Guide
Cookie banners explained
Cookie banners are the most visible and least loved part of website compliance. The rules behind them are simpler than the banners suggest, and whether you need one depends entirely on what your site is doing. This is general information and not legal advice.
What a cookie actually is
A small file a site stores on a visitor device. Some are needed for the site to function, like remembering a form step. Others track behaviour for analytics or advertising.
The distinction between those two is the whole point of the rules.
When you need a banner
If your site only uses what it needs to function, you generally do not need consent for those. The moment you add analytics, advertising pixels, embedded videos or maps that track, you need to ask first.
Most trade websites have at least analytics, so most need one.
Getting it right
A compliant banner looks like this.
- Refusing is as easy as accepting
- Nothing tracks before the visitor chooses
- Clear description of what each type does
- A way to change their mind later
Common mistakes
Banners with only an accept button, banners that load tracking before you click, and banners that cover the phone number on a phone. That last one costs you calls directly.
Keep it small, keep it out of the way of your contact details, and make sure it remembers the answer.
How we handle it
We set up a proper consent tool on the sites we build, with tracking held back until the visitor decides and a way to change preferences afterwards.
Common questions
Can I skip the cookie banner if my site is small?
Size does not matter. What matters is whether your site uses tracking that needs consent.
Does a cookie banner hurt my visitor numbers?
Some visitors decline analytics, so your reported numbers may look lower. The visitors are still there.
Where to go next
Want us to sort this for you?
We build the site for free and look after the hosting, the updates and the local SEO for €59.99 a month on a 12 month minimum. Have a chat with us and see if it suits.
More guides like this
- Grants and Supports for Small Irish FirmsThere is help available for going online. Here is where to start looking.
- GDPR Basics for Small Irish BusinessesLess frightening than it sounds, but it does apply to you.
- Website Accessibility in IrelandAn accessible site is easier for everyone, including the customer squinting at a phone in the sun.