Include “terms and conditions of use” to explain what is allowed and disallowed while using the website.
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In today’s modern age, being able to access information is now easier and quicker. Thanks to the Internet, it’s possible to set up a website that allows your visitors to find information or buy things. If setting up websites is not something you do every day, you may be wondering what pages to add to your site. How do you avoid any problems? Having a website legal pages checklist can help you with this.
When you set up a new website, you want to make sure that it includes everything necessary. This consists of both the content specific to your site as well as the required legal pages you find in nearly all websites. The legal pages tend to cover, for example, things like terms and conditions, data privacy and refunds policy.
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There are several reasons why including legal pages in your site are essential. One reason is that you avoid finding yourself in a situation where your site breaks the law.
It could, for example, be because you’ve not set it up to handle the collection of data correctly. Another reason might be to let visitors know what their rights are if, for example, they are buying something from you. Making sure that you add all of the necessary legal pages, offers both you and your business protection.
It also provides security for your visitors as well as the content on your site. By adding the pages, it allows both you and your business to build both trust and professionalism with visitors. Two essential things if you want your site to be successful.
Which legal pages should you consider having on your website? It really depends on which your business is.
Thinking about your website legal pages before your website launch.
Website Legal Pages Checklist
Adding the important legal pages to your website.
Terms and Conditions
Disclaimers
Simplified versions of a terms and conditions.
Explaining that the site owner isn’t responsible for the content or links.
Privacy Policies
Collecting any data from customers. How will it be used and who will be able to use it.
Copyright Notices
Copyright notices are commonly seen in footers or bottoms of pages.
Trademarks
A word, phrase, logo, symbol that is associated with your brand usually something that distinguishes you from others.
Patents
Hold the exclusive license to something you’ve invented.
Make sure it is clear you hold the Intellectual property.
Cookies Policy
Information that you are going to collect through cookies and other trackers.
Complaints Procedure
Feedback area helps customers a way to complain before taking anything further.
Refund Policy
When you do and don’t have to offer a refund or exchange.
Consumers have legal right to return goods check the law in your country.
Corporate Policies
Lays down the businesses known situations and circumstances.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
GDPR – Protection of the personal information of individuals.
Applies automatically to all members of the European Union.
California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)
Website collecting personal data from users in the state of California.
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
Websites must obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13 years old.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Online business is based in the United States make sure your website is compliant with the FTC’s Rules and regulations.
Using Checklists
If you’re setting up a new website, either for yourself or your organisation, it’s easy to forget things or to make mistakes. Knowing that you need to include legal pages in your site, how do you ensure that you include everything necessary? The best way is to use a list. A checklist provides you with a list of the steps you need to follow so that your site includes everything necessary.
The use of checklists has several advantages. The main one is that it makes sure that you don’t miss including relevant legal pages. The other benefits are that it enables consistency in all your websites.
When you need to include a set of legal pages on your site, a checklist offers you a way of allowing others to complete the pages. It will enable you to delegate tasks to others if you’re not in a position to complete everything yourself.
While creating checklists can seem dull and boring, they can save you time and money. They can also help you avoid making mistakes and reduce the chances of your website, not being compliant with the law.
Frequently asked questions
Looking for more info? Here are some things we're commonly asked
SEO
Google's algorithm is constantly changing, and updates are very common. Most of these Google algorithm updates are minor and unnoticeable, but you’ll notice there is a big update at least once a year a large-scale overhaul of the SERP (search engine results page) that may impact your business and or your clients, but allows the algorithm to keep up with changing trends.
Read More: How do Google Algorithm Updates affect your website?
But what on earth is SEO? Or, for the non-acronym lovers out there, what is search engine optimisation? It is the way you can help increase traffic from search engines organically. What do we mean by organic traffic? Visitors find your website after finding you on a search engine's results page (SERP) and not through paid ads.
Read More: Basic Website SEO Checklist
Technical SEO is the technical changes you can make to help search engines crawl, index, and rank your website content. A successful SEO strategy includes both on-page and off-page SEO aspects. Off-page SEO involves building backlinks. On-page SEO involves the structure, content, and keywords of your website.
Read Me: Basic Technical SEO Checklist
Off-page SEO tactics are actions you can take to help your website rank better in search engine results pages.
Off-site SEO factors like backlinks and reviews are believed to weight ranking by up to 50%. Google Algorithms and ranking factors constantly change, but currently, these are helpful factors.
Read More: Off-page SEO Checklist
On-page SEO or Onpage optimisation (SEO) is the process of optimising each individual webpage to perform the best it can. Impacting on the ability of the page to rank better in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Helping it rank higher in organic search results and earn more relevant traffic from the search engines can help you get the visitors your business wants.
Read More: On-page SEO Checklist
E-A-T SEO is Google way to try and be certain of the websites and content they are recommending to searchers. Google want to deliver the most relevant information — but also the correct, accurate information to their customers.
Read More: E-A-T SEO Google Checklist