Avoiding Legal Headaches: What Every Indiana Small Business Website Must Have

Hey there, fellow business owners! If you’ve got a website for your small business (or you're about to build one), you might be thinking about design, branding, or even SEO. Those are all important, but there’s one thing you definitely don’t want to overlook—keeping your website legal.

Yep, just like a physical storefront has rules to follow, your website needs to meet certain legal requirements. And if you ignore them? Well, let’s just say a fine or lawsuit isn’t the kind of traffic you want.

So, what does your Indiana business website need to stay compliant and out of trouble? Let’s talk about it.

First off, SSL encryption isn’t just a good idea—it’s essential. You know when you see “https” instead of “http” in a website’s address? That’s SSL at work. It encrypts data between your site and your visitors, keeping sensitive info like credit card numbers, passwords, and personal details safe. Google also ranks secure sites higher, so it’s a win-win. If your site still has that little “Not Secure” warning in the browser, fix it ASAP.

Next, let’s talk about privacy policies and cookie notices. If your website collects any kind of user information—whether it’s emails for a newsletter, customer addresses for purchases, or even basic site analytics—you need a privacy policy. This tells visitors what data you collect, how you use it, and whether you share it with anyone.

Indiana follows federal rules like the FTC’s guidelines, but if you get visitors from places like California or Europe, you may need to follow stricter privacy laws like GDPR or CCPA. A cookie notice is another biggie, especially if your site uses tracking tools like Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel. A simple pop-up letting users know about cookies and offering them an option to manage settings keeps you compliant.

If you sell anything online, terms and conditions protect both you and your customers. This legal agreement spells out return policies, payment terms, and what happens if there’s a dispute. Without it, you’re leaving your business open to all sorts of risks.

Now, accessibility is another legal issue that too many small businesses overlook. Your website should be ADA-compliant, meaning it’s usable by people with disabilities. That means having alt text for images, clear navigation, and readable fonts. Some businesses have been sued for not making their sites accessible, so it’s best to get ahead of this now.

And if you’re using images, videos, or even music on your site, make sure you have the right to use them. Copyright infringement can get expensive fast. Just because you found an image on Google doesn’t mean you can use it for your business. Stick to royalty-free image sites or buy a proper license.

Finally, if you collect customer payments online, you need to be PCI-compliant. That means following security standards for handling credit card info. The easiest way to do this? Use a trusted payment provider like Stripe, PayPal, or Square. Never store credit card info on your own servers unless you really know what you’re doing.

Running a business is hard enough without worrying about legal trouble from your website. Take the time to get these basics right, and you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches down the road. If you're not sure where to start, reach out—We're happy to help!