Website Development

[matt819]

I posted this in the internet forum, had some views but no comments. Maybe folks here have some info. Just in case you don't want to read further, the question has to do with website privacy policy,.

Question for website developers.

When I overhauled my website a few years ago I paid Truste for its privacy policy seal. I can't remember how much it cost, but at some point I didn't renew it. I just discovered that I don't have a privacy policy on my site, since it was linked to the Truste website.

I just went to their site to renew, and the cost is $995 per year. I don't do a ton of business on my site, but it's interesting that my sales on the site have been lower than normal, so I wonder if the absence of a privacy policy is an issue.

Frankly, I think the Truste seal is nothing more than a protection racket.

I know I need a privacy policy.

My questions:
Do I really need to bite the bullet and pay for the Truste "service."
Is there an alternative service to Truste?
If I don't really *need* Truste and there's no alternative to it, where can I find a boilerplate privacy policy to add to the site?

Thanks.

[hunter]

1. Truste started as a non-profit then went commercial.

Money, money changes everything...

I suppose you could try this...

http://www.freeprivacypolicy.com

I found them easily enough using google.

(You don't work for them, do you?)

I don't, and I don't use them. But I'd be interested to hear what other people think.

Truste seems a bit anachronistic to me these days, like the Better Business Bureau.

[matt819]

5. Brain freeze on the google search

I've since found a few options, for free and for pay. Thanks for knocking me upside the head to remember that the Google is out there.

[progressoid]

2. As an average denizen of the internet,

I can safely say I haven't looked for or even noticed a Truste seal in years. If it's a site I haven't been to before and am considering a financial transaction, I'm more likely to google them for reviews etc than look for a seal.

[Locut0s]

3. Are you talking about an SSL certificate? If so that's important IMHO...

See here:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8404907/where-could-i-buy-a-valid-ssl-certificate

You shouldn't have to pay $1000 but it seems a couple of hundred might be required. As they state there the better SSL certificates do a lot more to prove you are who you say you are so people trust them more. I personally would never shop on a site that doesn't use a valid SSL cert, turning the bar green, or showing a lock in the address as they say in the link.

If you are talking about something else that's not as important.

[matt819]

6. SSL

The SSL was another issue.

And, since you mention it, again there are tons of options. The one I use is $399/year, with the green extended validation bar. I have a price from another company, Comodo, for just a little more than that, for two years.

Now, Comodo also has an ecommerce bundle that includes various vulnerability options and their hacker-safe seal. I don't know the cost of that, but, again, I wonder if it's necessary.

[hunter]

4. I've got another comment.

Small businesses shouldn't be collecting or keeping any sensitive private information, most especially credit card numbers and the like. Farm that stuff out to the big vendors.

I won't even leave mailing lists, emails, phone numbers, etc., on the server. There are simply too many crooks, spammers, and scammers from all over the world searching for those things, looking for holes in your security. Be safe, don't leave them anything to find.