Is your website putting your business at risk of GDPR penalties? For Anna, the owner of ‘Chic Styles Boutique’—a growing e-commerce store selling trendy clothing—this was a real concern.
Running the business on WordPress, Anna didn’t have the technical expertise to ensure the website fully met GDPR requirements. The fear of GDPR fines for small businesses loomed large, and an easy and affordable way to stay compliant was needed.
Anna discovered AesirX Privacy Scanner, a free website privacy scanner designed to simplify GDPR and ePrivacy Directive compliance. The scanner quickly identified online privacy risks on their site and provided clear, actionable steps to fix them. With additional support from tools like AesirX Privacy Advisor and AesirX Consent Shield, Anna achieved compliance and protected customers' data—without expensive consultants or complicated solutions.
The Challenge: GDPR and ePrivacy Directive Compliance for Small Businesses
The online store had grown quickly, but managing customer data became increasingly complex. Built on WordPress and using third-party tools such as payment gateways, analytics platforms, and marketing trackers, Anna faced three key challenges:
- Understanding the Rules
Anna wasn’t sure if the website was collecting and processing customer data correctly, especially during checkout or when using third-party plugins. It was also a struggle to understand GDPR compliance for WordPress and cookie consent for cookie tracking.
- Cookie and Tracker Management
The website relied on third-party tools like Google Analytics (website tracking), Facebook Pixel (marketing), and Stripe (payment processing). These tools deployed analytics cookies, marketing cookies, and social media trackers. Anna wasn’t confident that proper user consent was being obtained before activating these tools. Without proper consent, the site could be in violation of GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive, putting the business at risk of fines and damaging user trust.
As a small business owner with limited technical knowledge, Anna needed a simple, cost-effective solution to enable compliance without hiring expensive consultants.
The Solution: How AesirX Website Privacy Scanner Helped Chic Styles Boutique Stay GDPR and ePrivacy Compliant
Anna turned to AesirX Privacy Scanner, a free GDPR checker designed to simplify privacy management for small businesses. The scanner quickly helped to identify privacy risks in the online store and provided clear, actionable steps to resolve them. Here’s how it worked:
⮕ Using the EDPS Inspection Tool: AesirX’s Website Privacy Scanner detected cookies, trackers, and other third-party data collection methods on the site, flagging potential compliance issues with tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and Stripe.
⮕ EasyPrivacy List: The scanner checked the site against the EasyPrivacy list, helping identify and eliminate hidden trackers or beacons that could compromise customer privacy and violate the ePrivacy Directive.
⮕ Risk Scoring: After the scan, the tool categorized the website into Low, Medium, or High Risk based on the extent of tracking occurring without proper consent. This made it easy to prioritize the most pressing privacy issues.
Actionable Steps for Compliance with AesirX’s Website Privacy Scanner
After completing the scan, AesirX’s Website Privacy Scanner provided Anna with a detailed report and clear steps to address the identified issues:
1. Review the Report
The scanner generated a comprehensive report that highlighted specific third-party cookies and trackers needing attention. Anna quickly identified which issues required immediate fixes. Additionally, AesirX Privacy Advisor AI was used to interpret the scan results and receive personalized, actionable advice, ensuring the site met GDPR compliance best practices.
2. Switch to First-Party Solutions
To minimize reliance on third-party tools, Anna replaced services like Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel with AesirX Analytics & CMP, a first-party data compliance solution that collects user data directly with their consent.
This change not only reduced the risk of GDPR and ePrivacy violations but also helped gain better control over data, avoiding issues that arise from relying on third-party cookies. First-party analytics allowed Anna to gather valuable insights without breaching privacy regulations.
3. Correct Technical Setups
Some privacy problems stemmed from incorrect code, like trackers loading before consent was given. Anna implemented:
- Consent Management: AesirX CMP was integrated on the WordPress site, using the Consent Shield feature. This allowed Anna to scan and identify all active plugins that might collect user data. They could then choose to block plugins until user consent was obtained or manually block third-party domains flagged by the Privacy Scanner.
- Deferred Loading: The Consent Shield adjusted the activation of scripts and trackers, ensuring they only loaded after proper consent was provided.
The Results: Achieving GDPR Compliance and Building Customer Trust Without Consultants
Thanks to AesirX's Website Privacy Scanner and its additional tools, Chic Styles Boutique was able to achieve GDPR compliance for WordPress without the need for costly consultants. Here’s how the scanner helped:
- Avoided GDPR Fines: By addressing the identified risks, the chance of incurring expensive fines was minimized. Anna took action to make sure the website was compliant with GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive.
- Increased Customer Trust: By demonstrating a clear commitment to data privacy and transparency, Anna built stronger trust with customers. They appreciated knowing their data was handled responsibly.
- Streamlined Compliance: AesirX Privacy Scanner allowed Anna to manage the website’s compliance internally, without needing outside help, saving both time and money.
- Improved Data Protection: The changes made to Chic Styles Boutique website’s consent management and third-party integrations improved the overall security and protection of customer data.
Protect Your Business with AesirX Website Privacy Scanner
Anna’s story proves that small businesses can achieve compliance with GDPR and ePrivacy Directives with the right tools. AesirX’s Website Privacy Scanner is a free, simple solution that helps e-commerce owners manage compliance more easily.
With AesirX Privacy Scanner, you can safeguard customer data, and avoid costly fines—without the need for expensive consultants.
Don’t stress over GDPR and ePrivacy Directive compliance. Scan your website for free with AesirX and take the first step toward protecting your business and customers’ data.
