Here at XIST2, we often say that the best way to compete with the biggest brands is to create a website that works. From UX to accessibility to content, if you want to optimise the user experience and ensure they choose you over others, you have to practise professionalism and ensure your website design is excellent in every way.
We’ve learned this from experience and analysis. But there is one piece of analysis that we haven’t yet shared with you: not all the best websites are built with excellence in mind. In fact, the majority of websites out there make sure to design at least one part of their website badly. Assuming you read the title of this blog, you probably already know which one.
The Thing About Cookies
Cookie pop-ups. For years, these have been a big talking point across the internet, with many questioning their user-friendliness and, even more significantly, their ethics. Due to GDPR rules, it has become essential to give users the option of whether to opt in and out of cookies.
Unless you want to incur a hefty fine – and lose the trust and loyalty of existing customers as a result – the option to ‘Accept’ or ‘Reject’ has become a necessity you must adhere to. But the fact remains that businesses prioritise their needs over the user’s, and so the way in which they adhere to it is notably awry.
In a recent survey, it was discovered that nearly 50% of websites prioritise the ‘Accept’ option over the ‘Decline’ option, with around 40% including a misleading ‘Decline’ option or completely failing to display it. Similarly, nearly all ‘Decline’ options required 2 clicks from the user, with some even entailing 3 to 5 clicks. Lastly, nearly 70% of primary texts on cookie popups were website-specific rather than user-specific, while also being confusing or difficult to read.
Your Point Is?
We all know that data is important, and cookies can be necessary to optimise the user experience, garner useful statistics and ensure website functionality. However, with the concept of data collection becoming far more widely recognised and understood by users, committing to a user-friendly experience must be done across the board.
According to another study, as much as 40% of all internet users click blindly on the ‘Accept’ option, largely due to the inconvenient and biased pop-ups that we mentioned earlier. For these users, there is clearly a balancing act going on – where one part of them cares deeply about privacy and compliance in the digital age, and the other side wants to get into a website and receive information as quickly as possible.
The Importance of Clear Information
It is your job, then, to ensure they get the best of both worlds. The first thing you need to prioritise is clear, concise information. Users need to know why the banner is there and what exactly you’re asking for. How will accepting cookies enhance their experience? What are you doing to protect their information once it’s with you? Data privacy in itself can be an effective marketing tool, so present your efforts.
When it comes to mobile apps, a lot of them only notify the user about cookies as and when they navigate to a page where cookies are used – for instance, a comment section. This is unlikely to happen in popular web design, but the intent can be learned from. In terms of clarification, it’s important to let the user know clearly why their information is being taken and how accepting cookies will ultimately optimise their user experience.
The Importance of Clear Options
You also need to give them clear options. So many websites include the CTA buttons ‘Accept’ and ‘Customise Settings’ – with no immediate ‘Decline’ button. This will undoubtedly frustrate the user and leave a bad taste in their mouth – although they might click ‘Accept’, they have done so not because they agree with your policies, but because you’ve made it easier to accept than to decline.
It’s also counter-intuitive. Just because you give users a clear 50/50 option between ‘Accept’ and ‘Decline’, that doesn’t mean more users will click the ‘Decline’ button. On the contrary, if users understand and trust a cookie banner, they’re more likely to consent to cookie usage. And they’ll accept positively, rather than negatively as a result of poor design and, for want of a better word, clunky-ness.
Accepting User-Friendly Design
There has been a bit of a movement in recent years of websites abiding by GDPR rules, but doing so on their own terms – making it as likely as possible that users will click ‘Accept’ by incorporating intentionally poor design and deceptive design patterns. To avoid falling into this crowd, make sure you always prioritise user-friendly design, and keep the user’s best interests at heart.
