fulfil them. So there’s no excuse. Furthermore, why not be at the front of the queue to make the necessary changes and be the first to reap the benefits of increased trust from your site users?

What we can do for you:

Step 1: Contact us to discuss your options.

Step 2: Have a Cookie Audit completed for your website. We charge £100+ VAT for this service and will provide you with a report detailing all the cookies used on your website and the actions you need to take to be complaint with the law.

Step 3: Implement our recommendations. Once we have completed your Cookie Audit you are under no obligation to have us complete the work required to put your website on the right side of the law.

We will provide you with a competitive quote to write a Cookie Policy for you and make any code and content changes – the rest is up to you.

Emily

Once upon a time, in a faraway land (Portsmouth), Emily graduated in English Language in 1999 - the year made famous by Prince. In her varied career she has since scaled dizzy heights writing and editing web content, designing and creating web imagery and managing projects with design and development agencies. More recently she had children so didn’t work for a bit. She’s back now though…

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