It is important to create the privacy policy for your website. It is simply a document detailing some or all of the ways in which information collected about visitors to your website will be used. The privacy policy should outline, in plain language, how you store and manage the information collected. A serious, fully transparent privacy policy will instill trust in your readers and protect you from various liability issues.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Basic Elements for the Privacy Policy
Step 1. Make your privacy policy easy to read
In the privacy document, use the same language and writing style that you use on your site.
Step 2. Be concise
If you want people to read the privacy policy - and discerning website visitors to read it - you should be concise. However, not so concise as to exclude important information. Your goal is to provide all the information the reader needs to understand that their privacy rights are respected and managed in a way that is acceptable to them.
Step 3. Don't keep it hidden
Make the privacy policy easily accessible and use a font that is legible. Information that is difficult to find and written in small print is considered suspicious by many people. It doesn't have to be the focal point of any page on your website, of course, but site visitors should be able to find and read it easily. Consider creating a tab at the top of the first page of your site that links directly to the information. The tab should be clear and concise. Here some formulations are suggested:
- Privacy Policy
- How we protect privacy
- Your privacy is important to us
- Privacy and security.
Step 4. Visit other websites
If you are not sure what to say in your policy, or how to position it on your website, try visiting at least 3 websites to see how they have handled their privacy policy. If you find the search simple and satisfying, use as a template the location and expressions these sites have used. As you check other sites, ask yourself the following questions, and use the answers to determine how you want users to find the information on your site - and how they can read it easily:
- Where is it on the site?
- How long does it take to search for it?
- Do you need to click more than once to access it?
- Is it written clearly?
- It is comprensible?
- It is reliable?
Part 2 of 3: What to Include in the Privacy Policy
Step 1. Write the information considering the essential points
While the privacy policy should be specific to each site, however, in commercial sites both the information and the criteria adopted must be adequately detailed also on the basis of common elements. The more information you collect and the more other companies have access to it, the more extensive and complete your information must be. People are unwilling to give you their financial information unless they are convinced that it is safe and secure. Make sure that the information provides answers to all the questions a consumer may ask when doing business with you. Evaluate your business carefully, and include in your disclosure any issues that may be of concern to your customers. It is advisable to include reassurance regarding:
- The type of customer personal information that you detect. It is advisable to first provide a detailed explanation of why the information is collected, such as the need to communicate with the customer or to ship goods.
- The secure way customer information is stored. Include the name of the provider you use. For example, "XYZ.com uses ABC's state-of-the-art software to securely store data."
- How some or all information is shared. Include an opt-out option. Inform customers that you may send information about them to third parties, and give the option to exclude this possibility: you will not be allowed to transmit information about them without their consent.
- Third party ads on your site and links to their websites. Explain why you want to share information with third parties who offer advertisements; Advertisers may need personal information to fulfill orders or to send a confirmation email. Customers are not so negative about sharing information, if they understand that it is necessary and useful for them.
Step 2. Include the cookie policy
A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor's computer, and that the visitor's browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns to that site. Even though cookies have nothing science fiction about them, there is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about them when it comes to privacy. Read on how to create a cookie policy for your website that can reassure your site visitors.
Step 3. Include a disclaimer clause
This is a contractual clause that limits the amount of compensation for damages that a visitor can claim from your website.
Part 3 of 3: Generating a Free Privacy Notice
Step 1. Create a free privacy policy through the Online Privacy Policy Generator website
This is a quick and easy way to generate a privacy policy compliant with industry standards. You can enter basic information on your website, provide the URL, and a privacy policy is generated that you can put on your website. The site is easy to use and can quickly generate specific information for your website.
Step 2. Use the free generator available on TermsFeed
TermsFeed provides a free privacy policy generator that you can customize specifically for your business.
Step 3. Use a link from your site to blog sites
For example, Word Press (WP) offers a link to the Legal Pages. If you have created your website using WP, you can quickly generate your privacy policy with their link.
Step 4. Create a personalized information
If you prefer to write all the information yourself, or include non-standard wording through other websites that have a generator, you can do so through the Free Privacy Policy.com website.
Advice
- Consider including some provisions in the information on business transfers. This clause is usually called "Business Transfer". In the event that you were to sell your business online, you will include customer information as part of your business activities (it is no different from traditional businesses that consider the list of customers when they sell their companies).
- The more explicit the information, the more likely it is to be able to eliminate any concerns visitors may have about your site. In the case of concerns about information on the internet, an excess of details is preferable to an excess of summary.
- Improve the reliability of your website by trying to provide credentials; inquire about the Bureau of Better Business (BBB) or other online privacy certification companies. An official privacy certification seal from a reputable company will encourage visitors to have confidence in how your website handles their confidential information.
Warnings
- Consider including the corporate mission statement in your privacy policy or attach it. It can be as simple as saying that the company's goal is to "strive to constantly improve in order to meet and exceed the highest expectations of customers".
- If you update your privacy policy, you need to inform users about the changes. In the contract, use the expression: "This Privacy Policy was updated on", to allow users to know the last update date of the information.
- The limitation of the liability clause will not protect you from intentional misconduct, and third parties who have not signed it are not guaranteed by your limitation of liability clause. Get written statements from third parties, or be sure to state that you exclude third party liability.
- If your site uses third-party services, make sure that the privacy policy is complete. Websites not involved in e-commerce or websites that do not ask for or provide personal information do not need too technical information (but it is always a good idea to have one).
