Nowadays, if you manage an online space, you must be highly cautious. This is usually the case when you design a website that is destined to collect vital information from the audience. You must ensure that your audience feels safe when they visit your website and that they can trust you with sensitive information. As a website owner, your responsibility is to ensure the audience's safety and trust. One of the most effective ways to accomplish this is to create a high-quality privacy policy page.
When a customer visits a website, he first thinks about data security. Have you seen the text when visiting websites or filling out questionnaires? That is the policy agreement that you must read and sign. By agreeing to those terms and conditions, you will understand that whoever acquires it from you is willing to protect your privacy and your website's privacy.
What is Privacy Policy?
A privacy policy is a legal statement that explains how a company collects, handles, processes, and respects the personal data of its customers on a website or app. Most privacy policies use clear and explicit language to ensure that customers or website visitors understand what personal data the company collects and how that information will be used. Any digital medium that contains user data, such as websites, e-commerce sites, blogs, web applications, mobile applications, and desktop applications, must have a privacy policy. Privacy policies are also known by other names, such as
- Privacy Statement
- Privacy page
- Privacy notice and information
Why is a Privacy Policy Agreement Necessary?
Aside from the implied significance in the definition of what is a privacy policy and why you need one, let's go into more detail about why a privacy policy is critical for your business.
- It is Required by Law
To their credit, privacy laws and rules exist and are enforced worldwide. Don't you think everyone deserves to have their privacy and personal information protected? As a result, as a business owner and a customer, you should understand how serious it is to violate any privacy laws and regulations and develop a website privacy policy for your company.
- It Aids in the Development of Customer Trust and Confidence
Your website privacy policy communicates to your customers and site visitors that you value them. Don't do it solely to meet the requirements and regulations. You must understand how important it is for your customers and site visitors to see that you care about them. They will appreciate it if you are open and honest with them about how you collect and use their information and that you respect their privacy.
What Should a Privacy Policy Include?
Now that you know what a privacy policy is, let's move on to the next step in learning how to write a privacy policy page—knowing what to include in your free privacy policy template. One of the most critical pages on your online website should be a sample privacy policy template. And before you can perfect how to write a privacy policy template that rocks, you must first understand what data is required. To alleviate your concerns about learning how to write a privacy policy, we have collected them for you. There are a few things you should never forget to include in a comprehensive and effective sample privacy policy template. These are some examples:
1. Introductory Paragraph
Your privacy policy can begin with a brief overview of your company. This is especially useful for new site visitors and potential customers unfamiliar with your company's offerings. Even if they aren't new to you, this shows how accommodating you are. Consider it a handshake, the kind you'd get from an agent or business person who wants to talk to you.
2. Information Type
Of course, the essential aspect of your website privacy policy is an explanation or enumeration of the types of information that you wish to collect - or are currently collecting. While it may appear that you will collect personal information, it is better to explicitly state what information you will obtain from them, especially if you are collecting more than personal information. You should also disclose in your privacy policy agreement if you are collecting usage information, such as internet service providers, IP addresses, type of web browser, viewed pages, crash logs, and the dates and times of their visits. Finally, if you use cookies to improve the functionality of your website, you should inform your customers and site visitors.
3. Method of Collection
Your privacy policy agreement should specify how you will collect the previously specified information. Is it automated, and is your website automatically set up to collect it? Or do you only collect directly from the forms that they fill out? Your customers will appreciate it if you explicitly disclose how you collect information, and they will be confident that you are not betraying them or violating their privacy.
4. Purpose of Collection
The "why" behind any action or circumstance is something we all want to know. As a result, it seems reasonable to use your privacy policy agreement to inform your customers and site visitors about why you are collecting their information. You must expressly state when, where, and how you intend to use the information you have obtained from them. Are you only using it to develop and improve your internal operations? Is it also required by some third-party associates or partners? Or will you only use it to accommodate that one specific request or customer? Knowing this will increase trust between you and your customers because your privacy policy agreement is honest and transparent.
5. Security Measures in Place
You should reassure them that their privacy is respected and protected now that they understand what, how, and why you collect their information. Your website's privacy policy should state how you store data and who has access to that storage or information. If you share their information with your associates or other partners, explain how you ensure they respect your customers' privacy. You must reassure them that you are trying to protect them and their information.
6. Opt-Out Options
Your website privacy policy should not be written as a command or directive. You should be aware that by agreeing to your privacy policy agreement, your customers and site visitors are doing you a favor. You should also consider giving them the option of not participating and having their information collected. It's important to respect their wishes and let them know that you do - that you're not pressuring them to do something they don't want to do.
7. Contact Details
Image is taken from Strikingly user’s website
You can end your privacy policy agreement with your contact information or the point person they should contact if they have any concerns about the information they gave you, in addition to explicitly putting your contact information on your website. You must be welcoming. You should make it a point to express how vital their concerns are to you. Your customers and site visitors would appreciate it if you made them comfortable disclosing personal information. A good website privacy policy would not only be clear, comprehensive, and accurate. It should also foster trust and flexibility. If your customers can communicate with you, they will be more confident and comfortable entrusting you with the information you require.
Create an Online Privacy Policy Page with Strikingly
Working with Strikingly ensures a more robust and more secure connection between businesses and consumers. Because most countries require a "Terms & Conditions" page or a "Privacy Policy" section on business websites, we've created a simple method for writing a privacy policy page on your website. To include a Terms and Conditions/Privacy Policy page on your Strikingly website, follow these steps:
- Simply navigate to your website editor's Settings panel on the left sidebar.
- Click Legal after selecting Advanced. After clicking, the option "Show Terms & Conditions" will appear.
Image is taken from Strikingly
- Paste your created sample privacy policy template into the text field and then click Update. Your Terms & Conditions/sample privacy policy template will be displayed in the footer of your website and during the checkout flow of your Simple Store.
Image is taken from Strikingly
Image is taken from Strikingly
- As a pro tip, always double-check that you have selected the "Display footer at the bottom of the page" option, or else your newly created free privacy policy template will not appear on your website.
- Publish the changes to your online privacy policy page and test your live website.
Conclusion
As the world transitions to the digital age. As a result, while developing your website, you must include a privacy policy page. It is a habit that not only beginners but also many certified website developers tend to overlook when creating a specific website. If you have a company website, you should double-check your policy statement so that customers can fully trust you. Privacy policy agreements are essential for avoiding legal ramifications and establishing a more solid relationship with your customers. Like you and me, your customers and site visitors value their privacy and personal information.
As a result, the least you can do for them is ensure that you comply with the regulations in place and that you genuinely try to protect their personal information and privacy. We hope that this article has aided you in developing your privacy policy. Sign up with Strikingly today, and let's go over how you can improve your customers' user experience together.
