Cookie compliance isn't just a regulatory requirement—it's a service opportunity. For digital agencies, offering compliance services creates a new revenue stream while deepening client relationships.
This guide covers how to package, price, and deliver cookie compliance services that clients actually need.
Why Agencies Should Offer Compliance Services
The Client Need Is Real
Your clients face genuine compliance challenges:
- Awareness gap: Most don't know their site has problems
- Technical complexity: Fixing issues requires expertise they lack
- Ongoing maintenance: Compliance isn't one-and-done
- Regulatory pressure: GDPR fines are getting larger and more frequent
When a client gets a regulatory inquiry, who do they call? If you've positioned yourself as their compliance partner, you're the answer.
The Revenue Opportunity
Compliance services offer attractive economics:
- Recurring revenue: Ongoing monitoring creates subscription income
- High margins: Scanning tools are inexpensive; expertise is valuable
- Low churn: Compliance isn't something clients drop casually
- Upsell potential: Compliance work often reveals other improvement needs
The Competitive Advantage
Offering compliance services differentiates your agency:
- Demonstrates technical depth beyond design/marketing
- Positions you as a strategic partner, not just a vendor
- Creates switching costs (clients don't want to re-explain their compliance to a new agency)
- Opens conversations with compliance-focused stakeholders
Service Packaging Options
Tier 1: Compliance Audit (One-Time)
What it includes:
- Comprehensive website scan
- Cookie inventory and categorization
- Pre-consent violation identification
- CMP configuration review
- Prioritized remediation report
- Executive summary for stakeholders
Deliverables:
- Detailed audit report (PDF)
- Cookie inventory spreadsheet
- Remediation roadmap
- Optional: Presentation to client team
Pricing guidance: €500-2,500 depending on site complexity
Best for: Clients who need to understand their current state before investing in fixes
Tier 2: Compliance Implementation
What it includes:
- Everything in Tier 1, plus:
- CMP selection guidance or configuration
- Tag manager consent integration
- Script blocking implementation
- Testing all consent scenarios
- Verification scan post-implementation
Deliverables:
- Implemented, working consent system
- Configuration documentation
- Training for client team
- Post-implementation scan report
Pricing guidance: €2,000-10,000 depending on complexity
Best for: Clients who need problems fixed, not just identified
Tier 3: Ongoing Compliance Monitoring
What it includes:
- Weekly or monthly compliance scans
- Alert on new violations
- Score tracking over time
- Quarterly compliance reports
- Priority support for compliance questions
- Annual audit refresh
Deliverables:
- Regular scan reports
- Score dashboard access
- Quarterly summary reports
- Incident alerts
Pricing guidance: €100-500/month per client
Best for: Clients who want hands-off compliance maintenance
Tier 4: White-Label Enterprise
What it includes:
- All services above
- Branded reports with your agency logo
- Multi-site dashboard
- Custom SLAs
- Dedicated support
- Compliance certification/badge
Pricing guidance: €500-2,000/month for portfolio management
Best for: Agencies managing compliance across many client sites
Building Your Service Stack
Tools You Need
Compliance scanning: You need reliable, automated scanning capability
- Options include building in-house (expensive, complex) or using specialized platforms
- Gretelfy offers agency plans with white-label reports and multi-site management
CMP expertise: Know the major platforms
- Cookiebot: Good for SMB, strong Shopify integration
- OneTrust: Enterprise features, more complex
- CookieYes: Budget-friendly, solid functionality
- Termly: Simple, affordable
Technical implementation skills: Your team needs to be able to:
- Configure tag managers (GTM, Segment)
- Edit theme code if needed
- Debug JavaScript issues
- Understand how CMPs integrate with various platforms
Team Requirements
For audit/implementation work:
- Technical team member who understands cookies, scripts, tag managers
- 2-4 hours per audit (depending on complexity)
- 10-40 hours per implementation
For ongoing monitoring:
- Weekly check-in time: 15-30 minutes per client
- Incident response capacity
- Quarterly reporting time
Consider: Start with audits to learn the space before offering ongoing services
Selling Compliance Services
Identifying Prospects
Best prospects for compliance services:
- E-commerce clients (high cookie counts, high risk)
- B2B SaaS clients (sophisticated, understand compliance)
- Healthcare/financial clients (regulatory awareness)
- EU-focused businesses (GDPR applies)
- Clients who've had compliance scares
Conversation starters:
- "When did you last audit your cookie compliance?"
- "Have you verified your CMP is actually blocking tracking?"
- "Are you confident you'd pass a regulatory inspection?"
The Discovery Conversation
Before pitching, understand the client's situation:
- Current awareness: Do they know about cookie consent requirements?
- Existing tools: What CMP do they have, if any?
- Risk tolerance: How concerned are they about fines?
- Technical capability: Can they fix issues themselves?
- Budget: What's compliance worth to them?
The Audit-First Approach
Never pitch implementation without data. The most effective sales process:
- Offer a free or low-cost scan: "Let's see where you stand"
- Present findings: Show them their Gretel Score and specific violations
- Quantify risk: "These violations expose you to significant fines"
- Propose solutions: "Here's how we can fix this and keep it fixed"
A €200 audit often leads to €5,000+ in implementation work.
Handling Objections
"We already have a cookie banner" "Great—let's verify it's actually blocking cookies. Many banners display without providing protection."
"Our CMP vendor says we're compliant" "They have an incentive to say that. Independent verification gives you certainty."
"We're too small to be fined" "Regulators are increasingly targeting SMBs. The average fine is €2.36 million—even a fraction of that is devastating."
"Can't we just handle this ourselves?" "You could, but it requires technical expertise in tag managers, CMPs, and JavaScript. Most teams find it more efficient to have specialists handle it."
"What's the ROI on compliance?" "Think of it as insurance. Compare our fees to potential fines, plus the cost of emergency remediation under regulatory pressure."
Delivering Quality Service
The Audit Process
Week 1: Scanning and Analysis
- Run comprehensive compliance scan
- Review all pre-consent cookies and scripts
- Analyze CMP configuration (if present)
- Categorize and prioritize violations
Week 2: Documentation and Reporting 5. Create detailed audit report 6. Build remediation roadmap 7. Prepare executive summary 8. Schedule presentation meeting
Presentation Meeting 9. Walk through findings 10. Explain risk levels 11. Present remediation options 12. Discuss next steps
The Implementation Process
Phase 1: Planning
- Review audit findings
- Select/confirm CMP choice
- Document current tag manager setup
- Create implementation plan
Phase 2: Configuration
- Configure CMP settings
- Set up cookie categories
- Configure script blocking rules
- Integrate with tag manager
Phase 3: Testing
- Test accept all scenario
- Test reject all scenario
- Test partial consent scenarios
- Verify consent withdrawal works
Phase 4: Verification
- Run post-implementation scan
- Confirm Gretel Score improvement
- Document remaining issues (if any)
- Create ongoing monitoring plan
Ongoing Monitoring Process
Weekly
- Run automated scan
- Review any score changes
- Investigate new violations
- Alert client to issues
Monthly
- Send summary report
- Review any site changes
- Update cookie inventory if needed
Quarterly
- Comprehensive compliance review
- Update documentation
- Present findings to client
- Recommend any improvements
Pricing Your Services
Value-Based Pricing Principles
Don't price based on your time cost. Price based on value:
- Risk reduction: What's the cost of a GDPR fine vs. your fee?
- Peace of mind: Clients pay for certainty
- Expertise premium: They're paying for what you know, not just what you do
Example Pricing Tiers
| Service | Small Site | Medium Site | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Audit | €500 | €1,500 | €3,000+ |
| Implementation | €2,000 | €5,000 | €10,000+ |
| Monthly Monitoring | €100 | €250 | €500+ |
| Annual Retainer | €1,500 | €4,000 | €8,000+ |
Packaging for Profitability
Bundle services: Offer audit + implementation at a package discount Annual commitments: Discount monthly rates for annual contracts Tiered sites: Charge per site with volume discounts
Scaling Your Compliance Practice
Productization
As you gain experience, productize your process:
- Standardized audit templates: Faster delivery, consistent quality
- Implementation playbooks: Documented process for each CMP/platform
- Automated monitoring: Tools that run without manual intervention
Team Development
Build compliance expertise across your team:
- Cross-train developers on CMP configuration
- Train project managers on compliance conversation basics
- Create internal knowledge base
Tools and Partnerships
Invest in tools that enable scale:
- Gretelfy's Agency plan for scanning and white-label reports
- CMP vendor partnerships for implementation discounts
- Documentation templates for efficient reporting
Getting Started
This Week
- Scan your own clients: Run compliance checks on 5 existing client sites
- Identify opportunities: Which clients have the worst scores?
- Prepare the conversation: "We noticed some compliance issues we should discuss..."
This Month
- Package your offering: Define your audit and implementation services
- Set pricing: Determine rates that work for your market
- Pilot with one client: Deliver a full audit and implementation
This Quarter
- Refine your process: Learn from the pilot and improve
- Market your services: Add compliance to your service pages
- Scale gradually: Add more clients as capacity allows
Partner with Gretelfy
Gretelfy offers agency-specific features designed for compliance service providers:
- White-label reports: Your branding, our technology
- Multi-site dashboard: Manage all clients from one view
- Volume pricing: Better rates as you scale
- API access: Integrate scanning into your workflows
Explore Gretelfy Agency plans →
Turn cookie compliance into a competitive advantage—and a revenue stream.
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