Can Your Visitors Trust You?
Published on: June 19, 2004 by Paul Boag
More and more, privacy is becoming an important issue with your visitors. They want to know exactly what you're planning to do with their personal information you collect. This concern can in some extreme cases cause users to give up on your site entirely.
Below I outline just a few ways to reassure users:
- Create a page on your website called, "Privacy Statement," and let your visitors know your intentions.
- Explain how you intend to use their information
- Inform them whether their information is going to be sold to third parties
- If you collect email addresses explain why
- If you track a users IP address explain why
- Let your visitors know that you're not responsible for the privacy issues of any outside websites you may be linking to
- Explain why you use order forms and what you do with the information collected
- If you run competitions explain what you do with the information collected
- Do you have a discussion forum or messageboard? Let your visitors know that any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes public information and they should exercise caution
- Do you have security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under your control? If so,let your visitors know
- Let your visitors know how they can opt out of your mailing lists
- Provide your visitors with your contact information, should they have any questions in regard to your privacy statement.
You must do everything in your power to make your visitors feel as comfortable with you as possible. Your success depends on it.
