You are building a business with an online presence or already have one. You have created your website, prepared carefully your products and are ready to start earning your well-deserved profits!
But something is missing.
Your customers and website visitors need to be informed about the legal relationships they enter into when using your website and purchasing your products or services. They also need to know how their personal information is stored and used.
Don’t overlook the legal! It may make the difference between a successful business and an expensive waste of time! Trustworthiness can increase your profits substantially!
Have you checked the websites of the most successful online business? If not, do it now! What do they have in common?
If you have not yet figured it out, here is a small hint. They all have clear legal policies in place which govern the legal relationship between with their customers!
Download for Free our Ultimate Guide to Online Legal Compliance!
But why are these so important and what exactly do I need?
Here are the 6 ultimate steps you need to take now to protect and strengthen your online business! Doing so will improve your credibility and possibly increase your profits!
Step № 1 – Website Terms and Conditions
General Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) form the main legal agreement your website visitors consent to. They outline the rights and obligations of the parties (you and customers/users) and describe what the permitted uses of and actions on a website are. In the case of a dispute, the T&Cs are the starting point and main source of information for the decision-makers.
Do your customers know what the legal use of your website is? In what cases their access can be terminated? What happens in case of a dispute?
A further important feature of the the website T&Cs is to protect your Intellectual Property rights.
All these issues need to be clarified in advance in order to avoid costly legal disputes. Why go to court when you can simply implement a clear set of Terms and Conditions on your website, and avoid all the hassle!
A Privacy Policy is the legal document that informs your website visitors about the way your business stores and processes their personal information.
What are the consequences of not having a Privacy Policy in place?
First of all, you face the danger of paying massive fines – up to EUR 20 Million!
Law requires websites to have an appropriate Privacy Policy that reflects all the specifics of a given website. Each business that collects personal information is under an obligation to store, process and reproduce it subject to the relevant legislation. If you fail to meet your privacy duties, you risk facing terrible fines and possibly even a closure of your website.
Moreover, each individual visitor whose personal information has been mistreated has a course of action against you and can sue you for compensation. The decisions is simple –implement a proper and professionally written Privacy Policy on your website for a price times lower than what any law firm would offer!
No doubt you have noticed most websites ask you to consent to their use of cookies. But this has nothing to do with sweets accompanying their afternoon tea. Cookies are small pieces of software which most websites use.
Most probably you also use cookies. And if you fail to clarify this to your customers, you may face thousands of euros in fines. We are sure you would like to avoid this. But how?
Why risk paying massive fines, when you can simply solve this problem in the blink of an eye? A simple Cookie Policy which includes all relevant issues is the key to avoiding unwanted legal expenses.
Order now our Cookie Policy – it includes all the specifics of your website and/or e-commerce business!
By publishing this document on your website you be rest assured that you have complied with Cookie Law Obligations.
Step № 4 – Business Terms and Conditions
Do you sell goods or services online?
If the answer is yes, does your sale process refer to a legal document? If not, how are going to take your money if the customer doesn’t want to pay? Do your customers know what your shipping policy is?
The answer to these questions is that you need Terms and Conditions for Sale of Goods and/or Services.
Online businesses usually receive many standardised transactions. Negotiating the terms of each transaction impossible. That is why every e-commerce business needs a standard legal agreement which would apply in all its transactions.
Consumers are much more likely to purchase goods or services online if they have clear knowledge of what the purchase terms and conditions are, so that they know what to expect. By purchasing our Terms and Conditions for Sale you will increase your sales rapidly!
Step № 5 – Delivery and Return Policy
One of the most important considerations for customers buying goods online, is whether the refund and delivery process is clear and unambiguous.
In fact, over 60% of customers review a DRP before making a decision to trust a website and/or purchase from it (comScore).
If you want to increase significantly your sales and profits and raise customer satisfaction, you definitely need a clear Delivery and Return Policy! A good Delivery and Return Policy coupled with an excellent customer support service will almost completely guarantee that you will avoid complaints before the relevant national adjudication bodies and local courts.
The advantages of such policy are evident in the long term and will make a significant impact on your customer base and profit levels!
Customer experience starts at the moment they visit your website, and finishes once they have received their goods and paid for them. It is a long process, every step of which may make the difference between a loyal long term customer and a one shot disappointment.
Communicating with clients is essential for every business’ success. It is crucial however to use not only plain language, but to know how to phrase your communication to create legally binding relationships. For each professional and successfully growing e-commerce businesses, the sale is bigger than just one purchase. A professional e-commerce business will always send their customers an order confirmation e-mail, notifying them of their completed order.
This is also valid for information e-mails when the order is being shipped, as well as when it has been delivered.
By implementing quality email communications, you increase your customers’ trust and build a loyal client base.
CONCLUSION
All of the above described steps, taken individually or as a whole will make a substantial difference for your business and possibly increase your profits. And be careful – copying the documents of a competitor is not only unprofessional, but may lead to costly legal disputes and massive fines.
Our legal documents are personally drafted for each of our clients, creating unique content that will protect and help your business flourish.
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