Our whole team is passionate about ensuring that all of the websites we build meet accessibility standards. After all, digital accessibility has a significant impact on the potential user experience.
This is why one of our in-house experts, Lisa, took the opportunity to share her passion and expertise for digital accessibility during one of the Mosaic Talks in November. In case you missed the live coverage on LinkedIn, you can watch a recording of the presentation here:
Why Talk About Digital Accessibility?
A common misconception about accessibility is that it is only needed for a small minority of people and that it means creating boring websites. However, with the majority of people over the age of 40 starting to experience diminished eyesight, 20% of the world’s population being classified as neurodivergent and 16 million people in the UK being classified as disabled, digital accessibility has never been more critical.
During a recent visit to elderly relatives, Lisa observed the challenges individuals can encounter when using websites without easy accessibility. Her husband’s grandparents could not book a holiday simply because the payment button was hard to spot.
This was a website aimed at providing holidays for retirement-aged people and yet it was losing out on potential sales because of an inaccessible colour choice. Ultimately, losing the company countless leads and possible conversions as a result of poor digital accessibility.
Would the impact of changing the colouring on the button have made much of a difference to the overall appearance of the website? Probably not, and yet by not taking this into consideration the company were missing out.
During the presentation, we explored accessibility standards together, unravelling the complexities and clarifying that web development is more than just code, it’s about crafting digital spaces where everyone feels welcome and supported.
We’re excited to share the insights and spark a conversation about building a web that’s accessible to all. So, grab your virtual front-row seat and join us in reliving the wisdom shared by Lisa.
What is website accessibility?
Website accessibility is all about making sure everyone, regardless of their abilities, can easily use and navigate a website without barriers. It’s creating a welcoming digital space for everyone, with features that make things clear and simple for people of all ages and abilities.
These little touches make the online world open to everyone, ensuring a smooth and fair experience for all users. Implementing features that enhance accessibility benefits not only those with disabilities but also the broader user base.
For instance, consider elderly individuals who may have visual, hearing or motor skill challenges. For a business, a more inclusive online presence enhances the potential customer base and improves the overall user experience, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Why is digital accessibility important?
Loss of sales
A trusted source, ReciteMe, reports that 83% of people stick to websites they know are easy to use, and 85% are willing to pay extra for products and services from such sites. Surprisingly, only 8% of individuals would actually inform the company about any accessibility issues they encounter.
This indicates that 92% of visitors to your website, if it’s not easily accessible, are likely to leave without saying a word and therefore, leaving you without a sale. If you can’t afford to be losing out on 92% of potential conversions, then you need to consider digital accessibility when designing and building your new website.
Website visibility
Accessible websites typically have well-organised, clear content structures. This not only benefits users but also assists search engine crawlers in understanding and indexing your content more effectively, potentially leading to better visibility in search results and therefore, increased traffic to your site.
Google actively encourages websites to implement the best practices for accessibility. Adhering to these guidelines not only helps people with disabilities but also aligns with broader SEO principles, boosting your site’s credibility and trustworthiness.
What can you do to make your website more accessible?
Colour contrast: Maintain clear colour contrast between text and background colours to improve readability and help people take action on your website, especially for users with low vision.
Resizable text and scalable layouts: Allow users to resize text without it breaking the layout. Ensure that your website is responsive and works well on different devices and screen sizes
Testing with accessibility tools: Use accessibility testing tools, such as WAVE or Lighthouse, to identify and address potential accessibility issues.
Form field labels: Clearly label form fields and provide instructions. This assists users in understanding the purpose of each form element and facilitates completion for those using screen readers.
Keyboard navigation: Ensure that all functionality can be accessed and navigated using a keyboard. This is especially important for users who rely on keyboard navigation or voice commands.
Captions and transcripts: Provide captions for videos and transcripts for audio content. This benefits users who are deaf or hard of hearing and those who prefer written content.
Key takeaways: accessibility isn’t an extra; it’s a mindset. It’s about shaping the internet into a user-friendly space for everyone, no matter how they navigate it while also improving your website visibility and performance.
At the end of the day, not only is it important to us to use our expertise to ensure that websites are accessible to provide every user with a seamless experience, but we also ensure our clients aren’t missing out on potential conversions. Because of this, we ensure our whole team are kept up-to-date with training on accessibility to ensure we can help keep you ahead of the click.
Whether you need a new website or to improve the accessibility of your current website, our expert team have the skills to ensure you’re targeting all of your potential clients. Get in touch with our expert team to start increasing your website conversion rates today.