Imagine you’re a person searching for a new website to visit. It’s all smooth sailing until you get to the bottom of the homepage, where you find a “Privacy Policy” link. Without clicking on this link, you have no idea what information about you is being collected and how it’s being used. If it’s not there, you may feel suspicious enough about the website to leave and never return, regardless of how valuable the content may be.
The problem with this scenario is that most websites don’t have privacy policies at all. Does that include yours? If so, don’t fret—we’re here to help.
To explain why your website needs one, we’ll first need to define a privacy policy and discuss why it’s so important for trust. Then we’ll get into the details of how a good privacy policy should look like.
So let’s begin, shall we?
What’s a Website Privacy Policy?
A Privacy Policy is a legal document that details how a website gathers, stores, shares, and sells data about its visitors. However, it’s much more than that — it’s the best way to build trust with your audience.
Your privacy policy should be easy to find and understand. Putting it in your footer helps with both of these goals. For example, here’s Airbnb’s Privacy Policy.
A good privacy policy will show your visitors that you’re committed to protecting their data. This gives them confidence that they’re safe when using your site.
Why Is It So Important to Have a Website Privacy Policy?
With the ever-increasing importance of the internet, it’s no surprise that privacy policies are becoming crucial for companies to have. People are becoming more savvy about the data they share online, and consumers have come to expect that companies care about their online presence enough to share their policies with them.
This is an area where you can really set yourself apart from your competition. Not only does a privacy policy make your site look professional, but it also shows your audience that you care about your users’ comfort. And because privacy policies are so important for user trust, you can also use it as a way to boost sales or customer conversions.
We see this all the time with our clients—a lack of a privacy policy on their website can be a huge turn-off to potential new customers. If you don’t have one, then people will assume the worst and leave immediately out of distrust. You don’t want that!
Difference Between A Good and Bad Privacy Policy
We’ve all seen them: websites with a little “Privacy Policy” link in the sidebar, usually leading to a page that is about as fun to read as a legal contract. These policies are necessary for any site that collects information from its users, but beyond that necessary aspect, privacy policies have taken on an intrinsic value of their own—they signify trustworthiness and openness.
The difference between a good privacy policy and a bad one is like the difference between clear glass and tinted glass. Both can serve their purpose in terms of keeping prying eyes out, but you want to go with clarity every time when it comes to building trust with your users. If you’re collecting information from your users (and if you’re not, why not?), a good privacy policy can provide some reassurance that you’ll be respectful of their personal data.
A privacy policy can do more than just protect user trust; it’s essential for the growth of your business. All the data you collect from your users can be used in many different ways, including analyzing user behavior and improving the quality of your service. A good policy will make it clear how this data will be handled so that users are comfortable with being tracked for these purposes.
Bottom-line
Overall, a privacy policy is an important way to let your users know that their information is safe with your company. While it may be easy for some businesses to dismiss this as an unnecessary investment of time and money, it’ll be hard to find a business that wouldn’t want their customers to trust them. Knowing what’s being done with your information should be part of your online experience. By drafting a clear and simple policy, you can show your customers how serious you are about privacy and put their mind at ease.
Do you need a new website or perhaps need a privacy policy added to your existing website? If so, contact me and lets see how we can work together.