Mandatory Features Your UK Website May Need

There is a lot of freedom in designing a website. However, UK laws dictate that certain websites must contain certain features. When building your website, it could be important to make sure that you’re not missing any of these important details. 

Cookie consent forms

We’ve all encountered cookie consent pop-ups before. As annoying as they are, they are required on pretty much all websites under GDPR and PECR law. Cookies are small pieces of data saved onto your computer by websites in order to remember information about your visit (such as login details, items you might have added to your cart or products you’ve looked at). You must ask every new visitor whether they are willing to accept cookies, or at the very least notify them that you use cookies. A small pop-up at the bottom of the page is all you need, however you can go the extra mile and add a full-page pop-up with options to select cookie preferences if you want to give visitors more cookie control. 

Consumer protection terms and conditions

If you sell goods or services through your website, the Consumer Right Act states that you must include consumer protection terms and conditions on your site. These could be included at the bottom of your homepage or in a separate web page. Writing terms and conditions can seem daunting, but there are templates you can use online to help you. Alternatively, you can hire a solicitor to write terms and conditions for you (you may even be able to hire a legal writer on Fiverr to do this affordably). 

Age verification for restricted content

Certain content has to be age restricted by law. A simple ‘Are you over 18?’ tickbox is no longer enough to comply – under the Online Safety Act, websites with age-restricted content must now put in place more robust age verification methods. This could include facial age estimation as provided by services like PrivateID, email age checks that use your digital trail, government ID that require uploading a driving license or password, or credit card checks. Consider which option is likely to be most convenient for your visitors. 

Secure payment processing

Accepting payments by card through your website? It’s important that your payment processing system is PCI DSS compliant. If you’re using a third-party payment processor, it’s unlikely you need to worry about this, as all these processing companies must meet PCI DSS standards to operate. However, if you’re got an old website with an old custom payment processing system, you may need to consider updating this to make sure it meets modern security standards. 

Registered company key information

Under the Companies Act 2006 and Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002, it is also compulsory for all registered businesses to include certain key information and contact details somewhere on their website. This includes your company name, registered office address, contact details and company registration details. Most companies put this information in the footer of their website, but you can place it anywhere.

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.