Have you been asked to agree to terms on a website? Have you noticed a legal looking disclaimer at the end of an email? Have you wondered what happens to information you provide?

If you answered yes to any of these then you might have questions about the use of policies and disclaimers on your website as well. Many of us are small to medium size businesses and it is generally impractical for us to pursue legal solutions to online disagreements. So a better solution is to limit misunderstandings up front where possible. But, how to do that effectively?

• Include a policy statement if appropriate on your site that states how you use and protect the user's information they may enter into any form or shopping cart.
• If your email contains advice or opinions consider adding a plain language disclaimer that specifies in simple terms the scope of the information you provide.
• If you must include actual legal verbiage, consider providing a plain text summary of the intent of the language. You want to summarize, not circumvent your legal content.
• Consider who you're talking to. Make sure your writing will apply to and be easily understood by your visitors.

Think about your changes and the impact on your customer and your business. Are you sure you want to make that change? When you are we're here to help.