Online transactions are an important source of revenue for smaller businesses. The Internet can extend the reach of a small business e commerce web site to a potentially global customer base, providing opportunities for increased revenue. This fact has not been lost on smaller businesses, two-thirds of which operate an online business, according to a recent survey by web host 1&1 Internet. However, with all the bad news related to privacy failures, consumers are growing wary of making online purchases.

Consider the following facts:

44 percent of consumers say they are less likely to trust a web
merchant with their personal information than they were a year ago according to a Yankee Group report;

36 percent of consumers surveyed by the Ponemon Institute said they would not use their credit or debit card to make a purchase with a web merchant they didn’t know

58 percent of consumers abandon their online shopping carts before finalizing a transaction, according to Marketing Sherpa

49 percent of consumers surveyed by Marketing Sherpa said that they abandoned their online shopping carts out of fear of identity theft, while 53 percent did so out of fear of sharing personal information online.

…a privacy policy can be an asset to your business helping to build trust and confidence.