Privacy Policy page: why you need it and what it should say
You really should have a Privacy Policy page if you collect data from visitors to your website in any way. This data could be something as simple as an email address - for instance if you invite someone to add themselves to your mailing list. Or it could be more detailed information, such as what you might obtain via a contact form.
Nowadays, web users are very conscious of privacy and safety issues online. So for individuals and small businesses, it helps potential customers build confidence in you as a supplier of products or services. In fact it's a good idea to link to your Privacy Policy from your contact page or anywhere you ask someone to submit information, such as when subscribing to a newsletter. That way you're likely to get more response and fewer forms abandoned before completion.
By the same token, don't go overboard with finding out information on your contact forms - the more questions you have and the more intrusive a contact form appears to be, the less likely it is to be completed and submitted.
Larger companies will often actively look for a Privacy Policy. They may insist that you have one in place before doing business with you, or they may simply not contact you in the first place, if they can't see a Privacy policy on your website.
Your Privacy Policy should clearly explain what information you will be collecting and how you intend to use it. If you intend to make it available to other companies, you should clearly say so. If you don't, you should also say so clearly. Most people are uneasy about information being forwarded, even if it is to 'carefully selected partners' - so if you guarantee not to pass anything on, you should say so.
The content of a privacy policy is open to interpretation, and privacy policies vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Both the United States and the European Union have developed privacy policy guidelines, as well as an extensive legal framework, as have other jurisdictions, and these are updated over time. Comprehensive frameworks are therefore beyond the scope of this article.
However, as a general minimum guideline, your Privacy Policy should cover the following:
- How information is collected.
- The types of information collected.
- How and for what ends it is shared with others (or not).
- How information can be updated by users. Information should also be available to users at any time, and they should be able to contest its accuracy and completeness.
- The use of cookies, particularly by third parties, such as analytics providers.
- The tracking of online activities, for example by a search engine paid ads service.
- Any changes to tracking activities should be notified well in advance.
- What information, if any, is passed on to third parties, and the nature of these third parties.
- The secure holding of all information, with reasonable steps taken to prevent unauthorized access.
The clearer and more succinct you can make your Privacy Policy the better. The average Policy is around 2,500 words, which is long for a web page.
Don't expect many people to read it in full, but anyone accessing the page will likely scan it for key points. Any mistakes will stand out, so ensure that the grammar, spelling, and punctuation is as good as that on the rest of your site.
For small businesses which hire a freelance copywriter, there's always the temptation to do the 'less important' pages yourself and save money. However, a poorly written Privacy Policy or badly-worded contact page could end up costing you dearly.
Finally, bear in mind that while a Privacy Policy should be in place, it doesn't have to be highly visible. It's not worth making it part of your main menu, for instance. Instead, have it as the small print at the bottom, next to your Terms & Conditions. This is also where anyone looking for it would expect to see it.
© Peter Wise
Peter Wise is a freelance copywriter and website copywriter based in London, UK. He also writes ads, direct mail, brochures, newsletter articles and press releases. More details are at Ideaswise Freelance Copywriting
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