You’ve used one of Shopify’s pre-made themes, created your website, and are now ready to sell products online. It’s not so easy.
Although this may not seem like an important consideration when you are setting up your first eCommerce shop, it is essential that you have all the legal documents necessary for any business to be successful. Clear terms and conditions, a clear privacy policy, a simple cookie policy, clear shipping and refund policies, and a detailed terms and condition.
Although not required by law to be included in an eCommerce business’ terms and conditions are important as they govern the relationship between your company and your customers.
It is possible to avoid misunderstandings and it can also help if there is a legal dispute.
All of the policies mentioned above must be accessible from your Shopify store. Let’s take a look at your terms and conditions.
How do I write terms and conditions for my Shopify store?
You, the business owner, have the power to determine what terms and conditions you wish to include. It can help to have a starting point. You can use our terms & conditions template to add to it taking into account your particular business and the liabilities.
You can use our Terms of Service Generator for Shopify if you find it difficult to create your terms and conditions. It will save you time and allow you to answer a few simple questions. You will be able to create comprehensive terms that include all the standard T&Cs, as well as those specific to your business, products, customers, and business practices.
This is an example of how our generator could be used to create Shopify terms and conditions.
Tell us where you are located
You will need to provide information about the location of your business in order to allow our generator to take into account applicable local and global laws.
Your Business
This is the second step. You will need to indicate whether your Shopify website also has a mobile app that your customers can use to shop and receive rewards.
Type of policy
There are two types of policies available: a basic and a premium version. The latter is best suited for commercial websites. If you sell products on Shopify, this is your case.
The premium policy offers you the benefit of unlimited updates and notifications throughout your life. You can also add clauses to increase your protection.
Your Business
This is where you’ll need to let us know if your business is being operated under a company or your own name.
Création of a Customer Account
Many eCommerce websites offer the ability to create an account while shopping to store items, make purchases, and leave reviews.
If this is your case, you must answer the first question. This is crucial as your terms will include language to allow you to control those accounts. You can suspend or disable accounts for customers who violate your terms.
Minimum Age
Online stores may require customers to be at least 18 years old to place orders or use the website. Minors must also get their parents’ permission to accept the terms and conditions as well as their child’s use.
User Content
A positive customer review is a powerful marketing tool.
In your terms and conditions, you can clearly state that the content shared by your users on your platform is their responsibility. They must also have the right to the content they share.
This is also a great opportunity to say that reviews and photos posted on your site can be used by your company for marketing purposes. You also have the right to remove inappropriate or illegal content.
Your Products
To create terms and conditions that include disclaimers and relevant clauses, we need to learn more about your business. The following questions will allow you to tell us more about your products.
When you are just starting out, it can be hard to ensure product availability and pricing accuracy.
If you wish to cancel or modify an order, you’ll need to decide if this is possible.
It is also worth noting that while you try to accurately describe and photograph products, there may be minor differences in what customers see on their screens and the actual product. This could be due to differences in technology.
Marketing
Email marketing is a key component of any eCommerce business. It can be used to bring back customers past and potential new customers. You may also use affiliate links in blog posts, or serve third-party ads. Answer the following questions to let us know if you are using email marketing in any way.
Additional Clauses
To make your terms and conditions more specific and tailored, you can add clauses.
If you are selling your products as-is, it may be a good idea to include a disclaimer warranty. Potential customers should be aware if this is the case, as it could impact their decision to purchase your products. If your warranty is ever challenged in court, it’s worth putting your disclaimer in writing. Also, asking customers to agree to your terms and conditions.
To reaffirm your ownership of your trademarks, patents and copyrights, you may want to include an intellectual property clause. This will remind website visitors that they are not allowed to use your logo, brand or content without your permission.
These are only two examples of clauses that might be relevant to an online store. But, here are other clauses you can add with our generator.
Contact Details
Your website likely already has a contact page. However, you should include contact information in your terms of conditions. This will encourage customers to contact you if they have questions regarding your terms.
Policy updates
It is not easy to draft terms and conditions that you will forget about. As your business and law change, you should review and revise them regularly. It is possible to discover new areas of liability or find the same questions repeatedly. These are all issues that you can deal with on your terms.
You will protect your business by being as transparent as possible with your customers. They will also feel more comfortable shopping online because they have a better experience.
You can notify your customers by following the steps below if you make any changes to your terms. You may want to email your customers or use a pop up to ask for their permission again if the changes are substantial.
How do I add my Terms and Conditions to Shopify
Shopify has many apps that can help you create policies. We recommend that you use our generator instead of installing another app to your Shopify store.
Why? Why? Potential customers, particularly those who are unfamiliar with your brand, might not be able to wait for your website load. This could lead to losing sales.
You can also copy and paste text from an external generator. This is a faster option than adding an app or app to your store.
It’s easy to add terms and conditions in your Shopify store. Follow these steps to add terms and conditions to your Shopify store.
1. Log in to Shopify and click on Settings at the bottom left corner.
2. Copy and paste the terms & conditions you created into the box.
3. Make sure to click Save at the top right corner. You have now added terms and conditions for your Shopify store.
Once customers have completed checkout, a hyperlink will be added to your website footer.
A link to your policies (including your terms and conditions) can be added anywhere, such as the footer of the homepage, during account creation, on product pages, or in the footer. It is a good idea to include a link to your policies, including your terms and conditions. This will allow your customers to review your terms before they navigate your website or place an order.
Here are the steps:
1. Go back to your admin screen and click Navigation in the menu to the left.
2. You will be able add your policy to any of your menus, or create a new one that you can call “Legal” and “Policies”. You can add your terms and conditions to a menu item by selecting Policies in the drop-down or Terms of Service.
Another way is to add your terms and conditions in your Shopify store. To host your terms, you could create a new webpage.
Here’s how:
1. Click on “Pages” in your “Admin” panel under the “Online Store” tab.
2. Click on “Add Page”
3. Before you save, title the page “Terms & Conditions”. Copy and paste your terms into the content box.
You can publish it once it is published. Then, follow the steps above to add it to one of the menus. This will make it easy for your store visitors to find it.
Shopify Store Setup for Success Starting from the Start
Although this is not the most exciting part about starting an eCommerce business, it will make you happier than if you wait until the business is growing.
You can be clear and detailed in your terms. This will help you to think through the questions your customers might have about your business practices. It will also help you to reflect on how you want your business to run. You will avoid misunderstandings and save yourself time by being clear about your terms. Customers may also find the answers they need on your terms, without having to contact you.
You have made a good start by making your terms and conditions easily accessible for your visitors.
It is important that you ensure your customers have read and understood your terms. To confirm their acceptance of your terms and conditions, you might add a hyperlink or a checkbox to the customer’s homepage. This could be used during account creation and checkout.
It is now considered best practice to ask users for affirmative consent. This allows you to keep records that could prove useful in the event of a dispute.
The legalities of managing an eCommerce store can be daunting.
The Shopify terms-and-conditions generator is an affordable and efficient way to create terms specific to your business. We also offer similar solutions for your privacy, refund and cookie needs. Give us a chance!
