Forget GDPR, here are 5 others you may need to think about...
The part where I don’t talk about GDPR Compliancy
Okay, so I’m going to keep this short. We’ve all heard enough about the new GDPR regulations recently, as we have also (ironically) received more emails than ever as a result of it!
But this has got me thinking. I wonder how many business owners aren’t even aware of what else is expected of them. What do they need to do to be compliant on their website?
You’d be amazed at how often a professional will build a website. Make it pretty, just like the client asked. Knowing full well how to be compliant yet won’t speak up and explain to them that their lovely website will actually not be compliant.
How does that work?!
So moving on, how do we know if we are compliant with all the rules and regs that keep popping up all the time?
Here are 5 important factors worth checking:
1. Privacy Policy
Now I know this technically comes under GDPR (which I’m obviously not talking about), but from what I gather everyone is focusing on the email side of things here. As part of these regulations, not only do you need to have a privacy policy in place but even if you already have one it still needs to be updated.
Were you aware of that? Maybe you noticed all the “We’re updating our Privacy Policy” emails alongside the “Please re-subscribe us!” emails…
Either way, if you don’t have a Privacy Policy in place at all please don’t fret! I’ve put together a little guide here and it really is quick and easy to do!
2. Terms and Conditions
It’s not actually a legal requirement to have a copy of Terms and Conditions on your website, only a Privacy Policy if you collect data. Which most websites do.
A lot of businesses, however, don’t realise that Terms are there to protect and not be a hindrance, and whilst most people wouldn’t even ever read them, you would kick yourself if it ever came to it and you weren’t protected!
If you would like to find out more about what should be included and discover a great legal document creation tool that I stumbled across, click here!
3. Cookies Policy
I was always a little confused about this one myself – if we already declare the use of Cookies in our Privacy Policy then why do we need to have a Cookies Policy in place too?
Well, the thing is that there are many different types of cookies, and these two are specifically excluded from the regulations:
• used for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication, and
• strictly necessary in order for the provider of an information society service explicitly required by the user to provide that service.
Of course, there is no real danger from Cookies – they cannot damage anyone’s computer and in fact life would be quite annoying if we had to log back into a website every time we clicked on a link, but there are also a number of intrusive cookies and so for that we have to specify implicitly the nature and purpose.
–> For a simple, no strings attached free Cookie Policy Generator Tool
4. Copyright Protection
This isn’t something you really have to do, just something you should do. There is a reason we build our businesses and products and websites…it’s so that we can get rich or die trying, right?
Well if someone steals your idea that’s not going to happen. Simple as that.
Get it registered! It’s like a cooler form of insurance. That’s all I’m saying on that one…
5. SSL Certificate
This is another one where it never ceases to amaze me how many people don’t realise what an SSL Certificate is or what it does.
The fact is, it doesn’t matter if you know or even care about compliance with SSL Certificates; the truth is, if you don’t have one, you will lose leads and potential conversions.
Whether it’s because they didn’t see the shiny green lock on the address bar, or whether Google actually told your visitor to turn back because you’re just not safe, is it really worth it?
There are a few different types of certificate which could be more suited to your business depending, so if you want to know what’s best for you and your business, and how to even get hold of one of these and install them, check out this article.
Summary
So, there you have it! Hopefully, you’re sitting there now thinking that I’m “teaching Grandma to suck eggs” (I never really did get that expression if I’m honest!) but if so it means you’re set with where you need to be – and congrats!
If this article has only confused you more, then please feel free to drop me an email or send me a message using the contact page and I would be happy to explain further.
If you just want someone to put these together so that you can forget about it all, let me know too – we can have a chat and I’d be happy to give you a free consultation and quotation for any further action needed!
Disclaimer: This blog does not provide legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. If you need legal advice, please contact a lawyer directly.
