Having a presence on the internet is an important success factor for a company. A good website is indispensable and should reflect your company's quality and professionality.

But the legal aspect is also important. Specific legal provisions lay down which information your company's website or Facebook page must mention. By taking this into account you not alone avoid a fine but you also show transparency and prove your site is trustworthy. 

Which information is obligatory? 

Your company name. If your company does not have a name, use your name. 

Legal form. You have to specify whether you have a one-person business or a company and the company form. 

Your company's registered office. Please note this is not necessarily where your company is established. Often the registered office is the manager's home address.  

Contact data. Provide contact data that allows visitors to quickly and effectively communicate with you. Under specific terms and conditions you can also choose an online contact form. 

Company registration number. This is a unique number your company received when you registered it at the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises. 

VAT number. If your activity is subjected to VAT, specify the VAT number. 

Supervisory authority. If you need a permit to carry out your commercial activity, specify who the competent supervisory authority is.  

Regulated occupation. If you exercise a regulated occupation (e.g. architect, lawyer, midwife, etc.) with your company, specify the professional association, the professional title and refer to the professional rules.  

Code of conduct. If your company signed a code of conduct you must mention it. Also let your visitors know where they can consult this code.  

If you have a company or non-profit organisation, be sure to mention the register of legal entities (RPR), followed by the court of the legal district where your company or non-profit organisation has a registered office. 

Additional information in the context of GDPR 

This is actually a lot of information already, but in the context of GDPR, Europe also obliges us to specify the following on our company website: 

  • Privacy statement. If you process data of customers, specify your company's privacy policy. 
  • Cookie statement. If your website uses cookies, you must notify the customer of this.  

Additional obligations for e-commerce 

If you sell goods online, legally you need to add extra information to your company's website or Facebook page.  

  • The total price of the product needs to be clearly mentioned.  
  • The main characteristics and conditions of your product need to be mentioned.  
  • Clear information about the payment method and the delivery may certainly not be lacking. 

Where do I specify this obligatory data on my website? 

The most important thing is of course that customers or visitors to your website or online store can easily find the information.

Any obligatory information can be put in the website's footer. The information will be visible on every page.

As quite a lot of information needs to be included, it is handy to specify any obligatory information, which is not very relevant for your customers or website visitors, in your disclaimer, your general terms and conditions or another location on the site.