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As a website designer, I love sharing tips and suggestions on improving your website and business, but today I’m sharing one thing your website absolutely needs – a Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions with The Contract Shop.

Let me guess – you’ve heard of that must-have, annoying legal page on your website that has some legal jargon. By now, you’re probably rolling your eyes and thinking this doesn’t really pertain to you. I’m sorry my friend, but if you want your website and business to be protected, you absolutely need this. 

A new business owner? You need it. A small-town blogger? You need it. A website with only 10 monthly visitors? Yep, you need it too.

If you’re going to invest in a website or blog, you need to also invest in this. I suggest using The Contract Shop for all of your legal needs. But first, here’s a deep dive into what Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions are and why they matter to you and your business.

Privacy Policy

A Privacy Policy is a statement that discloses how you gather website viewer’s data or information. If you’re growing an email list, tracking analytics, selling products, or have a software that collects your leads, then you legally must have a Privacy Policy on your website. 

A Privacy Policy also tells viewers about any other third parties (Dubsado, Paypal, Convertkit, etc.) or affiliates that also have access or are holding this information.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) legally requires that any web page that collects information from its visitors have an available Privacy Policy. In fact, if your Privacy Policy doesn’t have GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) provisions and you collect data from a European-based visitor, you’re also breaking international law. Eeek!

Terms and Conditions

A Terms and Conditions policy protects your business by telling website visitors what they can (or can’t) do with your content. 

You’ve worked so hard to create that blog post, capture on-brand photos, and pour your heart out through your website copy. And it would be absolutely heartbreaking for someone to steal all that hard work.

With a Terms and Conditions policy, you are protected in the unfortunate circumstance of someone sharing or using your content illegally. Should you ever need to send a cease and desist letter or claim copyright infringement, this policy allows you to do that with confidence.

Terms and Conditions aren’t required by law. But as a business owner, I don’t want anyone stealing what I’ve worked so hard to create. I’m sure you feel the same! Having Terms and Conditions on your website will give your business the protection it absolutely deserves.

When should you get this?

The best time to get a Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions is right now – before it’s too late and you’re in a massive legal hole. 

But what about those free versions?

Sure, there are free Privacy Policies and Terms and Conditions out there that you can download. But the ones I’ve come across looked spliced and diced and put together with fluorescent duct-tape that screams, “I know I’m supposed to have this, but I obviously don’t know what I’m doing.”

Along with no guarantee that it protects you, using a free, confusing, or disorganized template makes your visitors lose trust in your business very quickly.

Why you should get your Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions with The Contract Shop:

So how do you get a GDPR-compliant, attorney approved Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions without paying thousands of lawyer fees? Simply turn to The Contract Shop, my friend.

Christina Scalera is the lady lawyer behind The Contract Shop. She’s spent countless hours developing all of her templates and contracts with photographers, designers, wedding pros, coaches, and more in mind. 

I’ve been using these templates and contracts from The Contract Shop since I started my business. They are very affordable, easy-to-use (like fill-in-the-blanks easy), and even come with a no-hassle return policy. Thankfully, Christina has bundled both the GDPR-compliant Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions into one file to make things even easier on you.

Now you can relax knowing that you’re legally protected. When you buy your Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions with The Contract Shop, you’ll also get any updates when there is a new version of your template you can re-download.

Where to place your Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions on Your Website:

Once you’ve got your attorney approved Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions, you should create a web page that hosts this information. And don’t forget to include a direct link to this page in the footer of your website! With these fillable templates, you really have no excuse to not protect yourself.

Now that you’ve got that final piece of the website puzzle, do you want an expert to make sure the rest of your website is in tip-top shape? Apply for a free website audit here.