Your business website isn’t a piece of property. It is where you get to showcase something builds without a purpose or a goal in mind. There’s no room on your website for anything that won’t make your website or business look better or make it easier for visitors to do what you want them to do. Almost every design choice you make regarding your website is influenced by the goal- and customer-oriented approach. But why, then, does your website need to have a page no one ever reads? Does everyone skip as soon as you make it possible?
That’s what happens with the Terms and Conditions pages usually. They are not very popular with the visitors, even though they contain information that should interest the people who come to your website. They are probably as popular as Privacy Policy pages are. But you have to create and publish a privacy policy if you want to appease the regulators. You don’t have to do the same Terms and Conditions. You still should, and here’s why.
It’s All About Protecting Yourself
Terms and Conditions, or Terms of Use or Service as they are also called, are a set of documents that define and prescribe various things of importance for the running of your website. One of the things that are commonly put into words in a Terms and Conditions document is your ownership of the website’s content, including any logos and visual elements. So at the very least, a T&C page will help you protect your digital property.
However, carefully written terms of service can also protect your business from liability in some cases. For example, if the content on the website contains some factual errors that might make your business liable for damages, you can try and limit your liability by putting the appropriate clause in the Terms and Conditions.
It’s Also About Doing What You Have To
It’s good business sense to make your website available to as many people as possible. It gets even better if you provide some type of service through the website. Or if you offer extras or other fun things as part of an online experience. But to be able to keep the order on your website. You need to state clearly what type of behavior tolerates on your website.
This is especially important if the service you provide includes leaving comments or joining forum sections where users can write freely. You can use the Terms and Conditions to state not only that certain types of posts will be down. Reserve the right to deactivate the account of any person that’s disturbing others. It is difficult for them to enjoy your website.
You Get to Police, But Also to Set the Jurisdiction
The Terms and Conditions give you plenty of room to describe unwanted or fraudulent behaviors you will not tolerate. You should also make sure you take every step necessary to prevent any type of abuse from happening on your website, and you can start by making it clear in the Terms and Conditions that abuse will not be tolerated.
When push comes to shove, and if things get to court, you should also notify the users which jurisdiction the website falls under. It’s the jurisdiction where you, the business that owns the website, falls under. That’s the law that applies to any type of dispute regarding your website.
Even though Terms and Conditions are not a regulatory requirement like the Privacy Policy, it’s still a serious document you can use to further your business goals and protect yourself, the business, and its assets. Writing Terms and Conditions is no mean feat, and if you want to make sure that yours are written to the highest professional standards, get in touch with us. We’ll be able to point you towards professionals who have plenty of experience in the field.
