As we hear more about data breaches, consumers are understandably wary of and confused by online privacy issues. Should they give your business access to their personal data? If you want them to give your cookies access to their site, you have to get them to trust you.
A recent survey from Braze and Dynata showed how transparency could help put consumers’ minds at ease and allow you to attach cookies and track them.
The top reasons consumers in the survey said they allowed cookies and tracking:
- Access to loyalty perks or programs (52%)
- Interested in a personalized experience and communications (37%)
- It was too time-consuming to figure out how to opt-out (24%)
- Retail (58%), financial services (49%), and streaming services (44%) are the apps that respondents say they’re most likely to allow to gather personal data.
When they opt in, how aware are they of what they’re consenting to?
- “I am sometimes aware” (53%)
- “I am always aware” (38%)
- “I am never aware” (9%)
Braze, a customer engagement platform, says this means businesses need to “find ways to build trust with customers…and get more creative in how they engage with consumers.” They say offers like loyalty programs “can help build more long-term relationships with customers.” The survey shows that over half of those surveyed say they’ll allow their data to be collected and tracked because they want access to loyalty perks or programs.
The survey, says Braze, showed “a notable difference between apps and websites when it came to consumers’ data opt-in/opt-out behavior.” For apps, 39% of consumers say they always opt out or click “ask not to track” when prompted. But for websites, 47% say they are most likely to “accept all cookies” when prompted.
Braze advises businesses to “start priming users before asking to collect any data.” They explain that “primers are targeted campaigns—usually sent via in-app messaging or in-browser messaging on mobile and the web—that ‘prime’ recipients…around why they’re being asked for their data and how it will be used to support their customer experience.”
Essentially, if your small business “intends to use consumers’ browsing data to provide them with better, more targeted product recommendations,” you need to be clear about the value you’re offering them, so they agree to opt in.
Cookies stock photo by stockwerk-fotodesign/Shutterstock