When building a website, all the creative and
technical aspects are taken into consideration. E.g. - the color, images,
coding, development, etc. However, there is one more aspect that is important,
and that is the ‘legal aspect’.
Your website has to be legally compliant, to
mitigate the risk of any legal issues and plagiarism issues and also for the
safety of your website.
Moreover, your organization’s reputation will be at
stake if you do not play by the rules and follow the legal norms.
We give you an insight into the best practices to follow while building a website legally-
Registering your domain name-
Probably the most important point to start with. Any kind of business website has a domain name or a URL, (.com, .in, and .net) and so on. You will have to keep a domain name that is unique, easy, and having a creative angle to it.You also need to find one which is not already registered. After you have decided on your domain name, you need to get it registered. There are plenty of options on Google and you can choose the best one after doing thorough research (cost, plans, etc.)
Contract with your developer/designer-
Once you have registered your domain name, the next step involves working on the website. You will have to officially hire a professional to work on the website. That means the person knows the inside out of your business. Hence it is very important to enter into a contract with your designer and developer to protect the details of your organization. The other points to be included are the timeline of the project, costing, and the flow of work.
Include a privacy policy on the web
page, where you tell how you use the visitor’s data.
A privacy policy clearly defines how you use the user’s data. It is like building trust between your existing and prospective clients. It is one of the most important legal requirements for a web page. A privacy policy tells the details about how the operators will access, collect, or utilize the personal data provided by its visitors, (names, email address, telephone numbers, birth dates, etc.)
Inform the visitors if your use cookies-
What are cookies?
Cookies are mainly used to improve your web browsing
experience. They are text files filled with data and are used to recognize your
computer as obviously you use a computer network.
It’s always a good idea to inform your users that you use cookies on the safer side. In case you don’t, chances are you will have to churn out a hefty amount as a fine payment.
Have a strict and robust security
policy, in case of any unfortunate data leaks.
Nowadays data leaks are highly common. Spammers and
attackers are indulging in notorious ways to steal information. Security
breaches are different and vary according to your domain name and niche.
It makes sense in such a case, to have a perfect security policy that matches the requirements of your website and in the worst case be prepared in case there is a security lapse.
Have a Terms and Conditions page-
However harsh and in the face, this page seems to
be, it is better to be included.
It is necessary to add on your website to be on the safer side of the law. Not only it has the security of your website, but in case of an unfortunate event a consumer dragged you to court, you are securing your right to the content that you have produced on your website.
Is your website having any transactions?
(E-commerce) You have to pay attention to the rules.
If your website has any online transactions then make sure you have encrypted all the data, (HTTPS)also make sure you have a reliable payment gateway to avoid any problems in the future.
Consistency in information-
Your website should have relevant and consistent information throughout. This is important in case of your registered address, contact number, email ID. This builds confidence among your users and customers.
Easy accessibility-
Make sure that your website loads fast and is easily
accessible to anyone who comes across it. It comes under the purview of a legal
requirement and tells the users that you treat everyone equally irrespective of
caste,creed or gender.
Final Thoughts-
Having secured and powerful legal practices in place
for your website is useful in the long run.Doing the same protects you from any
copyright violations and protect the uniqueness of your
content and design.
Your business website is more than just sales and
customers. Your entire reputation is at stake. So make sure you are accurately
protecting yourself.
