Landing Page Compliance: What It Is & How to Master It

Have you ever wondered if your landing page could be putting your business at risk? Beyond aesthetics and functionality, every company must address a hidden layer of responsibility: compliance. A single oversight — like failing to include a privacy policy or secure user data, can result in fines, lost customers, and a tarnished reputation.

In a world where trust is hard to earn and easy to lose, ensuring your landing page meets legal and ethical standards is no longer optional. Visitors expect transparency, security, and accessibility, which are necessary for even the most compelling landing page to deliver results.

The good news? Mastering landing page compliance doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In this guide, we’ll explain what compliance entails, why it matters, and how to create a compliant landing page using a step-by-step checklist. Ready to protect your business and build trust with every visitor? Let’s dive in.

What is Landing Page Compliance?

Landing page compliance refers to designing and maintaining a landing page that adheres to legal, regulatory, and industry standards. These include data privacy laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), accessibility standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and ethical marketing practices.

At its core, landing page compliance ensures your business operates transparently, protects user data, and provides an equitable online experience for all visitors. A compliant landing page demonstrates professionalism and helps avoid costly fines, legal disputes, or reputational damage.

Why Landing Page Compliance Matters

Non-compliance is a significant risk for your business that you shouldn’t leave up to chance. While it may require some extra effort, it’s better to take the additional steps. Here’s why:

• Avoid Legal Penalties: Regulations like GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) impose strict penalties for businesses that fail to protect user data or provide required disclosures.
• Build Trust: A compliant landing page assures visitors that their privacy and safety are prioritized, encouraging them to engage with your business. When choosing between your company and a competitor, trust can be the deciding factor that makes or breaks the sale.
• Improve Accessibility:  Ensuring your landing page is usable by individuals with disabilities expands your reach and supports inclusivity. Every page should be accessible to those with hearing or visual impairments.
• Boost Conversions: Transparency and professionalism increase customer confidence, directly impacting conversion rates. People are more inclined to do business with those they trust.

Ignoring compliance can result in fines, damaged reputation, and lost customer trust. Fortunately, achieving compliance is manageable with the right strategies.

How to Create a Compliant Landing Page

Achieving compliance may seem daunting, but it becomes more manageable with the right tools and information. To get started, follow this landing page compliance checklist to ensure your landing pages meet the necessary standards:

1. Include a Privacy Policy

A privacy policy isn’t just a legal requirement in many jurisdictions; it’s also a trust signal for your audience. Use it to clearly explain what data you collect, how it’s used, and who can access it. Avoid technical jargon and use plain language to ensure it’s understandable for all visitors. For example, a subscription page might include a line like, “We value your privacy. Your email address will only be used for updates and promotions you opt into.”

2. Ensure Transparency in Data Collection

Transparency goes beyond a privacy policy. Every data collection point on your landing page, whether a sign-up form or a survey, should explain why the data is needed. For instance, if you require a phone number for a demo request, include a note like, “We’ll use your number to schedule your demo and won’t share it with third parties.” Transparency reassures users that their information is safe.

3. Implement SSL Encryption

An SSLcertificate encrypts data between your landing page and visitors’ browsers, preventing hackers from intercepting it. Beyond security, SSL also impacts SEO rankings and helps avoid the dreaded “Not Secure” warning in browsers. Visitors who see a padlock symbol in the URL bar are more likely to trust your site, increasing engagement and conversions.

Source: Let’s Encrypt

Let’s Encrypt is one of the most popular options for obtaining SSL certificates. The graph above shows the tremendous growth in the number of certificates issued daily from 2016 to 2024.

4. Follow Accessibility Guidelines

Accessibility isn’t just about compliance; it’s about inclusivity. Ensure your landing page adheres to WCAG standards by offering features like alt text for images, high-contrast color schemes, and keyboard navigation. For example, a visually impaired user should be able to navigate your page seamlessly with a screen reader. Prioritizing accessibility not only expands your audience’s reach but also demonstrates your commitment to inclusivity.

5. Obtain Consent for Cookies

Cookie banners should be clear, concise, and offer easy opt-in/opt-out options. Use a tool to categorize cookies so users can choose which types they consent to (e.g., analytics vs. advertising cookies). Ensure your banner complies with regional regulations like GDPR by linking to a detailed cookie policy page.

6. Provide Accurate Disclosures

Your landing page must reflect accurate and honest information when promoting a product, service, or special offer. For instance, if you’re offering a discount, clearly state the terms, such as expiration dates or exclusions. Misleading claims not only risk compliance violations but also harm customer trust.

7. Secure Sensitive Content

When necessary, you may want to password-protect pages for privacy. For landing pages that provide gated content like whitepapers, product demos, or webinars, use tools like Hushly’s secure pages. Our tool adds an extra layer of protection with features like password access or two-factor authentication. This ensures that only authorized users can access the page, safeguarding sensitive information.

8. Regularly Audit Your Pages

Compliance isn’t a one-and-done task. Regularly review your landing pages to ensure they meet current regulatory standards and align with your company’s data practices. Conduct usability testing, update outdated disclosures, and fix broken links. For example, an annual compliance audit can help you identify gaps before they become liabilities.

Landing Page Compliance Examples

To better understand how compliance works in practice, it helps to explore some landing page examples in action so you can see how other companies are implementing it:

• E-commerce Websites: Online stores often include cookie consent banners, clear refund policies, and SSL encryption. Look for a padlock in the URL bar to indicate the site has a security certificate. You may also notice cookie consent banners at the bottom of the webpages.
• Subscription Pages: Many companies design opt-in forms with explicit consent language, ensuring users understand how their data will be used. Since GDPR, it’s become standard practice for many businesses to include links to privacy policies on the sign-up box.
• Accessibility-First Designs:  Sites like government portals prioritize accessibility by meeting WCAG standards and providing examples of inclusivity. In some instances, webpages may feature an accessibility tab that allows users to tweak the site design to enhance user experience.

By looking for landing page compliance examples, you can identify strategies that align with your business needs so you can create the same for your website.

Enhance Your Landing Pages with Hushly

Compliance isn’t just a regulatory requirement; it’s an opportunity to build trust, improve accessibility, and drive conversions. By following this guide and implementing the provided landing page compliance template, you’re taking the first step toward creating landing pages that are both effective and secure. The next step? Incorporating Hushly’s powerful features—such as password protection and two-factor authentication—to enhance both the security and user experience of your landing pages.

Ready to experience it for yourself?  Schedule a demo today.