Tips for Folks Customizing Privacy Policy Templates

A privacy policy is one of the most important things a company can have. Without making it clear what kind of information you're collecting, or how it's used, people may feel like your company wasn't honest with them. They generally don't want their private information used or given to anyone else, either, and reassuring them can help.

Before you decide exactly what to include, though, consider a privacy policy template. That way, you'll feel better about the information you're collecting, and your customers will know how you'll use what they provide to you. Here's what you should know about a privacy policy template.

What We’ll Cover

When you work with a good privacy policy template, you won't have to worry about the actual, legal wording of your policy. It's all there for you, and all you have to do is fill in the details to make sure it's customized properly. In this article, we'll talk about:

• Important Clauses
• Best Practices
• Tips for Security
• Key Considerations
• Related Sources

When using a privacy policy, there are things you don't want to leave out. If you tell people how you're using their data, and then use it differently, you could even be putting yourself at risk of a lawsuit. Fortunately, a good quality privacy policy template will reduce the risk of that issue. Making sure you have a template you can trust, and can customize to fit your needs, is a good idea when you need to develop a privacy policy. A few of the most important clauses include:

1. Information You're Collecting -- Telling your customers exactly what kind of information you'll be collecting from them is a vital part of a transparent privacy policy.
   
2. Information Collected Automatically -- Automatic information, like I.P address and browser information, should be pointed out, too.
   
3. Cookie Information -- If you put cookies on people's machines when they visit your site, let them know. Most people don't care, but some will.
   
4. Third-Party Information -- Collecting information from third parties is something you should let your customers know about, for their own security.
   
5. How the Information is Used -- What you're doing with customer information is just as important as how you're collecting it.
   
6. How the Information is Stored -- If you aren't storing the information securely, that can become a big problem for your customers.

With all of those areas covered, and any updates provided as they come out, your company and its customers will all be on the same page where privacy is concerned.

A privacy policy template will generally give you all the basic, legal language you need for your customers. It will also help you see if there are areas you need to add or take out, to make the privacy policy fit your company. That's a great way to feel more secure, and also to help your customers feel the same way. But there's more than that to think about. Some of the best practices for your privacy policy should include:

• Being transparent about what information you are and aren't collecting.
• Making sure the policy is fully complete before asking customers to sign it.
• Ensuring you highlight any changes when you update the policy.
• Clearly spelling out the specifics, so customers know what to expect.

Your customers should have a basic idea of what your privacy policy will include, but your privacy policy template could be a little different from others. You don't want to make them feel like they can't trust you, so be sure the policy is clear.

To be sure the privacy policy template you use is completed, signed, and handled securely, you can send it electronically. The best way to do that is touse Nitro Sign to get your privacy policies and other important documents signed. That shows customers you're serious about protecting their privacy, and transparent about your methods.

Some key considerations with any privacy policy include:

• Clarity, so customers know how their information is being handled.
• Timeliness of updates, to keep customers informed on changes.
• Protection from legal concerns caused by data mishandling.
• Security for the customer, and for your company.

With a good privacy policy template, your company will be protected, and so will its customers. That benefits everyone.

To learn more about privacy policies, here are some resources to take a look at.

• What to Include in a Website Privacy Policy
• Items to Include in Your Privacy Policy
• Creating a Quality Privacy Policy