Niv Penso, CTO at accessiBe.
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Imagine you own a store, and a potential customer is standing outside, ready to spend money, but they can’t enter the front door. For some reason, your shop is locked, keeping this potential customer from becoming a loyal patron.
This is the experience of 26% of the U.S. population who are living with a disability and are locked out of your business’ website—if it’s not accessible.
Regardless of demographics, however, consumers want to access websites that are not complicated to use. If you own or operate an inaccessible website, you may have noticed that all online consumers prefer a smoother, digital user experience. If the experience is not clean and user-friendly, potential consumers will leave your website, likely never to be seen or converted again.
And, with a collective amount of $1.28 trillion in disposable income, the U.S. disability communities are not a population you want to exclude from conversion activities or online transactions.
What does it mean to make a website accessible?
Making a website accessible is the act of breaking down digital barriers that hinder the user experience for people with disabilities. A smoother digital experience will lead to improved website metrics and allows business owners to experience new popularity and success of their website.
Business owners should prioritize an improved user experience via web accessibility practices because it:
1. Improves Navigation: Certain features such as keyboard navigation and well-structured page headings make it easier for anyone to navigate a website, especially for those who are blind or live with mobility disabilities and do not use a mouse or a touch screen.
2. Increases Readability: High contrast colors, clear typography and alternative text for images alleviate stress and/or frustration for those experiencing barriers when reading and understanding website content.
3. Enhances Multimedia Experiences: Closed captions and audio transcriptions enhance the user experience for everyone. And, since 69% of online users prefer to watch a video with the sound off, anyway, websites should make their media available in an accessible form. Regardless of the individual accessing the website, businesses should let all audience members, with or without disabilities, consume and enjoy their content in this manner.
4. Reduces Cognitive Load: Consistent website design, layouts, clear language and simplified navigation reduce the busyness of a site for all users, especially those who live with cognitive or learning disabilities. Cognitive overload will typically prevent or hinder the ease of transactions or site interaction, such as an e-commerce site’s checkout process, so it's best to offer cleaner layouts and elements to reduce disruption or complications.
5. Increases Audience Size Due To Boosted SEO Efforts: Accessible websites can be used by a wider range of users, regardless of ability, increasing a business owner’s potential audience size and, in turn, leading to higher site traffic and engagement. It's also known that websites that integrate web accessibility into their sites experience a 12% increase in traffic. That's because web accessibility helps to improve the SEO of a website, which can result in more organic traffic.
6. Demonstrates Social Responsibility: Accessible websites are more likely to demonstrate inclusivity practices to the general public on behalf of a business and its owners, which can boost a positive reputation. A stronger brand reputation can lift engagement metrics, loyalty and positive reviews.
7. Mitigates Legal Risks: It’s legally mandated to comply with web accessibility laws and regulations such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In 2022, 3,255 web-related lawsuits were brought to federal court, and this is an astounding 12% increase over 2021. Failing to make a website accessible in compliance with the ADA can leave your business vulnerable to these litigation cases.
How can you make a website accessible?
The concept of implementing web accessibility or acquiring the proper resources may sound complicated and daunting. Fortunately, achieving web accessibility and compliance is a more business-friendly and streamlined practice than it used to be. Whether you hire an accessibility expert for manual remediation, opt for an AI-powered solution, or use both, here are a few other ways to get started on your web accessibility journey.
1. Audit your website consistently. Audits exist to evaluate the accessibility and compliance levels of a website so that business owners can receive a holistic overview of site errors and the steps they need to take moving forward to become accessible and compliant. Performing consistent audits with accessibility experts or automated tools will keep you up-to-date on new or added digital assets that need to be made accessible while ensuring that old content is still within Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
2. Choose a CMS that supports accessibility. When deciding on a content management system that best serves as a host for a business website, be sure that it supports accessibility in any form, including AI-powered solutions and native accessibility practices. Regardless of the method, you want to provide a smooth user experience, and the right CMS is the foundation for doing so.
3. Take advantage of user testing. User testing is a tried-and-true method when it comes to assessing the accessibility of a website. This is because enlisting the help of those from the disability communities provides business owners with quality feedback to be integrated into their accessibility practices, ensuring optimal usability for any website visitor.
Conclusion
Overall, web accessibility creates a cleaner, more enjoyable user experience on a business’s website by improving navigation, readability and multimedia experiences, reducing cognitive load and supporting assistive technology.
Any business owner who wants to achieve growth and inclusivity—and make their products and services available to everyone—should understand that people need to be given equal access online. That’s why making a website accessible unlocks your business's front door, allowing you to offer every potential customer a fair and positive experience, regardless of ability.
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