Digital cookies are a vital part of any Internet surfing experience. Many users don’t notice them, but they’re key to helping marketing teams understand what customers are looking for, and often result in vastly improved product and service offerings online. But what happens when these behind-the-scenes systems start to disrupt online purchases?
Image source: Great Wolf Lodge
A stress-free getaway?
Picture this: you’re sitting on your couch, phone in hand, planning a well-earned holiday at Great Wolf Lodge. You’re greeted with colourful images and video reels revealing the fun and adventure that awaits, and you’ve already determined which dates work for everyone. Now, it’s just down to the booking.
As you go to select your dates with the calendar picker, another pop-up suddenly blocks the dates: the cookie consent box. You’re forced to interact with this new pop-up first, since it’s preventing you from entering your check-in and check-out dates. You can’t proceed until that’s taken care of. You’re stuck!
Image source: www.greatwolf.com
What’s the big deal?
The cookie consent box might seem like a minor inconvenience, but hiccups like these can actually be one of the top causes for incomplete transactions online. Nearly 85% of travelers book activities on their mobile device, which means these small pop-ups can have a big impact on sales. In fact, 70% of online shoppers abandon their carts altogether because of poor UX.
The cookie conundrum
Cookies are mostly used to gather information about users to improve their experience, but they also present privacy concerns. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a rule intended to enhance the protection of all Internet users with respect to their personal data.
While these rules primarily apply to users from countries in the European Union, many North American corporations have also proactively enabled GDPR compliance, since most websites are global.
The GDPR requires many websites to obtain cookies by using an opt-in consent, which is why it’s common to see cookie consent pop-ups on most websites these days.
Image source: www.barclays.co.uk
Image source: www.sunseekerresorts.com
While Great Wolf Lodge’s consent box is great for keeping visitors informed on cookie usage, the modal interrupts the user’s booking experience, which could drive away potential customers. Companies and web designers therefore need to account for three factors to ensure these pop-ups don’t disrupt the user experience:
Speed: Timing is everything, and the speed at which images and videos load can also determine how quickly third-party elements, like consent boxes, appear. In Great Wolf Lodge’s case, the cookies consent box did not load until the user was pages deep into the website.
Awareness: As with any other element on a website, it’s also important to consider where and how pop-ups will appear to users. Will it be covering action buttons, promotional messages, or crucial information? Which page will it appear on, how long does it appear, and how many times will it appear? These questions will inform how pop-ups will appear to users.
Visual Hierarchy: Visual hierarchy establishes the order in which users consume and process information on a web page. Put simply, a strong visual hierarchy guides visitors toward key content or actions. It’s important to establish this visual hierarchy to each page’s objectives during the design process.
Image source: www.greatwolf.com
Bottom line: Be strategic about cookie modals
Cookies are a vital tool for marketing, but when consent modals start to feel like a game of Whac-A-Mole, they can quickly prevent businesses from providing personalized offerings and converting visitors into loyal customers.
In order to ensure these pop-ups don’t disrupt your site’s UX, it’s key to establish your website’s visual hierarchy, play around with pop-ups so they work seamlessly with other web elements, and finally, test your website thoroughly, particularly on mobile browsers, which can be much more prone to display and speed issues.
By following these best practices, you can keep visitors properly informed on cookie usage while still providing an experience that will keep them coming back.
