Your website’s privacy information and security settings can be significant hurdles when it comes to gaining trust with your visitors. Establishing trust is paramount to enticing visitors to make that final commitment, whether that be making a purchase, choosing to provide their info, or simply making initial contact with you.
Your job is to make sure your visitors feel confident that their information is kept safe and will not be used for nefarious means, or anything other than what they fully expect. While providing assurances are nice, those assurances only go so far as what actually happens. Be sure that your small print reinforces what your visitors already expect to find in regards to how their information is used.
Page Structure
You should have specific pages developed that address both privacy and visitor security issues. These pages should be easy to access and structured in an easy-to-read fashion.
Scanability
Be sure your privacy and security pages are easy to scan. Categorize information into sections allowing visitors to easily find information that is most important to them.
Section summaries
With each page divided into sections, each main section should start with a short summary or introduction that then leads to more specific points outlined in greater detail.
Information types
Identify the different types of information that is collected from your visitors and explain how that information will be used. Be specific so visitors get a complete understanding of what happens to the personal info details they provide.
Cookies
If cookies are used for the purpose of storing information, explain why and how long the cookie stays active on their computer.
Info sharing
Explain to your visitors if any information collected will be shared with other third parties and explain the circumstances and reasoning why.
Data protection
Explain how user’s data will be protected and kept safe once their information is collected. Note if any SSL encryption is used, and specifically how information on minors (if applicable) will be protected.
Additional protection
As an additional benefit, it’s a good idea to provide further information on how your visitors can protect themselves and their information on the web in general.
Footer links
Footers are often the “expected” location of links to your privacy and security pages. If not already included, it’s best to find a permanent place in your footer for these links.
Contextual / form links
Don’t let your footer be the only place for such links. Links to your privacy and security pages should be included in all appropriate locations, such as with forms, shopping cart, etc.
Security images
If and where appropriate, use visual images to indicate to visitors they are viewing secure pages or sections of the site, or are entering information into a secure web form. These images give visual confirmation of security that helps establish additional layers of trust.
Site links
The security and privacy pages are a good place to provide additional links to sections of the site that allow users to change preferences, contact info, opt out etc.
When establishing trust and credibility it is often the littlest of things that can make the biggest difference. Shoppers simply want to feel comfortable about their purchase. The more small comforts you can provide them the more apt they will be to complete the shopping/purchase process.
Let the Pole Position Marketing team help you velocitize your web marketing, expand your online presence and grow your business through SEO, PPC, social media, as well as consulting, speaking and/or in-house training. Contact our pit crew at 866-685-3374.
Stoney deGeyter leads an exceptional crew of web marketers who work overtime to make him look good. He's a prolific writer on all things web marketing and has published a few ebooks, tutorials and tools that help make online marketing (look) easier. He's also a very friendly guy who loves to help others velocitize their web marketing. In his free time Stoney gets involved in community services and ministries, enjoys his friends and loves on his kids. Read Stoney's full bio.
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