We’ve all done it. You land on a new website, and before you can read a single headline, the screen goes dark. A giant pop-up slides into view, demanding you "ACCEPT ALL," "MANAGE PREFERENCES," or read a 4,000-word legal document just to find a phone number.
It’s frustrating. It’s ugly. And it ruins the user experience instantly.
That is why you won't find a cookie banner on this website.
I’m not ignoring the law. I’m simply not using the tracking tools that require one. But does that mean your website should do the same?
The "Data vs. Experience" Trade-off
When I build a website for a client, the question of "to track or not to track" isn't about good vs. evil. It’s about business goals.
On my own site, my business is built largely on reputation and word-of-mouth. I don't need to know if a visitor is logging in from Kazakhstan, and I don't need to track a user's mouse movements to sell my services.
Because I don't use those tracking cookies, I don't need to annoy you with a consent banner. The site is cleaner, faster, and more private.
However, sometimes you do need the data.
I am a pragmatist, not a purist. There are absolutely times when I advise my clients to use analytics, even if it means having a banner.
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Running Ad Campaigns: If you are spending £1,000 a month on Google or Facebook Ads, you need to track your Return on Investment (ROI). You need to know exactly which clicks are converting into sales. In that case, the data is worth the banner.
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Global Reach: If you sell products internationally, it might be vital for your logistics to know that 40% of your traffic is coming from a specific country so you can adjust your shipping options.
The "Word of Mouth" Test
But here is the reality for many small businesses: If your business runs on word-of-mouth, referrals, or local networking, you probably don't need heavy tracking.
If you are a local architect, a consultant, or a therapist, do you really need to follow your users around the internet with retargeting ads? Probably not.
For these businesses, prioritizing a smooth, friendly user experience is far more valuable than gathering data you will never look at. Making your potential customer jump through hoops just to read your "About Us" page is a bad way to start a relationship.
The Choice is Yours
When we work together, I won't force a philosophy on you.
If you need hard data to run your marketing campaigns, we will set up the necessary tracking and a compliant, polite cookie banner.
But if you want a clean, fast, privacy-first website that gets out of your customers' way, I can do that too.
It’s your business. I’m just here to help you make the right choice for it.
