How to Create a Privacy Policy for Your Website

However, it is very important that a sense of information safety is created among visitors. As such, websites create and attach a privacy policy template, which explains in simple terms how it will use and store data securely.

Most websites maintain cookies (users end), which are a string of information stored on the user's system by the website. These are returned to the website by the user's browser each time the user logs in.

If two websites are selling similar products with similar pricing, consumers will always prefer buying from the website which is transparent about its use and management of personal information collected. Privacy of information provided to any website is every individual's right.

Every trusted website should be committed to protecting its users details, such as login credentials, email ID, address, contact number, etc., from any third party. The personal information collected from users by the website must not be shared or sold to any third party, for whatsoever purpose.

Most websites collect generic information from its users. This includes name, address, email ID, telephone/cell phone number, birth date, financial information, marital status, and an answer to a question 'Do you want to receive updates from us?'.

The information collected from users is used for sending out newsletters, timely updates, responding to user requests, improvisation of the website by considering suggestions and feedback, striving to provide good customer service (applicable to those websites which provide customer service), and personalizing user experience.

▶ Research: It is advisable to read the privacy policies of some trusted websites from the same industry or market as you are in, before writing one. This gives a clear idea as to what needs to be mentioned in the policy. Going through a number of samples would be ideal.

▶ Naming the Policy: If finding the right name for the policy is a problem, then you can get some tips on the same by visiting other websites and reading their policies.

▶ User-friendly: The policy should be consistent, and retain the same style used in the website. That is, it should appear to be a part of the website.

▶ Keep it Short and Simple: The policy should be defined in a way such that fewer words describe more information. Apprehensive people always make it a point to read the policies. Including unnecessarily long one can upset visitors, which can further lead to business loss.

▶ Placement: Policies that are difficult to read and locate only make users suspicious. Therefore, it is advisable to provide a link to the policy on the homepage itself of the website. More than one redirection link to land on the privacy page should be avoided.

▶ Visibility: This is an important aspect of the privacy policy. Visitors expect to read through a quickly accessible policy. Thus, the published writing should be readable and concise.

▶ Content: The content of the policy is very crucial, as it will either build a trust factor in the visitor, or draw the visitor away. Content should be understandable and precise.

Privacy policies come into the picture mainly for those websites which collect personal details from their readers/customers. Therefore, it is necessary to explain why this information is needed.

For example, if it is an e-Commerce website, information is certainly needed for shipping products. Besides this, the customer must also be well-informed about the software used by the website to secure the data.

▶ Cookies: Authentication cookies can be used to determine if a signed-up user has logged in or not. These are set up on the user's computer, which provide the login details to the website each time the user logs in.

▶ Creating a Policy Statement: Basic information about the website, such as its domain, function, and URL, needs to be input. Certain web hosts also provide a plug-in to websites, forums, or blogs hosted by them, in order to create a policy. For example, WordPress.

▶ You can choose to have a brief and quick privacy policy, or an elaborate one which explains every detail. In any case, make sure that the policy is legally compliant.
▶ The customer is king. An option should be provided if he is not comfortable sharing his details, and wishes to opt out at any point.

▶ The policy should be such that it wins customer trust.
▶ A website may change its privacy policy from time to time. In such cases, it is very essential to provide details of when and what changes were done to the privacy policy, to those logging into the website.
▶ Provide ways in which customers can contact the website for discussion about the policy.

At (Company's name), we strive to provide our customers with the best quality products. We value your privacy. When you access our website, we assume that you have read and agreed with our company privacy policy. Note that (Company's name) will not be responsible for any misuse of the information you provide to any other website or third-party application.

We collect information, which includes name, address, telephone number, and email ID. These details are collected for the purpose of record keeping and further improving our products.

(name of the company) uses (name of the software) software application to encrypt and secure its data. If you have any questions about our policy, we request you to email us at (email ID of the company).

Cookies are a small chunk of data stored on a user's computer in order to keep a track of certain factors such as user preferences, traffic pattern, etc. Cookies will be automatically terminated once a user ends the browser session.

Changes in our policy will be updated on the website regularly. In case of any queries, feel free to contact us.

The main reason for creating and attaching a privacy policy to a website is to instill a sense of confidence in the users that their information is secure. Every website will have a different policy depending on their terms and conditions. However, one still needs to be careful to see that the policy doesn't violate any laws, rules, and regulations.

Disclaimer: Note that the details provided is purely meant for informational purposes. It should not be considered as a substitute for legal advise.