If you run a business website, even a small sole proprietorship, you probably need a privacy policy. Ask yourself two questions:


1. Does my website include one or more of these features?

• Contact form
• Newsletter
• Site analytics
• Ads or referrals
• Event booking or other reservation service
• PayPal or other payment service
• Any other form of tracking or registering even the most trivial data about persons

2. Do I have even one user from the EU (or the state of California or any other place with similar privacy laws)?

If the answer to both of these questions is Yes, then you absolutely need a privacy policy. It’s the law. The deadline was May of 2018 so you’re late.

So now that you know you need one, where to get it?
I have tried a half-dozen services so you don’t have to. Sometimes, a service rises head and shoulders above the others and that is certainly the case here. Go to Privacypolicies.com and pay a one-time fee of $40 for the GDPR (about 250 Dkr) or $50 for an all-inclusive international policy that you can either download or let them host for free indefinitely. The latter option ensures that your policy stays updated. For my money, this is the way to go.

The policy is tailor-made for you; it isn’t a template or one-size-fits-all. You answer a few easy questions and pay your fee and your policy is generated. You can download as a Word document or a PDF or some other options. You also get a link to the hosted version so you can integrate it into your website. The entire process takes less than 10 minutes.

Okay, you got one. Now what?
If you are one of my clients, send me the link to your privacy policy and I will integrate it into your website at no charge.

Why should you take my word for it?
I have no affiliation with this service and I get no form of kickback. I tried several free options but they required a lot of time to include information about the third party services I use. I also tried some of the more expensive options but I didn’t like paying several dollars each month for something so annoying as a privacy policy. This service was a happy medium with a modest one-time payment. I’m done and dusted and don’t have to think about it anymore.

If you want to study the market, here is a helpful list of other options.

By the way, if you want to take a look at the Privacy Policy for my own small business, knock yourself out! You’re welcome to adapt it for your own use if you want to spend time instead of money.

We have released a new version of our web planner to make it easier for you to gather your thoughts before starting a new web design project. Download it freely here