On almost every website you visit these days, you see the same banner come up at the bottom of the page. It says something to the effect of, “Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience…” Most people have no idea what this means and if it is something that they need to be concerned about.

In fact, in our conversations with clients, most businesses (especially small ones), have no idea what they are or how it matters to their clients.

How do they work?

So, when you visit a website that enables cookies, it adds a cookie to the device you are searching on. For example, if you are searching Amazon.com for a new wireless router. It will add a cookie to your device. Once you leave that website and visit Facebook or another location that allows ads, you are now seeing advertising for the wireless router that you were looking for.

Are they good for your business?

For a business like yours, cookies can be a major asset in figuring out how customers are interacting with your company online and giving you the opportunity to continue to market to them even after they leave your website.

In the past, companies have been tracking this information without your knowledge and using it to help them market to you and track success and conversions. However, over the past few years, many lawsuits have emerged showing that cookies are an invasion of privacy and people should know when they are being tracked. If you decide to use cookies for your company, we encourage you to have some type of disclaimer on your site for your protection.