More accurate and less annoying: why cookie-free analytics is the best approach for UK organisations

Did you notice when you first visited this page the absence of cookie-consent pop-ups? That’s because we don’t use cookies on this site - but we still manage to effectively monitor how our website is used by our visitors.

Fancy losing the annoying cookie banner on your website? Then read on. 

Why Cookie-free analytics?

Using our cookie-free analytics, website owners can see all sorts of information about how their website is used by visitors, without placing a cookie on users’ devices. With the easy to comprehend dashboard, information that can be tracked includes:

• real-time information
• what pages are being visited
• where visitors are coming from
• which search engines visitors used
• what countries visitors came from
• identify devices used - eg computer, smartphone, tablet

In addition, website owners can:

• filter statistics with one click
• optimise their marketing campaigns for conversion 

Why cookie-banners are annoying for users 

For websites that use cookies, a banner appears as soon as a user lands on a page, before they have had a chance to engage with the content or decide if they want to use the website. This can be a disruptive and off-putting experience for users and can result in them abandoning their website visit.

Secondly, cookie pop-ups often present users with complex legal language and multiple options, making it difficult for them to understand what they are consenting to and how to opt out. This can be especially confusing for users who are not familiar with the technical terms used in cookie policies.

Thirdly, many users feel that they are being bombarded with cookie pop-ups from multiple websites, which can lead to a sense of being tracked and monitored at all times. This can be a concern for users who value their privacy.

GDPR and cookies - a brief primer

Not all cookies are bad: there are certain types of cookies that are exempt from the requirement for informed consent, such as those that are strictly necessary for the website to function, or those that are used for fraud prevention.

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires websites to obtain informed consent from users before placing cookies on their devices. This means that websites must provide clear and detailed information about the types of cookies used, their purpose, and how to opt out. 

Websites must also provide a way for users to withdraw their consent for cookies at any time, and must delete any personal data collected via cookies when consent is withdrawn.

In addition, website operators must keep records of the consents obtained, and must provide the information to the relevant authorities upon request.

Google Analytics uses cookies

Google Analytics is the predominant user tracking software on the web and it uses cookies to measure how individual users access data on an individual website and across multiple websites. 

However, as of December 2022 it is still not clear that Google Analytics 4 fully meets all of the UK’s GDPR requirements.  

For this reason, we at Volute have decided to offer all our clients complimentary cookie-free analytics software.

Cookie-free Analytics: the benefits

Obviously a major benefit to having no cookies on a website is not having to  display a cookie pop-up banner.

Cookie-free website analytics allows better tracking of users who may have privacy concerns and who may choose to block or delete cookies. This can be especially important for websites that are heavily regulated, such as those in the healthcare or financial services industries.

Our cookie-free analytics can provide more detailed information about visitors’ behaviour on a website. For example, it can track users across multiple devices, allowing for a more complete picture of a user's behaviour. Additionally, it can provide more accurate information about users' location, since IP addresses are more reliable indicators of location than cookies.

Ease of use

Our cookie-free analytics system comes with its own simple to use dashboard that enables swift drilling down into user usage patterns. It’s far easier to use than Google’s analytics, which is powerful but difficult to master.

In conclusion, save your cookies for morning coffee, not tracking visitors! 

We’d be happy to talk through the benefits of the system with you. Drop us a line or give us a call and have a chat.