What Must an Australian Business Website Show? ABN, Licences, Prices and More
Published:
Reading time:
Category:
Content
There's no single law listing everything a website must show, but several rules apply to what's on it. In practice, a Victorian small business website should show the legal business name and ABN or ACN, any licence or registration numbers your trade must advertise, clear total prices if you show prices, a privacy policy if you collect personal information, and real contact details. Here's a checklist with the source for each item.
Business name and ABN or ACN
ASIC says a company's full name and ACN must appear on the first page of documents where they are required, and a company can generally use its ABN in place of the ACN if the ABN includes it (ASIC). Lawyers differ on whether a website counts as such a document, so the safe practice is to put your legal name and ABN (or ACN) in the website footer. If you trade under a business name, show the legal entity behind it too, so customers know who they're dealing with.
Licence and registration numbers
Some Victorian trades must show a number in their advertising, which includes the website:
- Registered electrical contractors: Energy Safe Victoria says the REC number must be on all promotional material, including advertisements (Energy Safe Victoria)
- Domestic builders: advertising for domestic building work must show the name and registration number of the responsible building practitioner (VBA)
- Health practitioners: Ahpra's advertising rules apply to websites (Ahpra). See Ahpra advertising on your website
More detail is in showing your licence number online in Victoria.
Prices
If you show prices, the ACCC's guidance is that they must not be misleading, and where you advertise part of a price you generally need to show the single total price as well (ACCC). "From" prices should be prices people can actually get. Prices including GST avoid confusion for consumers.
Privacy policy
If your business is covered by the Privacy Act, you need a clearly expressed, up-to-date privacy policy. Businesses under $3 million turnover are often exempt, but some, such as health service providers, are covered regardless (OAIC). See do you need a privacy policy.
Reviews and testimonials
The ACCC says reviews and testimonials must be genuine and not misleading, and you shouldn't selectively remove negative ones (ACCC). See customer testimonials and the Australian Consumer Law.
Contact details and marketing sign-ups
- A phone number, email or form that someone checks, plus your service area or address
- If you send marketing emails or texts from website sign-ups, the ACMA says you need consent, your business identified, and a working unsubscribe (ACMA). See the Spam Act for small businesses
Quick checklist
| Item | Where on the site | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Legal name and ABN or ACN | Footer | Everyone (best practice) |
| REC or builder registration number | Footer and main contact areas | Electricians, domestic builders |
| Total prices including GST | Wherever prices appear | Anyone showing prices |
| Privacy policy link | Footer and near forms | Covered businesses; good practice for all |
| Genuine reviews only | Reviews section | Everyone |
| Working contact details | Header, footer, contact page | Everyone |
Refunds, warranties and guarantees
Many small business websites have a "refunds" or "terms" page copied from somewhere else. Be careful what it says. The ACCC says the basic rights covered by consumer guarantees can't be taken away by anything a business says or does, and lists displaying a "no refunds" sign as one example of something that doesn't remove those rights (ACCC).
- Don't write "no refunds" or "no refunds on sale items" on your website
- If you offer your own warranty, such as a 12-month workmanship guarantee, describe it as extra to the consumer guarantees, not instead of them
- Explain how customers can raise a problem with your work and how quickly you'll respond
- Keep the wording simple and true to what you actually do
This is general information, not legal advice. If you write formal terms and conditions, have a lawyer check them.
Green and eco claims
Solar installers, cleaners, landscapers, builders and many other trades now describe their work as "eco", "green" or "sustainable". The ACCC says environmental claims must be accurate and backed by clear evidence, and it warns that vague words such as "green", "eco friendly" and "sustainable" can mislead because they suggest benefits without explaining them (ACCC).
| Instead of | Try something specific and true, such as |
|---|---|
| "Eco-friendly cleaning" | "We use [product name] cleaning products, which are [specific, checkable feature]" |
| "Sustainable builds" | "We install [specific product] as standard on new homes" |
| "Green energy solutions" | "We design and install rooftop solar and batteries" |
If you can't back a claim with evidence you could show a customer, leave it out.
Accessibility
Your website should be usable by people with disability, including people using screen readers, keyboard navigation or zoom. Clear headings, readable contrast, labelled forms and descriptive link text go a long way, and they also make the site easier for everyone on a phone.
For a practical guide to what to check and fix, see website accessibility in Australia. For forms in particular, see contact form best practices.
Photos, before-and-afters and copyright
Photos sell trade work, but they need care:
- Use your own photos of jobs you actually did. Using another business's photos as if they were your work can mislead customers (ACCC)
- Don't copy images from Google search results; most are someone else's property
- Ask customers before showing their home, especially if the street number, number plate or a person is visible
- Keep before-and-after photos honest: same angle, no heavy editing that changes the result
- If you use stock photos, make sure the licence covers website use, and don't present them as your own jobs
What does a good website footer look like?
The footer is where most of these items live. It appears on every page, so it's the simplest place to get the basics right once.
| Footer item | Example |
|---|---|
| Legal name and ABN | Smith Electrical Pty Ltd, ABN [your ABN] |
| Licence or registration number | REC [your number] |
| Contact | Phone, email and service area or address |
| Hours | Mon to Fri 7 am to 5 pm, emergency call-outs available |
| Links | Privacy policy, terms (if you have them), accessibility statement (optional) |
| Copyright line | © [year] Smith Electrical |
Ask your web developer to set the footer up once so it updates across every page, rather than editing each page by hand.
None of the items above help if you can't change your own website. Make sure your business owns the domain name, has admin access to the website and hosting, and can update the footer, prices and policies without waiting on someone else.
If a previous developer or a directory set your site up, check who's listed as the domain owner and who has the logins. See who owns your website for a step-by-step check.
Set aside half an hour and go through your site on a phone, the way a customer would. Work through these steps and note anything to fix:
- Scroll to the footer of the home page. Is your legal name, ABN or ACN, and any licence number there?
- Open every page that shows a price. Is the total price clear, including GST and any compulsory fees?
- Find your privacy policy. Is it linked in the footer and under each form, and does it describe what you actually collect?
- Read your reviews and testimonials section. Are they all genuine, and have you kept the critical ones too?
- Search the site for words like "refund", "guarantee", "eco" and "best". Can you stand behind each claim?
- Send yourself a test enquiry from every form and check it arrives
- Check every photo is your own work or properly licensed
Repeat the check once a year, and whenever you change prices, licences or the tools on your site.
Morphic builds websites for Melbourne small businesses with these basics in place from day one. We're not lawyers, so check anything specific with a legal adviser. Get a free quote, or book a 30-minute call.
Related services: web design and websites for new businesses.
Related reading: New business website checklist and Website accessibility in Australia.
Key Takeaways
Show your legal business name and ABN or ACN in the footer.
Electricians and domestic builders must show registration numbers in advertising.
Any prices shown must not mislead, and total prices matter.
Covered businesses need a privacy policy; it's good practice for all.
Keep reviews genuine and marketing sign-ups Spam Act compliant.
Emon Datta
Founder, Morphic Agency
Morphic Agency is a Melbourne-based UX design agency. We've shipped 50+ products across 15+ countries.
