We previously discussed the new EU Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive, which will change the way that many ecommerce websites do business. The main change for you is that you will need to disclose the way that you use most types of cookies and get permission from your visitors before placing them. 

However, this brings up one important issue: how do you encourage website visitors to opt in to cookies? This is an issue that we discussed briefly in our last post on the subject, but it really deserves some in-depth analysis of its own. If you have visitors or customers that are based in Europe, this will be one of the most important issues facing you in the future. Here are a few more tips for increasing your chances of getting that Yes.

  • Make the opt-in as unobtrusive as possible. You don’t want to clutter up your landing pages with opt-ins; they are likely to get lost in the fray, anyway. The best way of approaching this is probably to have a pop up or lightbox window asking for permission before the user can continue. One bit of warning: this creates an extra step in the buying process, so you may want to experiment to see what works best with your consumer base. 
  • Explain the issue in everyday language. You will want to touch on the benefits to the customer (such as improved website performance, the ability to store items in their shopping carts, etc.) in a bulleted list. Emphasize that you respect consumer privacy and that the cookies are necessary for the customer’s needs. Keep in mind that EU customers to ecommerce websites will soon be seeing many of these opt-ins, so they will not create too much friction is they are worded carefully.
  • Test. You need to figure out the approach that works the best before the regulations take effect. This means that you need to begin testing now. AB testing is probably the easiest way for you to determine what approaches will be most effective for your market, although you will probably have to test several models before you find the precisely perfect approach. Unfortunately, this new law will present yet another challenge for the small ecommerce website owner trying desperately to make it.
  • Separate variables. If you decide that AB testing is right for your ecommerce website, you will want to test a variety of variables. Look not just at copy, but at presentation (lightbox, etc.), the call to action and other variables.
  • Modify. As more and more ecommerce websites become compliant with this law, customers are going to change the way that they view this law and thus the way that they interact with different opt-in styles. You will need to be modifying your own approach as well. A good way of watching the changes is by keeping an eye on what your competitors are doing. If your approach is very different from those of most websites similar to yours, you may want to reconsider.