February 21, 2022

Getting ready to launch your own small business is no easy task. You’ll have to consider a million different factors, from the quality of products and services you offer to the user experience of your website.

However, as you navigate this process, you might be letting one important factor slip through the cracks.

It’s none other than website accessibility. By prioritizing this factor at the top of your list, you’ll be setting your business up for success from the very start. Why so?

In the United States alone, 1 in 4 adults live with a disability. That’s 61 million Americans who face impacts to major life activities, like shopping for the goods and services they need. Your customer base shouldn’t be limited just because your website lacks accessibility.

Luckily, here at Digital Space Marketing, we’ll share what we know about the importance of website accessibility for business owners like yourself. In no time, you’ll be able to set up an inclusive and compliant website that helps you reach your full conversion potential.

The Basics of Website Accessibility

Web accessibility means that anyone with a disability should be able to browse through your products, understand the pricing and content, and make a purchase completely on their own.

The type of accommodations provided should differ based on the type of disability involved. If someone is visually impaired, having descriptive alt tags on images would allow screen readers to help them comprehend what they can’t see. If someone who’s deaf needs accessibility, your website can provide subtitles and sign language interpretation on video content.

The Importance of Web Accessibility

Even though website accessibility might seem overwhelming at first, it’ll be worth your time and money to take care of it right away. This will help save yourself from future hassles and increase your business customer base. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key reasons you should focus on website accessibility today.

1. Prevents ADA Lawsuits

Under the American Disabilities Act, people with disabilities can take legal action against you if your website isn’t compliant. In January 2021, a record 10,983 federal ADA lawsuits were filed. All it takes is one person with disabilities to put your small business in hot water if they don’t find your website accessible enough.

2. Increases Business Sales

If you’re thinking about ways to improve SEO, then website accessibility is a great place to start. It’ll empower you to add more keywords and increase customer retention, which is something Google favors in its algorithm. That organic traffic will then drive customers to your website. From there, the ease of use will not only lead them straight to the checkout page, but also recommend your business to their network of friends and family.

How to Check and Fix Website Accessibility

One of the best ways you can check for website accessibility is to invest in a complete website audit. An outside professional will be able to conduct a full analysis of your accessibility through data points and provide all the information you need to add accommodations. They’ll also give you an overview of your competitor’s websites and help you see where you’re doing better or worse. At the end of the day, the recommendations they give should help your website fully engage and convert visitors with disabilities into customers.