Creating a business website
A business website helps you reach your customers. You can show customers what services and/or products you offer. You can also allow customers to post reviews. But your website must also comply with a number of rules. Read in this article what you need to consider.
Register a domain name
Do you want to create a business website? Then you first need to register (log in) a domain name. A domain is the internet address (URL) of your website. You choose the first part of the domain name. The part after the dot is the extension (e.g. .nl, .eu, or .com). You choose the extension yourself.
You register your chosen domain name with a registrar, a hosting service provider. For example, for domain names with the extension .nl, this is the Stichting Internet Domeinregistratie Nederland (SIDN, in Dutch). The domain name must be registered by the person who becomes the owner of the domain name. This legal person is registered as the holder of the domain name.
Your domain name may not infringe on the trademark or trade name rights of another business.
Domain name check
It is important that your domain name is unique and therefore not already registered. Use the Whois search function on the SIDN website to do a domain check. This way you can check whether a .nl domain name has already been registered.
Prevent domain name fraud
In case of domain name fraud, you will be contacted by a hosting company. They will tell you to register a domain name quickly. You are then told, for example, that someone else wants to register a domain name that is very similar to yours. Or the same name, but under a different extension such as .eu or .com. Do you accept the offer? Then sometimes the registration does take place, but you pay an excessive amount. This is deception. So do not take up the offer. Contact your own hosting company to ask for the price of the domain name registration.
Buy a domain name with other extensions as well
It can be useful to register your domain name with multiple extensions. For example, to prevent someone from selling similar products through a web address similar to yours.
Choosing a hosting company
Has your domain name been registered? Then you can start setting up your website. To do this, you need web space on the internet. For this web space, you need to subscribe to a hosting provider. Which subscription you need depends on what your website needs to be able to do. For example, if you want to place a lot of videos, you will need more storage space than if you mainly use text
Check with several hosting providers to find the right provider and subscription for your website.
Rules for websites
You need to make sure your website complies with the rules.
You are not allowed to use content you did not create yourself. Content means images, videos and text. Creators (authors) are protected by copyright. You can ask the copyright holders for permission to use the content.
Do you want to use cookies on your website? Cookies are small files that a website places on the visitor's device. There are different types of cookies There are rules for using cookies that you must follow.
You must make it clear on your website who your customer is dealing with. For example, your KVK number and visiting address should be on your website. Read what information should be mentioned in your business correspondence.
You are not allowed to collect personal data with your website. For example, you can think of name, address or phone number of visitors. You must have a good reason to collect these data. And you may only collect personal data that you really need. Read how to comply with the GDPR.
There are rules for posting consumer reviews on your website. You must ensure that consumer reviews are genuine. You are not allowed to post (or have posted) fake consumer reviews. You are also prohibited from influencing reviews by removing negative reviews.
Are you going to offer services or products on your website? There are rules for online sales. For example, you must protect your customers from the risks of distance buying. And you must clearly inform customers about additional costs such as shipping costs.
Keep your website secure
It is important that your website is secure. Find out how to create a secure website.
You can always have a run-in with cybercrime. Criminals can, for example, steal customers' payment details via input fields. Or your website may go (temporarily) offline due to a DDoS attack.
Read how to protect your business against cybercrime.
Sell your domain name
Are you going to close down your business? Or are you changing your company name? Then you may no longer need your domain name. You can cancel or sell your domain name. Cancellation is done via the issuer of your domain name. Selling can be interesting in some cases. For example, if your domain name ranks high on Google. Read how to sell your domain name with SIDN.
Questions relating to this article?
Please contact the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce, KVK