Having cookie consent options on your website is becoming more important

While browsing the internet, you’ve probably noticed that more websites have popups and banners that mention tracking and recording tools, such as cookies. Known as a “cookie notice” or a “cookie banner,” this type of notification gives online visitors the power to protect their privacy. With more data privacy laws being adopted, it’s worth learning about these cookie consent notices to determine if you should add one to your website.

Breaking down the basics: What is a cookie, and what is a cookie notice?

In the digital world, a cookie isn’t a delicious treat. It’s a small text file that contains little pieces of unique data. When you’re online, this data moves between a website and your browser to identify you.

Some cookies remember your username and password for a site or an app (authentication cookies). Others serve to record your web usage (tracking cookies). With the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), tracking cookies have become an area of concern for online privacy. In response, more websites have been giving users the option to give cookie consent.

This option appears as a cookie notice on a website. It is a banner or popup that is both a notification and a potential agreement.

• As a notification, the cookie notice provides vital information about the types of cookies that a site uses and why. It also explains what data the cookies are collecting.
• As an agreement, the popup allows website users to decide if they want to opt out of certain non-essential cookies.

Basically, this little message informs site users and empowers them to make decisions about how a website tracks them.

How should your website handle cookie consent?

As a healthcare marketing agency, we’ve been monitoring developments in the online privacy landscape. The biggest regulations in this area are GDPR in the EU and the CCPA in California.

If your practice is covered by either of these laws, a notice that allows your site visitors to opt out of certain cookies can be a good idea. Unsure if your practice is covered? We recommend asking your attorney for the most accurate advice.

This type of notice can do more than just help you comply with privacy laws. Allowing your visitors to provide (or deny) cookie consent can build trust and enhance your brand’s reputation as one that’s committed to privacy.

If you want to add a cookie consent notice to your website, we can help you explore your options for the design and language of this notice. Our team can also show you both free and paid versions of a cookie notice, so that you can find the right one for your needs. Contact us to learn more.