Why you need a terms & conditions and Privacy policy

Over the course of researching all the in’s and out’s of a successful website, you’ve likely stumbled across some ways to ensure your website is legally sound.

While the legalse can be intimidating there’s a few essentials you’ll need in your business. A contract is the first item that comes to mind for most service based entrepreneurs. You’ve likely got that covered! 

But what about a Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy? What are they, why do you need them, and how do you get them?

Let’s break it down!

Disclaimer: Just a heads up, this post contains an affiliate link! If you choose to make a purchase through the link, Artisan Kind will receive a small commission. Thank you so much!

What are Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies all about?

The best way to take the intimidation factor out of topics like this is to define them in simple language!

These are two separate documents that are typically added to the same page of your site (they go hand in hand).

Terms & Conditions: A legally binding agreement between you and your website users. It outlines the “rules” users must follow to use your website. Aka: It protects YOU

Privacy Policy: Explains to users how YOU interact with THEIR data (what happens when they click the “accept cookies” button on your site). It explains what data you collect, where it’s stored, how it will be used, and how it will not be used (because no one wants to hand over sensitive information to an untrustworthy source.) Your privacy policy protects your users!

As Christine Scalera, Lawyer and founder of the Contract Shop says, “This is the boring page on every website that we’re all happy to ignore. Until those “OH SHIITAKE!” moments.”

Why Do You Need Them?

Terms & Conditions are recommended to have on your website, but they are not required by law.

That being said, your Terms & Conditions are there for your benefit! They can touch on important topics like :

• Intellectual Property rights (a claim that your content is owned by you).
• Protection against abuses (users with ill-intent).
• Limit your liability (A way to notify users that you can’t be responsible for any damages or misinformation/ errors in content)..

A Privacy Policy IS required by law. You must disclose what data you collect from users and how you are using it. This helps users make informed decisions about interacting with you site, signing up for your email list, or making a purchase from you.

How Can You Get Them?

You can absolutely write your own Terms & Conditions as well as Privacy Policy.

You aren’t required to hire a lawyer. Though if you’re not a legal expert it’s easy to miss key details that are there for everyone’s protection. By missing these details you may be negating any benefit of having these listed on your website.

Not to mention, writing these up can be a MAJOR time commitment. (Certainly not the most thrilling task).

I’m a huge advocate for customizing templates! You can find free templates online, but these are often quite generic and again can miss key details relevant to your industry. I use templates from the Contract Shop and can’t recommend them enough!

The Contract Shop offers two different templates for Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy:

Terms & Conditions & Privacy Policy for Your Website – The Contract Shop®

An easily customizable document that you can save and upload to your website.

Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy Bundle – The Contract Shop®

If you have multiple areas of your business (An online store, a course, and your main website) then this bundle is for you! It covers additional templates to ensure you’re protected all the way around.

The best part is with these templates the legal language is all there, but it is expressed in a way that is easy to understand (for you and your users!) The Contract Shop caters to small businesses like ours!

The Takeaway:

Investing in your business can be overwhelming.

Protecting your business legally is  intimidating and your time is limited. Don’t pass up an opportunity to protect your business and your users. 

DIY-ing is always an option, but investing in a customizable template (written and peer reviewed by lawyers), like those in the Contract Shop, will not only give you peace of mind, it will save your incredibly valuable time!