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Consent management is the process of obtaining permission from customers to use their personal data in marketing campaigns and market research. As a business owner, it is important that your customers understand and are happy to provide their personal information to you. That way, you can provide them with better service and make your business a success.
Consent management is an important part of any online store. It helps ensure that customers are happy with the products and services you offer. Since online stores can be accessed from anywhere in the world, you need to be aware of the rules regarding consent in different countries.
In this article, we will discuss why consent management is important for online stores. Before discussing the benefits of using a consent management platform, first, let’s discuss the three different types of consent.
Types of Consent
There are various types of consent that you may need to manage. These include explicit consent, opt-out consent, and implicit consent.
- An explicit consent is one in which the individual is clearly shown the option of disagreeing or agreeing to allow the company to use his or her data in a certain manner.
- An opt-out consent means that the customer is granted the option of declining consent. The consent will be granted to the company unless the person has made it clear that he or she does not want their data to be used in a certain way.
- An implicit consent is a customer's approval of the use of his or her data without their knowledge or permission. This consent usually happens when a person provides a company with personal information and expects the company to use it. For instance, if you are submitting your details in a resume to a prospective employer, you have granted implicit consent to them.
Benefits Of Consent Management Platform
Consent management platforms (CMP) help in managing digital consent from the visitors of your online store. The process of asking for consent becomes automated when you are using a CMP as it can store the users’ preferences related to privacy and keeps a record of the choices whenever there is an update.
There are many benefits to using a consent management platform for your business. Some of these include the following:
1) Allows you to follow compliances easily
As mentioned at the beginning, each region has its own compliance that online stores need to follow. For instance, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to countries in the EU region. GDPR dictates that companies need to meet legal requirements to collect and process data from EU citizens.
As a result of the regulation, EU firms need to have a solution that complies with the requirements. GDPR consent management helps you collect, store and meet your websites’ preferences related to consent. So, you won’t have to worry about a GDPR fine being applied to your online store for non-compliance.
Data breaches are very costly. For example, Amazon was handed a fine of €746 million in 2021 for breaching GDPR. Investing in a CMP is a much cheaper option for online stores instead of bearing hefty fines that take up a major chunk of their revenues.
2) Provides customers with complete control over their data
In the contemporary world, customers are becoming more aware of how companies are collecting and processing their data. Unlike in the past, companies cannot simply collect data and believe that customers will not be bothered by it.
In fact, if your customers have control over how and when their data is used, they will be much more likely to do business with you. This will give your business a competitive edge over businesses that do not use a consent management platform and will make it easier to attract new customers.
3) Saves time
Using consent management software will help you to save time. Without one, you’ll find yourself manually developing websites to display consent requirements according to different geographical locations. Initially, you will need to collect and enter information into a spreadsheet before developing the website.
A CMP will take the visitor’s location and display the right consent based on the customer’s country. The job of the developer becomes simple - take the CMP’s API and integrate it with their existing infrastructure.
In short, using a CMP will free up more time for you to focus on other important tasks, such as adding new features and improving the user experience (UX) of the website.
4) Improves data security
With breaches becoming widespread nowadays, data security is an important concern for many businesses today. If you use a consent management platform, you will be able to ensure that all of your customers' information is safe and secure.
Having a CMP means asking permission from the customer to process the data. In the worst-case scenario, even if a data security breach happens, customers will not lose trust in the brand. Imagine if you process data without the consent of customers and a data breach happens, in such cases, you are likely to lose your customers forever.
In other words, a consent management platform helps to improve data security which in turn helps build a strong relationship with your customers.
5) Automates multiple aspects of your online store
Creating A Privacy Policy
Before you set up any consent management software, it is important to ensure that you have a privacy policy in place. It should clearly outline how you will use customer information and how customers can opt-out if they no longer wish to be contacted.
By creating a privacy policy for your business, you can demonstrate to your customers that you are committed to keeping their information safe and secure. This will also reassure your customers that you take their data protection and privacy seriously. As a result, they will feel much more comfortable doing business with you.
Online stores need to assess their privacy regulations frequently to ensure they are up-to-date with the latest changes in regulations. Previously, this was an incredibly manual process. Employees would have to assess how regulations changed and the impact it would have on their business. However, a CMP automates this process and helps companies save time.
Setting Up Automated Portals
With a consent management platform you can set up automated portals. The portals are then responsible for processing data subject access rights requests whenever the need arises. This way companies do not have to worry about keeping track of data subject rights.
Third-Party Blocking
Consent management also benefits online stores by handling third-party blocking, and reporting
violations, and taking care of cookie consents. A CMP handles all aspects of privacy. Store owners can instead focus on improving their operations, product listings, and other revenue-making responsibilities.
In addition to that, the platform keeps your website safe from unsanctioned third parties. It does so by blocking and unblocking third-party scripts automatically.
Wrapping Up The Importance of Consent Management
A consent management platform helps in taking your online stores to new heights. You do not have to focus your attention on keeping up with privacy policies or worry about having to deal with data breaches. Moreover, you won’t lose your revenue to fines for violating privacy laws.
In other words, a CMP helps you follow compliances, save time, build trust with your existing and potential customers, enhance your security, and automate your online store. All of these key factors help in making your online store a success.
There are several different software that you can use to manage your customer's consent. For example, you can use a cloud-based platform that allows your customers to sign up for email campaigns and give consent for their information to be used for remarketing purposes.
A consent management software can assist in taking care of all data and privacy-related aspects of your store. This type of software can help you save time, and ensure that you are using customer data ethically and correctly. In short, it can make consent management the least of your worries.
Author Bio
Osama Zahid is a technology content strategist who is passionate about content marketing and all things SEO. He has helped various companies rank their content on the first page of search engines. In his free time, Osama loves to play football and travel.
