You may see links to a privacy policy on the footer of many websites you visit, but surely, it’s only big corporations that need them, right? Nobody really talks about privacy policies, and they’re not automatically included in website templates or drag-and-drop builders, so how are new coaches to know if they need one or not? Today, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about your coaching website privacy policy.
What Is a Privacy Policy
A privacy policy is a website page that states how you use the data your website collects from users. It is usually written in legalese and includes the following information:
- What data your coaching website collects
- How your coaching website collects data
- How the data is used, shared, and stored (and the duration)
- The purposes behind using, sharing, and storing the data
- The rights of people who visit your website regarding their data
Most businesses tend to put their privacy policy somewhere in their footer because while it needs to be easy for users to find, it’s not central to your website navigation. Your footer menu allows it to be out of the way, but users can access your privacy policy from every page.
Do I Need a Privacy Policy for My Coaching Website?
Many privacy laws require a website to display a privacy policy so website visitors will be informed of how their personal data will be used and their rights. For example, the European GDPR Laws require all websites to have a privacy policy displayed and your coaching business could be slapped with a substantial fine if it is non-compliant. These GDPR Laws apply even to businesses outside of Europe.
Many third-party websites and apps require you to comply with these laws to use their services. Google does this, so a lack of a privacy policy could mean you can’t access essential business tools like analytics and Google Ads.
That is all to say, yes, you need a privacy policy for your coaching website, especially if your website does any of the following things:
- Collects email addresses for a lead magnet
- Has a checkout function to sell coaching products or your coaching course
- Uses analytics to collect data for insight into user activities
- Provides data to third-party apps or services for retargeting campaigns, market research, conversion analysis, etc.
How to Add a Privacy Policy to Your Coaching Website
The easiest way to add a privacy policy to your website is to find a free template online. You have two options here:
- Find a privacy policy template for your CMS (content management system) like WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, etc. This is a great option if you’re just using analytic plugins and an email opt-in.
- Get a privacy policy template from a legal expert’s website. It will show you how to modify the template to suit your coaching business and business tools. This is a great option for businesses that collect more data, like those with a checkout function on their website.
There are also privacy policy generators which will help you generate a privacy policy that reflects the exact business tools you use. There is a cost involved, but the privacy policy addresses how the website user’s data is used.
Do I Need a Lawyer to Write My Privacy Policy
Hiring a lawyer to write your privacy policy is the only way to have a privacy policy that is 100% compliant with current laws and protects your business from legal action. When you hire a lawyer to write your privacy policy, they write one based on how you and your third-party business tools use your customer data.
If you have a simple coaching website (website pages, blogs, email opt-in, and contact form), you can get by on a privacy policy template because you’re not collecting much data from your clients. Once your coaching website hosts a checkout page or you have a lot of plug-ins or connected services, you should consider hiring a lawyer to write your privacy policy. This is because you are collecting more personal data, and the data you are collecting is more sensitive (financial data and addresses.)
Add a Privacy Policy to Your Website Today
If you don’t currently have a privacy policy on your website, make that your business task for today. Find a template that suits your coaching website’s functionality and upload it as a new website page. Then, add a link to your website footer. From there, you can decide if you want to hire a lawyer or not, but at least you have a privacy policy live on your website.