Legal Documents Every Website Should Have
In recent years, there’s been a shift towards more privacy on the internet and people caring more and more about how companies are collecting and using their data. This trend is sure to continue and we’re going to see more legislation around a website user’s rights in the years to come.
Here are a few legal considerations every business owner should address as they’re launching their website.
By addressing these, you’ll remain compliant with international regulations, provide transparency to their users about what they’ll do with their data, and make sure the website’s information is protected...
If you have an opt-in or e-newsletter, you need a Privacy Policy to keep personal information from website visitors safe and confidential. A privacy policy tells the user what you will do with their information. When I got serious about making my website legally protected, I was so grateful to find Lisa Fraley who is a lawyer that’s created DIY legal templates that are easy to use and clearly laid out. Here’s a link to Lisa’s template for a Privacy Policy. Once you have your privacy policy in place, you should have it as a separate page on your website, linked in the footer.
After someone is on your email list, they need to be able to opt-out at any time. Make sure you have an “Unsubscribe Here” at the bottom of your emails. This makes sure that the user is ultimately in control of their own data. And while we’re on the topic of unsubscribes...be glad, they aren’t your people anyway!
One of the first steps to protecting your business is a website disclaimer. It lets people know what you do and what you don’t do so they don’t get confused. It’s your base layer of legal protection to disclaim liability. It says that people should use their own judgement before applying anything that they learned or found on your website. You can get a DIY Website Disclaimer template here.
Your website should also have terms and conditions that lets the user know what they can and cannot do with the content on your site. This makes sure that the words, images, free gifts, etc. are protected if someone attempts to steal your intellectual property and use it as their own. Lisa Fraley does a great job explaining more about why you need Terms and Conditions.... check it out here. Just like your privacy policy, you should have your terms and conditions as a separate page on your website, linked in the footer.
These are just a few helpful things about how to make sure your website is compliant and protected. I did work in legal marketing for a while but I’m not a lawyer and this information should not be taken as legal advice. Please consult your attorney if you’re looking for more clarification about what I’ve mentioned here.
If you need any other legal documents for your business, you can browse all of the DIY templates that Lisa Fraley offers here.
p.s. The links I included in this post are affiliate links so I will get a little kick back if you purchase a template from her. That being said, my motive for sharing this information isn’t to make money - it’s simply to make sure your website is compliant and protected.
This article was last updates on October 27, 2021.
