Legal Pages Every Website Should Have
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Essential Legal Requirements For Your Squarespace Website
If you're starting a website, it's absolutely important to make sure that you have all of the legal documents in place.
Most websites will need at least one of the following legal documents, with a Privacy Policy being the most commonly required:
Privacy Policy: Essential if your website collects personal data like email addresses or payment information.
Terms of Service / Terms and Conditions: Defines the rules users must follow when using your site.
Income Disclaimer: Important for sites that offer financial advice or earnings opportunities.
Affiliate Disclaimer: Required if you use affiliate links to earn commissions.
Many business owners don't realize this, but these documents are important for protecting your website and yourself. Not every website needs every policy, but 99.9 of websites need at least one of these!
This blog post will discuss why each of these documents are important, what’s typically included, and how to create them.(Spoiler alert: there are some great resources that do the heavy lifting for you. I share a list for you below to check out.)
Website Privacy Policy
A legal website needs a privacy policy that discloses how you collect, use, and share personal information with others. This may include email addresses, credit card info, AND/OR if you’re using any third-party services like Google Analytics or online scheduling tools, they may require you to disclose these practices in your Privacy Policy as part of their terms of service. For example: "We may collect your email address when you sign up for our newsletter."
This policy should also include an explanation of cookies (how they work on the site).
Key Elements of a Privacy Policy
Types of Information Collected: Describe the personal information you collect - like names and email addresses - and mention any automatically collected data like IP addresses.
Purpose of Collection: Explain why this information is collected, like sending newsletters.
Usage of Data: Outline how the collected data is used, whether for enhancing user experience, improving services, or other purposes.
Data Sharing: Specify who you share personal data with and under what circumstances.
Cookies and Tracking: Discuss the role of cookies and other tracking technologies.
User Rights: Inform users about their rights to access and manage their personal data.
Security Measures: Detail the measures in place to protect user data.
Policy Updates: Explain how updates to the privacy policy will be communicated.
Contact Details: Provide a way for users to contact you with privacy concerns.
Cookie Policy and Consent Tools
Squarespace offers basic cookie management tools, but they are quite generic. For enhanced cookie management, consider using a tool like Termageddon*. Cookie consent tools are not mandatory - but they can help manage user preferences more effectively, promoting transparency and trust.
Terms of Service or Terms & Conditions:
This legal document outlines the rules and regulations that users must adhere to when using your website. It's often used as an agreement between you and visitors, but it can also be used to protect yourself from legal liability or disputes. For example: "By visiting this site, you agree not to steal any content."
Key Elements of Terms of Service:
Acceptance of Terms: State that using the site constitutes agreement to these terms.
Changes to Terms: Inform users that terms can change and continued use indicates acceptance of any new terms.
Account Security: If your site includes registration, explain their responsibilities for keeping their accounts secure.
Prohibited Actions: Clearly list what is NOT allowed on your site.
Intellectual Property: Clarify who owns the content on your site and the extent of your website visitors’ rights to use it.
User Content: Outline rules regarding any content your website visitors can post.
Termination: Describe under what conditions you might block their access.
Liability Limitations: State your limitations of liability.
Legal Jurisdiction: Specify the legal jurisdiction that governs the terms.
Contact Info: Provide a way to contact you about the terms.
What’s the difference between Terms of Service & Terms and Conditions?
Terms of Use: The rules you need to follow to use a specific website. They tell you what you can and can't do on a website.
Terms and Conditions: This term is broader and can apply to many situations, not just online. It covers the rules and details of buying or using services or products.
Terms of Service: These are like terms of use but focus more on specific details like how the service works, how you pay for it, and how you or the service provider can end the service.
Income Disclaimer
A website that sells information, services, or programs to boost your client’s income needs to have an income disclaimer that states that financial results are not guaranteed. For example: "Any statements made on this site do not represent typical earnings." This policy helps protect you in case someone decides they're unhappy with their financial situation and tries suing you because of what happened to them while using your website/services offered.
Key Elements of an Income Disclaimer:
No Guaranteed Earnings: Clearly state that the website does not promise specific financial results.
Variability of Results: Note that results vary based on individual efforts and market conditions.
Testimonials and Examples: If you use testimonials, clarify that these results are not typical and not guaranteed for everyone.
Assumption of Risk: Users should assess their risk when engaging in activities based on the information from your site.
Legal and Compliance Notices: Mention any regulatory compliance affecting your statements.
Affiliate Disclaimer
Suppose you include affiliate links anywhere on your website. In that case, these links need to be disclosed, and you are required legally to have an affiliate disclaimer notice above the first affiliate link on each page. For example: "This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on them and make a purchase, we will receive a commission at no additional cost to you."
Key Elements of an Affiliate Disclaimer:
Clear Disclosure: State upfront about the use of affiliate links in the content.
Explanation of Affiliate Links: Describe what affiliate links are and how they work.
No Extra Cost to Users: Reassure users that clicking on affiliate links does not result in additional charges for them.
Transparency of Relationship: Explain your relationship with the affiliate network or brands.
Resources for Legal Website Templates and Policies
Here are a few of the best and top-recommended resources for legal website templates:
Termageddon* - the one I personally use, and recommend all to my clients.
Contract Club* (one time fee of $50!)
Setting Up Legal Pages on Squarespace
Once you get your legal terms for your website, you might be wondering how you set them up.
It only takes a few steps. First, create new blank pages, then add your text or code, and finally create links in the footer.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up legal pages on your Squarespace site:
Access your Squarespace pages: Go to your website's dashboard and navigate to "Pages."
Add a page: Use the ‘not linked’ area to add new legal pages like privacy policy or terms of service.
Select a template: Choose a template that suits your legal page needs, or just choose a blank page.
Edit content: Replace the placeholder text with your legal information.
Link in footer: Add these page links to your website footer.
Adjust SEO settings: Decide if you want these pages visible in search results. (I recommend turning off SEO visibility for your legal pages.)
Website Accessibility
This isn’t technically in the ‘Legal Pages’ area of websites, but I wanted to make a quick note about accessibility here. Because it is extremely important to consider accessibility while designing your site, and large companies have gotten into legal trouble by not meeting accessibility standards.
Making your website accessible to individuals with disabilities is increasingly regarded as a standard practice, aligned with legal expectations such as the ADA in the U.S. Squarespace allows for basic accessibility adjustments, but more comprehensive measures might be necessary depending on your audience. At a bare minimum, use accessible color palettes and always include alt text. You can use accessibility plugins, but those are often a bandaid more than a helpful tool.
For more information, you should contact a website accessibility expert.
Final Thoughts
A legal website is essential for protecting both your business and yourself from legal disputes. In this blog post, we discussed why each legal document is important, how to find or purchase a template that will work for you, and how to add them to your Squarespace site.
I hope that you found these tips helpful in making your website legally compliant!
Legal Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes and is not intended as legal advice. Please consult a legal professional for advice tailored to your specific circumstances.
