Q: What personal details do I need to disclose when putting a website online?
Oct 27 2009
Answered by: Jerry Thompson Ask a question
A website is like a shop front and needs to be both secure and accessible to attract customers and protect your livelihood. With this in mind, you need to be open and informative and meet any legal requirements.
You should always present a "human" face to reassure customers. Full contact details – name, business address, landline phone and fax number and email address – are vital features but it is amazing how often they are missing from websites. Avoid P.O. Box numbers and mobile numbers if possible. Customers need to be confident when shopping online and the more concrete points of contact they have with a business for any queries or refunds, the better.
Good business websites normally have ‘About Us’ sections on their owners that carry informative, and interesting details that can put a face on their business and put across a unique perspective on the business. These could include the motivations for launching a business, influences, interests or even hobbies. This is effectively the cyber equivalent to chatting over a counter.
Post blogs with your own personal thoughts on your sector or service and allow space for customer feedback. Testimonials are vital. What previous customers are saying about your business will help give potential customers confidence to buy.
You will also need a privacy policy section on how you will handle customers’ personal details and one for terms and conditions which can legally underpin your business.
Finally, if you are a limited liability company you should include:
* The registered number of the company
* The place of registration of the company if the company is being wound up
* The VAT number (if VAT registered)
* The membership details of any trade or professional association
If in doubt, you should always remember that there are some great, trustworthy cost-effective web-hosting and building packages available – try http://business.bt.com - where expert, trusted providers can take care of all your design and maintenance concerns and ensure your site is both credible and legal.
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