Keep Your Website Trustworthy and Compliant With a Simple Yearly Review
If you’re using WordPress for your website (which most small businesses do), you probably already have a Privacy Policy page—possibly one that was created during setup and never touched again. While it’s great that WordPress includes a default version, it’s not something you can just set and forget.
A well-written and up-to-date Privacy Policy isn’t just a legal formality. It’s a signal to your users that you value transparency and take their data seriously. And just like your business evolves over time, so does your website—and your Privacy Policy should keep up.
The Importance of a Privacy Policy
Your Privacy Policy tells users what personal data you collect, why you collect it, and how it’s used or shared. Even if your site doesn’t have an eCommerce store or membership login, you’re probably still collecting information through:
- Contact forms
- Analytics tools (like Google Analytics)
- Embedded content from other websites
- Newsletter sign-ups
In some regions (like the EU or California), laws require you to disclose these practices clearly. But even if you’re not legally required to have one, it builds credibility with visitors and reinforces that you’re running a professional, trustworthy business.
Why It Belongs in Your Footer
The footer of your website is the perfect home for your Privacy Policy. It’s accessible from every page without getting in the way of your main content. Most users know to look there if they want to find information about your policies, terms, or contact details.
Adding the link to your footer also checks a box for compliance—many data protection laws require your privacy notice to be easily accessible.
Annual Checkups Keep It Accurate
Here’s the thing: your Privacy Policy should grow with your site. Have you added any of the following in the past year?
- A new contact or quote form?
- A plugin that stores user data?
- Google Analytics or another tracking tool?
- A third-party chat feature like Tawk.to or HubSpot?
If so, your Privacy Policy may need a refresh.
We recommend doing a quick annual review—maybe tie it to your New Year business planning or another yearly check-in. It’s a great way to make sure you’re still covering everything you should be.
Where to Find the Latest WordPress Recommendations
Thankfully, WordPress has a central resource that makes this easy: https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/wordpress-privacy/
This guide walks through each section of a standard policy and includes updated language suggestions as WordPress and its ecosystem evolve.
The template covers things like:
- Comments
- Media uploads
- Cookies
- Embedded content
- Analytics
- Plugin data usage
Reviewing your policy alongside this guide once a year helps ensure you’re not overlooking anything important.
Get Help If You Need It
If you’re not sure what data your site is collecting—or if your current Privacy Policy covers everything—you’re not alone. Many small business owners don’t realize just how much data is gathered behind the scenes.
If you’re a Full Scope Creative client, we can help review your site and flag any updates that might be needed. It’s a small step that can make a big difference for your site’s professionalism, trustworthiness, and legal compliance.
