As a member of the online community, you come to realize that Privacy Policies and Terms of Service are necessities when it comes to communicating expectations and limits to visitors and customers. While in general they are an annoyance to most people, they are needed in order to maintain a level of trust and professionalism. Beyond that, they are in some instances a legal responsibility.
For bloggers and small businesses who posses an online presence, Privacy Policies and Terms of Service can mean the difference between new subscribers or customers and missed opportunities.
Bloggers
Generally, bloggers need some sort of Privacy Policy if they request email addresses and such from visitors for purposes of Newsletter subscriptions. Readers want to know that if they trust you with their email address that you won’t share it with third parties, especially email harvesters who use the data to send out spam. A clear, concise Privacy Policy gives bloggers a chance to tell subscribers exactly what their email address and other information will be used for.
Businesses
Small businesses can take Privacy Policies a step further by offering Terms of Service documentation. This enables a business to lay out exactly what is covered by their service along with other pertinent information, like what the refund policy is and resolution information.
Nowadays, if you plan to have an online presence that goes beyond Facebook and LinkedIn, then you need to assure your visitors with a Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Get your own documentation, read our how to: Create your own Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Image credits: opensourceway
If you enjoyed or found this article useful, please show us some support by liking us on Facebook or by sharing us on your favorite social website. Thanks!