How A Privacy Policy Can Save Your Biz and Bank Account!

What would you say is the most important marketing piece of your business?  

As a service-based entrepreneur, YOU (of course!) are the most important thing, but where does your business live? 

Chances are good that your business lives on the internet. Or more specifically on a website. Your website is your storefront, where people can go to learn more about you. 

And because of this, it deserves to be taken care. It deserves some love – and that includes legal.  You need to be protecting your website!  Does your website have what it needs?  

Grab your WEBSITE CHECKLIST here and find out!  

A privacy policy is a legally required and NECESSARY part of your website protection.  It's basically a disclosure document, the main purpose of which is to inform (and therefore protect) consumers.  A declaration you are making to visitors of your website about how you are gathering information about them and what you intend to do with it. 

Who has to have one? Basically anyone with a website – specifically the “operator of a commercial website or online service.”  Curious about what else you should have on your website?  Grab your WEBSITE CHECKLIST HERE.

So you may be wondering, is this really such a big deal?  I mean, who is really going to be checking? California that’s who.  And Google.  

Did you know you can get banned from THE GOOGLE for not having a privacy policy on your website!?!   Yep, for violation of their Terms of Service. If you use Analytics or other Google products – a Privacy Policy is REQUIRED.

(Oh and Terms of Service, you need those also - check out the WEBSITE CHECKLIST TO LEARN MORE)

In the US, all websites must have a privacy policy (thank you California) because ANY business that collects emails in California must comply with the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) stating you have to have a link to your Privacy Policy on your HOMEPAGE - if you don't, Cali can (and will) come after you!  

Your business could be fined $2500 for not having a privacy policy.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t always just have a few grand lying around the house to hand over to California for having one of these in place.  

The Attorney General has been sending ‘warning’ letters to online businesses and Apps saying they have 30 days to get in compliance with the law.  (Just ask Delta Airlines CALI brought a claim against them for over $37 million for not having one because EACH time someone clicks is considered a violation of CALOPPA)

Depending on what your website is about - the Federal Gov’t may also have an opportunity to come say hello (and not in the hey, what's up way....)  

A Privacy Policy for your website basically states that you won’t share email addresses or personal information that you collect with other 3rd party sites (except your email provider, etc).  It includes provisions for “cookies” and other communications.  

Most countries have such laws, and the Canada and the EU have some pretty extensive requirements.   If you have a website collecting emails, make sure you have this in place!  

YES, YOU REALLY DO NEED ONE.

Know what else you need? Disclaimers!  Yes, if you are a coach, service-provider, selling products, basically if you have an online business dealing with the public, you need disclaimers on your website to protect your business.    

Grab Your Website Checklist Here.