What is a Privacy Policy?
A privacy policy is arguably one of the most essential legal agreements for your business. Your company’s website needs a clearly stated privacy policy, even if all of your business isn’t conducted online. You also need one regardless of where your internet traffic comes from.
Your privacy policy is a showcase of your transparency. Simply put, it states what data you use, store, and share from your customers and why. It should not be a complex document filled with legal jargon.
Who Needs a Privacy Policy?
Privacy Policies are required by law. In The United States, according to the CalOPPA: California Online Privacy Protection Act, any business that collects personal information from California-based users (i.e., email addresses, phone numbers) must have a privacy policy.
Considering that California is such a large state and anyone with an internet connection can visit any site, this translates to virtually every business website needing one. Canada and Australia have their own privacy laws as well.
So even though this topic varies slightly by country, the world wide web connects us regardless of geographical location. So that’s why privacy policies should protect consumers everywhere, all the time.
Other Considerations
Third-party services such as Google Analytics may also require a Privacy Policy from your business. App developers and social media giants like Facebook require them too.
How Do I Create a Privacy Policy?
Termaggedon
Termaggedon is an online service that crafts a privacy policy for you. However, their pricing plans may vary depending on the needs of your business. It’s one of the most accessible and most convenient options available. Once it’s ready, you can create a page for your new privacy policy on your website.
Compare & Contrast
Another strategy for crafting a thorough privacy policy is comparing it with examples online or even with other business owners that you are familiar with. It wouldn’t be wise to copy, but other examples are good to use as a rough template when first starting out. You can also check out our own website’s Privacy Policy. Feel free to use it as a general template for your own!
Next Steps
If you already have a privacy policy in place, it’s critical to keep it updated regularly. Your company’s website will evolve, just like your marketing strategy and cyber laws will, too.
2020 & Beyond
We will likely see more of these data privacy laws in the near future. If your business needs to step up its online presence, contact StratGrow today. We specialize in digital marketing, web content, social media, and much more.