Web Policies – Part 2 – Display Websites with Mailing List and Contact Form
Hello,
In the process of creating a website, there comes a time when we need to offer more contact options to our visitors and find ways to increase website engagement and visibility.
The implementation of a Contact Form and a member subscription system to send incentive emails are usually the steps to follow in the launch and evolution of the corporate website.
Of course, these operations require an adjustment of usage and privacy policies and rights and laws must be respected. Let's take a look at the elements required in this article.
MusicScore: This post was written while listening to the album Listen Like Thieves by the band INXS. I suggest you hear to What You Need for your reading.
Listen to the MusicScore complete list on YouTube! Enjoy the Music At Work!
This article offers you an example of a website policy for companies located in Quebec with a posting website with a contact form and a subscription system.
The Website Policies
This article is following the first paper on the Web Policies of a display site with the option of commenting the reader. For the exercise of this paper, to explain the instructions to be disclosed when taking information and visitor data, I mention the steps I followed to program the new W+M Services Contact Form, and by introducing the new W+M Subscription system which has also just been programmed! You can sign up for free by entering your email now.
Note that these examples of website policies are intended for companies that operate in the territory of Quebec, Canada, as of April 2024. If your company's head office is not in Quebec, I advise you to check your government's website to check the e-commerce laws of your region or country, as well as the privacy and responsibilities of your website publisher. This paper will be adapted with law and regulation updates.
Start the process of creating a website policy
Find the right documentation
Before starting to producing a Terms and Conditions policy, or a Privacy Act, I suggest checking the appropriate laws. I always go back to read the posting rules for businesses by the Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec to learn about confidentiality, the merchant section of the website of the Office de la protection du consommateur and Légis Québec to check for online commerce responsibilities, and finally in terms of documentation, I love the site of LawDepot.
There are several examples of policies on the web and many paid services are offered to carry out this task for businesses. However, I like to know these rules as a webmaster who has the responsibility of putting truthful content on the web, and as an entrepreneur.
Advertising
Start the process of creating a contact form, the first data collection
The Contact Form
In addition to allowing professionals and entrepreneurs not to enter personal information on their website, putting a form online is a good way to allow a first contact with a prospect, while guiding the initial conversation with specific questions, such as asking to specify the field of activity, the budget or other important details to know in order to develop and advise your products and services in a way that is effective. In other words, like any good procedure, the form is supposed to take you away some administrative jobs.
An effective form should avoid recurring questions and invite action, while being easy to fill out and, most importantly, understandable.
The Required Policies of a Contact Form
In any case, the addition of forms implies an important responsibility to be disclosed in the policies and terms of use of websites. It is formal to list the information collected from our forms and disclose who has access to this data, where it is saved, and who takes care of security and confidentiality in the company. Also, the reason for the collection and the duration of the need for custody must be specified.
This seems complex, especially if this is the first time you have implemented a form on one of your digital tools. Don't worry, the following section explains and demonstrates an example.
Start to prepare the integration of the Contact Form
The following is a website policies for the type of website that display pages and articles on which text, images, videos, and other communicating materials are displayed. The site uses cookies for statistical purposes and has a comment section for the reader at the bottom of blog posts and a contact web page with a form that asks the following questions:
Email - required
First and last name - not required
Company name - not required
Website - required
Scope of Activity - Required
Email Title - Required
Email text - required
Leaked visitor data is saved in the website's management system, which only one person has access to and has signed the company's privacy agreement. The data is kept until the request has been executed, or in the case of statistics for the purpose of improving the company's services. This example also includes the basic website terms and the company's protection and liability elements.
The proposed policy is as follows. The part about the form is at the bottom:
The text of the Web Policies
This Privacy Policy operates in conjunction with the Terms and Conditions of Use of the Site which are below. Both policies are subject to change at any time. When you visit this site, you accept the policy as it is at the time of your visit.
Applicable Laws
This policy complies with the laws set out in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
For residents of EU countries, this Privacy Policy is intended to comply with the GDPR. If there are any inconsistencies between this policy and the GDPR, the GDPR will apply, including the clarification of persons under the age of 15 who need to have the consent of a legal representative to consult this site, since there is data collection.
For residents of the State of California, this Privacy Policy is intended to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). If there are any inconsistencies between this document and the CCPA, state law will apply.
Consent
Users agree that by using the Site, there is consent to the terms set forth in this Privacy Policy and to the collection, use and retention of data listed in this Policy.
Use of cookies
By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies and the interpretation of visit data via the Analytics report. We use cookies to provide you with an improved experience and to optimize the proper functioning of our website:
IP address without personal identification
Your Internet service provider and operating system (e.g., Mac OS, Windows)
The type and model of device (e.g., iPhone 11) and screen resolution of the device
Browser type, language, version, and other data (e.g., Chrome, Safari)
The region or municipality, as determined by IP address
The domain of the site from
The point of origin (e.g., banner, email, social network, etc.)
The pages viewed on the site (the sequence of visits, interactions within the page, the date, time, duration and frequency of your visits, and your activities (clicks, scrolling, etc.)
This personal data collected on our site will only be used for the purposes specified in this policy or indicated on the relevant pages of our site. We will not use your data beyond what we disclose.
The automatically collected data is used for statistical purposes and to improve the visitor experience.
Comment Section
The site also gives the user the opportunity to comment in the Comment section of each article of the Marketing Blog. This data may be collected using the following non-mandatory or solicited methods: opinion piece.
The data collected voluntarily in the comments helps to achieve the purpose set forth in this Privacy Policy. No additional data will be collected without first informing you. The data collected when the user performs certain functions may be used for the purpose of improving the website and the writing of articles.
Contact form
The site also gives the user the option to contact (Company Name) through a contact form on the website. The form data includes the following information (List the details of your contact form):
Email - required
First and last name - not required
Company name - not required
Website - required
Scope of Activity - Required
Email Title - Required
Email text - required
This data may be collected by means of the following non-mandatory or solicited methods: contact form on the website.
The data collected from the forms helps to achieve the stated purpose of the applications. The data collected when the user performs certain functions may be used for the purpose of improving the website and the writing of articles, for the purpose of improving the website and the services of (Company Name).
Access to personal data
Employees: Any member of the organization may access the data in the course of his or her duties only as set out in this policy and must comply with this privacy policy.
Third party: No user data is shared with a third party. In this event, the third party will access user data in the course of its functions as set out in this Policy for the duration of the purpose of its functions and must comply with this Privacy Policy.
Other Disclosures: (Company Name) agrees not to sell or share the data with third parties except as required by law, as required for any legal proceeding, to prove or protect the legal rights of (Company Name) or for buyers or potential buyers of (Company Name) in the event of a sale of the Company, or one of its entities.
Third-Party Links
(Company Name) is not responsible for, and has no control over, the privacy policies and the usage policy of the site and the company receiving the visitor.
Conservation and protection
User data collected by this site is retained beyond what is necessary to achieve the purposes for which it is collected: statistics and improving the visitor experience.
The data is stored in a secure system, managed with the utmost reasonable care by (Company Name) to ensure the security and protection of users.
Rights of the user
A user has the right to access all of their collected personal data and to be able to update or correct it provided that the request is compatible with the law.
A user may withdraw or change his/her consent at any time, provided that it is legally possible and acceptable to do so, within a reasonable period of time.
The person responsible for privacy is: (name of the security officer) + (At least one of the following 3 pieces of information: address, email and telephone).
Intellectual property
The Site, as well as its content, logo, text, designs, graphics, service names, audio or video clips, digital downloads, data compilations and software, are owned by (Company Name) or are used under license and are protected under Canadian and international copyright law. Use of the Site does not transfer any ownership or other rights with respect to the Site or its contents.
Instructions for use
The user agrees to use the site lawfully and not to use this site for unlawful purposes, namely:
Harass or abuse other users of the site
Violate the rights of other users of the site
Violate the intellectual property rights of the owners of the site or any third party to the site
Hack another site user's account
Act in any way that could be considered fraudulent
Participate in any illegal activity on the Site
Post any material that may be deemed inappropriate or offensive
If (Company Name) believes that a user is using this site illegally or in a way that violates the Terms of Use, the right of access will be withdrawn and legal action may be taken accordingly.
Contribution and Limitation of User Liability
Users can post editorial content and information on this site through the Comments section of each article. By publicly posting on this site, the user agrees to act legally in accordance with these Site Privacy and Use Policies. (Company Name) or any of its employees shall not be liable for any problems arising from any User Content or any improper use of this site.
Indemnity: As a user, you hereby indemnify (Company Name) from any and all liabilities, costs, causes of action, damages, or expenses arising out of your use of this site or your violation of any of the provisions set forth herein.
(Company Name) reserves the right to remove any comment posted at any time.
Contact
For more information, please contact: (at least one of the following 3 pieces of information: address, email and telephone).
This policy is effective as of (date).
And finally, think about testing your email before going public and customize the confirmation texts of your subscribers with your information and branding rather using the automatic messages from the systems.
The introduction of the first email subscription system to your first mailing list
Doing marketing by email
If you've never worked with an email delivery system, you may find it helpful to use a service like MailChimp with free access to a list of fewer than 500 subscribers. I open accounts regularly, and the introduction to signing up for a free plan to get started is easy to use. Once you've completed the questionnaire on your company's administrative information and legal concepts, there are several options that allow you to customize your email design, and even an implementation of your domain design.
Preparing for the integration of a data collection system for email mailing is simple. Once you have established the information you want to request in the free subscription registration form, and who will be the person in charge of scheduling the mailings, all you have to do is update the web policies with the implementation of the subscription system.
Although adding subscription requires responsibilities that may seem complicated without explanation, the whole thing is quite simple and will be profitable. It is important to have a contact link with a regular customer base via the email subscription. The directive is a bit like social media management, you have to establish and keep the habit of producing good content.
The policies for Subscription integration
Let's focus on the website policies portion of the subscription system in this article. My tips on member management will be discussed in another report. Hey, I can't wait to write it all of a sudden!
For a continuation of this article, we will produce a policy for a site that welcomes its members by asking them for their email address and their language of use for communications, either French or English. The chosen distribution system is Mailchimp, via the free plan. Our policy to create therefore implies that we have to explain that data (emails and language) are transferred to a third-party system in case of subscription.
Below you will find the full text of the policy, but here I give you an example of the disclosure of the sharing of personal data to be listed. Mailchimp's point would be disclosed in the third-party point:
Employees: We may disclose to any member of our organization the user data that they reasonably need to fulfill the purposes set out in this Policy.
Third Parties: We may share User Data with the following third parties: a. MailChimp email delivery system. We may share user data with third parties for the following purposes: a. Email address and language (English or French). Third parties will not be able to access user data beyond what is reasonably necessary to achieve the given purpose.
Other Disclosures: We will not sell or share your data with other third parties except in the following cases: a. if required by law b. if required for any legal process c. to prove or protect our legal rights d. to buyers or prospective buyers of that company in the event that we seek to sell the company. If you follow hyperlinks from our site to another site, please note that we are not responsible for, and have no control over, their privacy policies and practices.
Note that if your mailing list subscription form asks for more questions, you need to add what you are asking for to your sharing notion.
Since data retention is now explained in the previous point, we will add to the policy that welcomes its members by asking them for their email address and their language of use for communications, either French or English). The chosen distribution system is Mailchimp, via the free plan. Our addition to create therefore implies that we have to explain that the data (emails and language) is transferred to a third-party system in case of subscription. Thus:
Subscription
This site offers a free email subscription service. Visitors are invited to register by submitting their email address and language of communication (English or French) in an electronic form. Subscription and unsubscribing, manageable through the third-party Mailchimp system, is done in every communication received by email, or by contacting us directly at (company email).
The personal data collected on our site for subscription will be used only for communication and information purposes. We will not use your data other than your subscription in English or French to our mailing list, depending on how you agree to our communications.
Who we share your personal subscription data with
Employees: We may disclose to any member of our organization the user data that they reasonably need to fulfill the purposes set out in this Policy.
Third Parties: We may share User Data with the following third parties: a. MailChimp email delivery system. We may share user data with third parties for the following purposes: email and language (English or French). Third parties will not be able to access user data beyond what is reasonably necessary to achieve the given purpose.
Other Disclosures: We will not sell or share your data with other third parties except in the following cases: a. if required by law b. if required for any legal process c. to prove or protect our legal rights d. to buyers or prospective buyers of that company in the event that we seek to sell the company. If you follow hyperlinks from our site to another site, please note that we are not responsible for, and have no control over, their privacy policies and practices.
We do not retain user data beyond what is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it is collected.
Contact
For more information, please contact: (at least one of the following 3 pieces of information: address, email and telephone).
This policy is effective as of (date).
The serie of reports to explain the policies for several websites structures
Posting website and blogging: an article or page display site with the visitor's comment option.
Posting website and blogging with subscription by a third-party MailChimp service with a contact form.
Also coming up
Professional website service with contract billing: using products and services with contract billing; Publication to be announced before summer 2024.
Professional website service with contracted billing and subscription by a third-party service: use of a product and service with contracted billing and subscription#db client; Publication to be announced before summer 2024.
E-commerce website with online billing; Publication to be announced before fall 2024.
E-commerce website with online billing and paying membership subscription with a client data base; Publication to be announced before fall 2024.
All articles will be available under the web policies tag.
Conclusion
And here we are with a website in good standing, offering a member service by email to receive articles, news, and other successful recipes.
And since you're becoming very popular, it's only natural that the next step in your virtual evolution is to offer an invoiced service via your website. Well, that's what the next report on website policies is about!
Prepare your contracts and estimate documents, we'll get it all up and running in a few weeks! Details of the next article coming soon via the W+M Subscription!
Thank you to all the people responsible for the sources of these articles as well as to all the cybersecurity workers and the protection of the security and privacy of users and web designers.
Looking forward,
Jeff
Sources : https://www.avocat.qc.ca/affaires/iipagewww.htm Les implications légales de son site Web, from Me Saverio Coppola, avocat, Rimôn Québec, Montréal.
https://www.canada.ca/fr/agence-revenu/services/impot/entreprises/sujets/commerce-electronique/commerce-electronique.html e-commerce from the Gouvernement du Canada.
https://www.ccmm.ca/fr/nouvelles/blog_quelques-aspects-legaux-du-commerce-electronique/ Quelques aspects légaux du commerce électronique, by Maude Fréchette for the Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain.
https://www.lawdepot.ca/contracts/conditions-generales-d-un-site-web, LawDepot, General conditions of websites.
Image Cr : W+M Services
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