Cookies are a feature used by a lot of sites, sometimes unbeknown to the visitor, that have previously caused some confusion amongst site-surfers, and as a marketing and digital strategy agency something we get asked about a lot.
Since the early days of the web a lot of sites opted to use cookies to “assist” customers on their site. A cookie, for those you you staring blankly at the screen, is element built into a website which remembers (and stores!) information that visitors enter onto their site. The most common being on e-commerce platforms; imagine you’re adding things to your basket and then accidentally close the browser. If you were to go back to that webpage and your basket was still there with your items then that website development uses cookies which stored the information for you.
It seems innocent enough but like most things digital it does have a number of associated security risks – especially for those that make purchases on public computers! But fear not, the powers that be have recognised potential risks and have now changed the law accordingly.
The use of cookies up until now could be done silently with the visitor none the wiser. No more. If you wish your website design and development to include the use of cookies, you now have to inform your visitors that cookies are used and give them the option of continuing. This gives people more control over who stores information on them and who doesn’t.
If you would like more information about the effect of the cookie law on your site then please get in touch.
