Does your business website collect customer data? And if so, how is that data stored, secured, and used? Do you keep it all in-house, or do you sell customer data to third-party vendors?
These are not idle or hypothetical questions. On the contrary, they are questions that many consumers ask. Online privacy has become an increasingly major concern, prompting not only widespread changes to how digital marketers harvest data, but even full-scale legislation. Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is a primary example.
All of that’s just to say, it may be helpful to provide your website visitors with some clarity about how you will or will not collect their personal data. One of the simplest solutions is to ensure your site has an online privacy statement.
What Is an Online Privacy Statement?
First and foremost, just what is an online privacy statement?
An online privacy statement, sometimes known as a privacy policy or privacy notice, is a document explaining how the website collects, uses, shares, and protects the personal information of the people who access it. This statement might include details about the types of data collected (e.g., names, email addresses, browsing history, etc.), the purposes for which the data is harvested, how the data is stored, the measures used to keep it secure, and any third parties with whom the data is shared.
Does the Law Require an Online Privacy Statement?
It’s natural to wonder whether online privacy statements are actually mandatory or are just a “best practice.”
Here’s the short answer: The United States currently does not have legislation mandating that websites have privacy statements. However, many international laws, including GDPR, do require you to have a privacy statement if you collect any kind of information from your users.
The bottom line: For businesses that are active internationally, having an online privacy statement is very prudent.
Who Will Read the Privacy Statement?
Another common question: Is anyone actually going to read the privacy statement? Or is it just a bunch of legal boilerplate that no human will ever process?
Surprisingly, studies show that some consumers do check out online privacy statements, ensuring they are aware of how their information is harvested and used. Also, note that online privacy activists may scour your site for information about user privacy and data use. If you don’t have a clear statement, it could result in some damage to your online reputation.
How Thorough Should an Online Privacy Statement Be?
Here’s another query: How long does an online privacy statement need to be?
Really, the answer is… as long as it needs to be in order to cover all the bases. Specifically, your online privacy statement should properly explain all the ways in which your site collects, stores, secures, and uses personal information.
However, it’s equally important to be somewhat concise, remembering that users will be overwhelmed or fatigued if you present them with too much information at once. Find a balance between a statement that’s complete and one that accommodates user attention spans.
To achieve this balance, we recommend a couple of strategies. First, make sure you have a clear structure. Before you actually write down your privacy statement, simply list all the pieces of information you need to convey, then think about the most logical way to organize it. A good tip is to review some online privacy statements from big consumer brands, or from other companies in your field. This should provide you with a basic template.
Second, consider making a “layered” privacy statement, allowing users to click links to see specific topics or to address unique questions they may have, as opposed to putting everything out there in one giant chunk of text.
Does My Privacy Statement Need to Be Original?
Naturally, there is a lot of overlap and repetition between different companies’ privacy statements. You don’t necessarily need to reinvent the wheel with something totally new and original, but you do want to avoid duplicate text as much as possible. This is less about online privacy concerns and more about SEO, which favors sites that have all-original text without redundancy. Spend some time framing your privacy statement in language that’s specific to your brand and voice.
Ensure Your Site Prioritizes Privacy
Online privacy is an increasingly major concern among consumers. There are a few ways to prioritize this, starting with the completion of an online privacy statement. In addition, take stock of how you do collect user information, seeking ways to go “cookieless” whenever possible.
We’re always happy to chat with our clients about ways to put user privacy first, while still ensuring the necessary data to do digital marketing well. With any questions about online privacy statements or other requirements, feel free to contact the team at enCOMPASS Agency. Reach out to us at your convenience.
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