Build Trust by Posting Your Privacy Policy

Internet security is a major concern...
TRUSTe conducted a survey in 2009 that shows that 56 percent of small business owners with websites simply cut and pasted their privacy policy from another website. Not only is this wrong because its plagiarism but also every Privacy Policy is unique to each businesses needs. The website source is from Truste.

I feel that this is often overlooked because people think that they need a lawyer to write this document and that the website designer's focus is primarily on the design and function of the website not always whether it has a document that complies with the law.

Every business owner that has a website should
be aware that they need a Privacy Policy that is accurate, understandable and flexible posted on their website. Plus, your website visitors want to make sure that they can trust you and that their information is safe.

Trust quote by Jakob Nielsen: “trust is a long-term proposition that builds slowly as people use a site, get good results, and don't feel let down or cheated. In other words, true trust comes from a company's actual behavior towards customers experienced over an extended set of encounters. It's hard to build and easy to lose.”

Your website, blog or email campaign requires information from your customers, such as email address, name and demographic info, and your customers want assurance that you will keep their data safe. Guess what you need?...a privacy policy. This document is essential when you have a website or any form that asks customers to submit sensitive information.

What is a privacy policy? A privacy policy explains to your website visitors the data that you collect and what you do with that information and how you store it. If you sell items on your website then you gather credit card numbers, if you have forms on your website like a contact form then you collect your viewers email address and name or even you might use website analytics and track the demographics of your visitors then you have valuable and sensitive data.

I believe that you can write your own privacy policy in a few simple steps.

Privacy Policy Advice:

  1. Don't copy and paste a privacy policy from a different business.
  2. Write it in a plain easy to understand language not legal terms.
  3. Keep it short, honest and to the point.
  4. Have it in the footer of your website or in a navigation tab.
  5. Explain what information will be collected and how it is gathered: sign-up forms, clicked links, order forms, cookies, contact form or tracking analytics.
  6. State where you store your client's information.
  7. Disclose if you share information with third parties: PayPal, Amazon, Google or etc. 
  8. Allow a way for clients to opt-out or change their information. 
  9. Check and update your privacy policy from time to time. 

The privacy policy advice is from shoestring marketing university.

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