Jul 3rd, 2008
ARE YOU UPFRONT WITH YOUR READERS?
One of the biggest issues with the use of the internet is the security of information that is often collected as visitors pass through. What is missing from many websites including blogs is something as simple as a privacy policy.
A privacy policy should be a part of every blogs design and should be one of the first items created when starting a site. The format can be very simple or quite involved. You can see our privacy policy, which is quite involved, too get an idea of what could be included.
If you run Adsense ad units on your site, part of Google’s terms of service include having a Privacy Policy. Failing to include one could see your site excluded from publishing their ad units. To quote from Google’s Adsense Blog:
We’ve also added some specific requirements that make it necessary for publishers to post and abide by a transparent privacy policy that users see. According to this policy, publishers must notify their users of the use of cookies and/or web beacons to collect data in the ad serving process. This change relates to advertisers’ use of innovative products and features like Gadget Ads and other offerings in the future.
Whether you knowing collect data, for example with newsletters, or allow third parties such as Google to collect data, having a written Privacy Policy brings a level of professionalism to any website, blogs included.
If you have several sites, or several blogs, you can allow them all to link to the one Privacy Page. This page does not require indexing so the simple use of a ‘nofollow’ tag in the link will prevent the spiders from indexing the page.
There is a need for openness on the web and the more transparent and open you are, the better your reputation. One simple page can mean a lot to your visitors.