10 Secrets to Website Compliance

  1. Terms & Conditions… consider your liability, control over the content, protect your designs and balance your terms of sale against what the customer will accept. Consider when a contract is created when ordered? When paid?
  2. Product / Service Information… a host of legislation exists as to what information regarding key information. A site MUST provide contact details, connected trade organisations, VAT details, prices, postage costs etc. See E-commerce Regulations.
  3. Type of customer… a great deal more legislation protects the private consumer over the business customer… for instance provisions within the Unfair Contract Terms Act, Sale of Goods Act, Supply of Goods and Services Acts etc;
  4. Cookies… The site should be clear on how cookies and tracking tools will be used and how the customer may deactivate or refuse them;
  5. Personal Data… take advice and ensure that the information is used in compliance with data protection legislation. Consideration should also be given to the security of personal data which could attract civil proceedings if data theft results in financial loss to a customer;
  6. Use of Personal Data… where information is used for marketing remain mindful of your web address being labelled as spam AND that all use complies with privacy and electronic communications regulations and rules;
  7. Intellectual Property… look at your copyright notice, trademarks, designs registered;
  8. Discrimination… Consider if your site offends any anti discrimination legislation, for instance subtitling audio or the ability to increase font sizes;
  9. Distance Selling Regulations… Where goods are purchased from a website the law permits the customer to rescind the agreement if notice is given within 7 working days of receipt of the goods. The site owner will be in difficulty if the site offends the DSRs;
  10. Libel… If the website has user contributions ensure that the site clearly states that comments are not those of the site owner, or comments are vetted