Compliance: what does it mean for your website?

If you run a website or online shop, you’re probably busy attracting visitors and increasing sales. However, there is one thing you must not overlook, no matter how busy you are – compliance. 

In relation to websites, compliance means adhering to the laws and regulations that exist to protect visitors’ privacy and rights. This includes everything from GDPR to cookie policies. The goal is not only to avoid fines but also to build customer trust and ensure that all your visitors feel safe when browsing your website and placing orders in your online shop. 

Let’s go through what compliance means, why it is important, and how you can easily ensure that your website meets all current requirements. 

What does compliance mean? 

The word compliance is used in many contexts, but in relation to websites and online shops, compliance is defined as adhering to the applicable laws on privacy protection and user data collection. These laws can vary depending on where your business operates. 

For example, if you sell products within the EU, your website must comply with GDPR. If you decide to sell to customers in the US state of California, you must comply with the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act). 

Regardless of where you operate your business, it is important to have a clear cookie policy on your website so that your users can always see that you run your business in a responsible and trustworthy way. 

Why compliance is important for websites and online shops 

Compliance is not just about following laws and regulations to avoid fines. It’s also crucial for making visitors and potential customers perceive your business as trustworthy.  

When visitors can easily find and read your privacy policy and give consent to cookies, they are far more likely to trust your business and make purchases in your online shop. 

It is also important to consider that there is a real risk of fines if GDPR and other laws are not followed. Some businesses have paid fines of up to 4% of their annual revenue, which is certainly not good for business.  

You can read more about the GDPR cases on this website that shows an overview of fines and penalties that have been imposed by authorities within the EU.  

Key compliance areas on your website 

Compliance covers multiple areas of your website, everything from how you handle customer data to your terms and conditions. Each of these areas helps figure out whether you’re fully following the law and ensures that your visitors view your business as credible. 

Let’s look at some of the most important compliance requirements for websites and online shops. 

GDPR

GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation. It is a European law that affects websites worldwide. If you collect personal data from visitors in the EU, such as names, email addresses, or payment details, you must comply with GDPR.  

For example, if you have a contact form on your website, you must comply with GDPR because you collect visitors’ personal information through the form. 

This means you need to have a clear privacy policy, a solution that allows visitors to request their data, and strong security measures in place. 

Cookie and privacy policies 

When users visit your website, their browsers store small data files known as cookies. Some of these cookies track user behaviour, which requires user consent. That’s why many websites display a cookie banner where visitors can accept or reject cookies.  

However, just having a cookie banner is not enough. You must also have a clear cookie policy explaining what data you collect and why you collect it. 

If you also have a well-written privacy policy, you can provide more details about data collection and user rights, reassuring visitors that their data will not be misused.  

While it is not a legal requirement to have a privacy policy, having one strengthens your compliance by showing transparency to your users. 

Consent

Another important piece of the compliance puzzle is consent. Visitors do not automatically accept your terms just by using your website. They must actively give consent, especially when it comes to email marketing and cookie tracking. 

For example, if you run an online shop and want to send marketing emails to your customers, users must actively sign up to receive your emails. Later in this article, we will discuss how to easily collect and manage consent. 

Terms and conditions 

Your terms and conditions describe how your website should be used. They protect both you and your customers by clearly explaining how all parties should handle refunds, warranties, and the use of website features. 

In your online shop’s terms and conditions, you should include details on how orders are placed, which payment methods you accept, and how disputes should be resolved. If your customers can easily understand your terms and conditions, you reduce the risk of misunderstandings and dissatisfaction.  

Shipping and return policies 

If you sell products online, it is also important that your customers know how to handle shipping and returns. 

For example, if you offer free returns within 30 days, customers should easily be able to find this information in your shipping and return policy. This policy should also state the estimated delivery time, where to contact you about delayed or defective goods, and how to exercise the right of withdrawal. 

Your shipping and return policies don’t just help your customers. If it is clear and easy to understand, it reduces the need for customers to contact customer service for answers. This saves a lot of time by ensuring that customers can find answers to the most important questions regarding shipping and returns on their own. 

If you combine your shipping and return policy with a well-structured FAQ, you make life even easier for both your customers and your customer service team – or yourself if you handle customer service. 

Disclaimers 

A disclaimer limits your legal liability. If you offer advice, sell digital products, or run a website where users contribute their own content, you should have a disclaimer. 

For example, if you have a fitness website offering diet and workout programmes, it is usually a good idea to draft a disclaimer stating that the content is meant for inspiration only and that visitors should consult a doctor before starting any diet plan or workout routine. 

End-user agreements 

An end-user agreement describes how customers can use your services. These are often used by companies selling software, digital tools, or subscriptions. 

For example, if you offer online courses on your website, your end-user agreement could say that students are not allowed to resell course materials or share their accounts with others. 

How do I ensure compliance on my website? 

For many website owners, writing cookie policies, privacy policies, terms and conditions, and managing consent to comply with GDPR and other privacy laws can feel overwhelming. That’s why many choose to pay for legal advice with implementing necessary consent solutions. 

Fortunately, there is a simpler and more cost-effective way to ensure compliance. Instead of doing all the work manually, you can use tools that automate the process, such as Termly. 

Easy compliance with Termly 

Termly is a complete compliance solution that helps you generate privacy policies, manage cookie consent, and ensure GDPR compliance with just a few clicks. 

How Termly helps you with compliance: 

• Displaying cookie banners, automatic cookie scans, and automatic script blocking. 

• Generating policies that automatically update according to current laws. 

• Supporting Google Consent Mode v2, which communicates users’ consent to Google. 

• Helping you comply with 26 privacy laws, including GDPR, UK GDPR, CalOPPA, CCPA, and PIPEDA. 
  
• Termly is compatible with websites built using one.com’s Website Builder, WordPress, and other systems. 

Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated 

Although compliance may seem complex, it is ultimately about protecting both your business and your customers. There is no need to stay up all night surrounded by empty coffee cups trying to draft privacy policies and figure out how to collect and manage user consent. You can pay for legal advice, but it is not necessary if you use a complete compliance solution like Termly. 

With Termly, you can ensure compliance on your website quickly and easily without spending countless hours checking if everything is aligned with GDPR and other privacy laws.