This guest post is brought to you by our friends at MyCorporation
Ever wonder what all goes into the privacy page of an eCommerce site? While many of us likely skim through this section, there’s a lot happening here that works to protect the personal information you share on the site. In a nutshell, Shopify defines privacy policy pages as written “to help you better understand how we collect, use, and store your information.” If you’re ready to begin working on a privacy page for your eCommerce site, here are the essential questions — and answers — you should be providing to consumers, merchants, and site visitors alike.
1) What information do we collect (and why)?
Typically, information is collected when you sign up for the eCommerce site’s services. Services can include anything from subscribing to the site’s e-newsletter to placing an order. Be sure to specify the type of information your site collects. For site visitors and consumers, this is typically your name and email address to sign up for an e-newsletter, and mailing address, phone number, and credit card information if you’re placing an order. Depending on your business type, merchants may need to provide extra information like their business name, address, date of birth, and social security number or tax ID when registering for accounts. Specify why you are collecting this information and how it helps improve the site to give you a personalized experience.
2) How do we protect your information?
For those concerned about a possible data breach, take care to note how you plan to protect the information on your eCommerce site. In this section, include the types of security measures you’ll be implementing and how sensitive information, like credit card numbers, will be kept confidential within specialized systems.
3) Do we use cookies?
If your eCommerce site uses cookies (small files sent to your browser by a website that are stored on your device to recognize you and track your preferences), briefly define cookies and whether or not your site uses them. If you do, you may also want to include notes on why you use cookies. This answer may vary depending on your site, but typically most sites use cookies to track your prior visits and create a personalized experience based off of what you’re interested in.
4) Do we share any personal information with outside parties?
This answer depends on how your eCommerce site chooses to work with third parties. Generally, personal information is not disclosed without your content. If you do share this kind of information, explain who you are sharing it with and the terms. In some cases, this may be a legal requirement that helps to prevent any violations to the site’s Terms of Service.
5) If you terminate your account, what happens to your personal information?
Good question — and one that should be addressed on your privacy page! Outline what happens to your stored information if you delete your shop or account from the eCommerce site and if there are any archiving options available.
Along with this information, it’s also a good idea to include information about CalOPPA (California Online Privacy Protection Act), COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act), a link to your Terms and Conditions section, whether or not you’ll be posting changes to the privacy policy on that page or elsewhere, and contact information for anyone with further questions.
Do you have questions or something to say about privacy policies? Start the conversation in the comments!
Deborah Sweeney is the CEO of MyCorporation.com. MyCorporation is a leader in online legal filing services for entrepreneurs and businesses, providing start-up bundles that include corporation and LLC formation, registered agent, DBA, and trademark & copyright filing services. MyCorporation does all the work, making the business formation and maintenance quick and painless, so business owners can focus on what they do best. Follow her on Google+ and on Twitter @mycorporation.
