A Step-by-Step Guide to Create A Cookie Consent Banner Design

When you visit a website for the first time, have you ever received a popup message requesting your consent to use cookies? 

These popup messages are called cookie consent banners. Usage of cookie consent banners have become mandatory as it helps users to provide consent related to their data.

If you’ve recently started a new website, creating a cookie consent banner for your website is of prime importance. With that being said, are you thinking about how to create a good designed cookie consent banner?

In this article, we’ll provide you with an in-depth knowledge on how to create a cookie consent banner stepwise. We’ll also take you through the different ways you can design your banner.

Now without wasting much time, let’s dive right into the topic.

Why You Need A Beautiful Cookie Consent Banner

Before we get into the specifics of a cookie consent banner, let’s explore the why a cookie consent is required for a website.

Here is an infographic that provides a detailed view of the importance of a good design cookie consent banner.

• User Trust and Transparency: A cookie consent banner is the first interaction that you’ve with your user. It sets the tone for trust and transparency in handling their data. When visitors see a clear and easily understandable banner, it communicates that you respect their privacy and are committed to being upfront about your data practices.
• User Empowerment: Cookie consent banners inform users about the use of cookies and give them the power to make choices. Visitors can decide whether to accept or reject cookies depending on their preferences.
• Legal Compliance: In many parts of the world, not only does the law require cookie consent banners, but they also suggest them as best practice. For example, the European General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) mandates website owners to obtain user consent before placing cookies.
• Enhanced User Experience: Blends in well with the site design and has no adverse effects on navigation or content access.
• Global Accessibility: Websites cater to users from several nations, each with its own privacy regulations. A well-designed cookie consent banner can comply with various regulatory standards, ensuring a seamless and compliant user experience for visitors worldwide.

What are the Best Cookie Consent Banner Practices?

Websites must provide cookie consent banners to adhere to privacy regulations and ensure transparency in data collection practices. Following are some guidelines for creating and using cookie banners:

• Message that is clear and concise: Make sure your message is clear and straightforward to understand. Clearly state your motivation for using cookies and the information you gather. Avoid using technical or jargon-filled language.
• Consent mechanism: Make it simple and obvious for users to agree or disagree with your use of cookies. Use a button with Accept or Reject written clearly.
• Granular Consent: If your website employs numerous cookies for various purposes, give users the option to accept or decline certain cookie types (such as analytics, advertising, or basic functioning).
• Privacy Policy Link: Include a link to your website’s privacy statement so that consumers may get more in-depth information about your data processing procedures.

Remember that cookie banners are about building trust with users by being transparent about data practices. Providing a positive user experience while respecting their privacy.

Meet WP Cookie Consent: Free WordPress Cookie Banner Plugin

Now that you understand the best cookie consent banner practices, let’s get to know a plugin that helps to build a beautiful cookie consent banner.

WP Cookie Consent is a powerful and user-friendly WordPress plugin designed to help website owners to create and manage cookie consent banners easily. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or a non-technical website owner, this plugin simplifies complying with cookie-related regulations.

WP Cookie Consent plugin is a solution that assists site owners in adhering to privacy laws like the GDPR in Europe, CCPA for California customers, and general regulations.

According to these rules, websites must notify visitors about using cookies and get permission before using cookies on their browsers. A cookie consent plugin helps to design and displays a banner or popup notice informing users about using cookies.

Key features of WP Cookie Consent Plugin

Here are some key features that make WP Cookie Consent an excellent choice for designing your cookie consent banner:

• Customization: To create a smooth and integrated look, you can modify your banner to match the branding and design of your website.
• Categories of cookies: WP Cookie Consent allows you to categorize cookies, giving users more control over their preferences. This complies with laws that demand honesty in cookie usage.
• Responsive Design: With responsive design, your banner will appear impressive on all devices and deliver a consistent user experience.
• Compatibility: WP Cookie Consent is a flexible solution for any website because it works with various popular WordPress themes like the Responsive theme.

Installation and Setup of WP Cookie Consent

Now, let’s show you how to install and set up WP Cookie Consent on your Website.

Open your WordPress dashboard and click on Plugins > Add New.

Use the search bar and search for WP Cookie Consent.

Click on the Install Now button to install the plugin.

After the installation, click on Activate button.

Once the plugin is activated, the WP Cookie Consent plugin appears in the dashboard.

Note: You must install and activate the most recent version of the free WP Cookie Consent plugin. Follow the instructions mentioned above before you can activate the pro version. A product ID, an API key, and the WP Cookie Consent Pro plugin with a free MaxMind License key are also required. 

You can get a free License key from MaxMind to activate the Geolocation.

Steps to install the plugin’s pro version.

Navigate to Plugins > Add New.

From the Add Plugins section, click on Upload plugin.

Upload the Zip file you received in the mail and click Install Now. 

As shown in the image below, select the Click Here option.

To Activate the plugin, enter the Product Key.

Customizing Your Cookie Consent Banner

Your cookie consent banner should blend seamlessly with your Website’s design while effectively communicating its purpose to users. To access the banner setting, follow the steps mentioned below.

From the WordPress dashboard, hover over to WP Cookie Consent and click on Cookie Settings. 

Click on Compliances, select any law that suits your website’s traffic, and click Save & Continue.

Note: The cookie bar template will only be visible when you select GDPR or GDPR+CCPA.

The next step is to select the Cookie banner design from the Configuration Tab.

Configuring Cookie Banner Text & Settings

You can customize your cookie banner settings after activating the plugin. Customize your banner’s style, content, and behavior to your Website’s branding and visitors’ preferences. 

The configuration tab has two cards – Configure Cookie Bar and Cookie Bar Template.

Configure Cookie Bar

• Show Cookie Notice: Choose how to show the cookie bar (Banner, Popup, Widget)
• Cookie Bar Position: If you choose Cookie Bar as the banner, it will appear at the bottom or top.
• Cookie Bar Position: If you choose the Cookie Bar option, select a left or right location to display the cookie bar widget.
• On hide: Once the visitor accepts or rejects the cookie settings, choose the Cookie Bar closing action behavior.
• On load: When visitors load a page, they can choose how the Cookie Bar behaves.

Cookie Bar Template

Here, you can select from various templates that match your website design.

To customize the cookie banner design, switch to the Design tab. 

The design tab has five cards. Cookie Bar Body, Accept Button, Accept All Button, Decline Button, Settings Button 

Cookie Bar Body Design

• Cookie Bar Color- Choose a color for the cookie bar using the color picker.
• Cookie Bar Opacity – (Slider) Select opacity for Cookie Bar; you can adjust the transparency of Cookie Bar here.
• Text Color – Choose a color for the text on the cookie bar using the color picker.
• Border Styles – Choose a border style for the cookie bar using the drop-down option.
• Border Width – Choose the width of the cookie bar border using the slider.
• Border Color– With the help of a color picker, we can select a color for the Cokie Bar Border.
• Border Radius –Choose the border radius for the cookie bar using the slider.
• Font: Choose your theme’s default font or one of the standard fonts offered for the Cookie Bar text.
• Upload logo- You can add the logo for your cookie consent banner.

Buttons

For Accept Button, Accept All Button, Decline Button, and Settings Button, A popup containing the button options will appear when you click the Configure Button for advanced settings.

Choosing the Right Banner Style

WP Cookie Consent offers different banner styles, including bars, popups, and boxes. Consider your website’s layout and choose a style that complements it.

Color Schemes and Branding   

Maintaining visual consistency is critical to a professional look. Use the plugin’s customization options to match the banner’s colors and fonts with your website’s branding.

Adding Your Cookie Policy Link

Your banner should include a clear link to your full cookie policy. Ensure this link is easily accessible and informative, allowing users to learn more about your cookie practices. You can use WP Legal Pages for creating your legal pages.

Placement and Visibility

The positioning and visibility of your cookie consent banner can dramatically impact user experience and compliance.

Position the banner where it is visible but not in an intrusive position. Corners and the top or bottom of the page are popular options. Ensure it doesn’t cover some essential content or information.

With the WP Cookie Consent plugin, we can position the placement of the banner on the website. In the plugin setting section, click on the Configuration tab and select the position suitable for the banner. 

Accessibility is a critical consideration. Ensure the banner is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. 

Legal Compliance with WP Cookie Consent

To stay on the right side of the law, you must ensure that your cookie consent banner aligns with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and others.

Aligning with GDPR, CCPA, and Other Regulations

WP Cookie Consent makes compliance easy by allowing you to categorize cookies and provide users with granular control. Ensure your banner clearly explains the different types of cookies used and how users may alter their choices.

To select the law, click the Compliances tab and Select the law suitable for the website’s traffic.

Cookie Categories and User Choices

Categorize your cookies as essential and non-essential. Essential cookies are necessary for the Website to function, while non-essential ones require user consent. WP Cookie Consent streamlines this process.

Previewing and Testing Your Cookie Consent Banner

Previewing and thoroughly testing your banner before making it live is crucial.

Viewing Your Banner on Your Website

Visit your Website as if you were a user and see how the banner appears. Ensure that it doesn’t interfere with navigation or readability.

Checking Responsiveness and Compatibility

Test your banner on different devices and browsers to ensure it looks and functions correctly everywhere. WP Cookie Consent’s responsive design feature helps in this regard.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cookie Consent Banners

Conclusion

Designing a nice cookie consent banner involves more than obeying the law; it also involves earning the confidence of your website’s users.

Creating cookie banners becomes easy with the WP Cookie Consent plugin, as it ensures your banner looks great, works smoothly, and helps you follow legal requirements.

You can design a cookie consent banner by following the instructions in this article. That keeps you on the right side of the law and makes your website a safer and more trustworthy place for everyone. 

If this post provided you with any helpful ideas, make sure to read these articles.

• Legal Pages For Your eCommerce Store You Can’t Afford to Ignore
• How To Add WooCommerce Refund Policy Using WP Legal Pages
• GDPR cookie consent: What’s required and how to manage them?
• GDPR/CCPA/EU Cookie Law – Importance of Cookie Consent

So why wait? Start designing a cookie consent banner with WP Cookie Consent today to make your website more welcoming and dependable place for everyone.