Website rules

When setting up a website keep in mind that there are people who will be viewing your website with disabilities such as visual, hearing, physical, speech, cognitive, neurological and so on. Remember to include aids to cater to a wider variety of people. Keep the content on your site simple and easy to read. Offer large print or sound files to assist users who need it. There is no problem experimenting with different font types but keep them easy to read, you don't want people having difficulty reading your text. Make sure to keep the background of the text a neutral colour also as it is difficult to read texts off some colored backgrounds, play around with the colour scheme and find out what works best. Navigation is very important on your website! Double check that users can easily navigate around your site and find their way back to the homepage simply. The best way to keep your site simple is to avoid having any pop-ups and other distractions, Keep in mind that there is information that must appear on your website according to the EU Ecommerce Directive. The minimum information that your business website must have is:

• Your name/Trading name

• The address you are trading from

• An email address

• Company registration number

• Registered office address

• VAT number if you are registered even if you are not selling online.

You are also required to protect the privacy of your visitors. The office of the Data Protection Commissioner, Ireland sums up the data responsibility for organisations that you must follow on your website/blog. They are as follows:

• Obtain information fairly

• Keep it only for the specified purpose

• Process it only in the ways compatible within the purpose for which it was obtained

• Keep it safe and secure

• Ensure that it is adequate, relevant and not excessive

• Retain it for no longer than needed

• On the request of the individual you must give a copy to them

In addition to the protection of visitors privacy your website needs appropriate security measures against unauthorized access. You can do this by using a secure socket layer on the parts of your website where you capture and retain personal data.