5 Reasons to Care About a Website Accessibility

Have you ever considered the importance of a website accessibility?

Many people overlook this crucial aspect of their online presence, but ensuring that your site is accessible to all users is not just a nice-to-have feature.

It’s a must-have.

In this article, you’ll discover the importance of web accessibility and why you should care about making your website more inclusive for all users and more potential business opportunities.

Don’t want to read?

Here’s the audio retranscription:

What is Web Accessibility

Web accessibility refers to the inclusive practice of designing and developing a site that provides a user-friendly browsing experience while being easily accessed by all individuals, including those with disabilities. 

When a website is accessible, people with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the content and features effectively and efficiently.

5 Reasons to Care about Your Company Website’s Accessibility

Here are some good reasons to care about web accessibility importance:

Inclusion

The first reason to get an accessible website is obviously to make it inclusive and ensure that no one is left behind.

By making a professional website easy to navigate and compatible with assistive technologies such as screen readers and keyboard shortcuts, companies can reach a wider audience, including those with disabilities.

User-Friendly Browsing Experience

Secondly, an accessible website also ensures that all users, including those with disabilities, can easily navigate and interact with your site, providing a better overall user experience for all customers.

In fact, the following usual website’s features benefits for all and not only those with disabilities:

• well-organized navigation with a good site architecture
• keyboard compatibility with usual shortcuts
• image alt description
• content easily readable with large enough and readable fonts

That’s why by designing your professional website with accessibility in mind, you are making it more user-friendly and intuitive for all users, increasing customer satisfaction and engagement.

Improved Brand Image

Another good reason to care about web accessibility is your brand image.

A website is often the first impression potential customers can have on a professional business when landing on it. 

So, by ensuring your site is accessible, you also ensure it reflects positively on your company’s values, ethics, and commitment to social responsibility, thereby strengthening its brand image and reputation in the eyes of consumers.

This proactive approach not only helps to attract and retain customers who value these principles but also sets the company apart as a leader in the industry.

Search Engines Compliance

Nowadays, search engines prioritize websites that are easy to navigate, have straightforward content, and are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.

When your own professional website features some web accessibility functionalities, you are more likely to rank in search engine results, potentially leading to more visibility and increased traffic to your site.

Plus, the efforts made to make your site accessible help you reach a wider audience while also contributing to your overall search engine optimization efforts.

Legal Compliance

Finally, having an accessible website is not just a matter of best practice but also a legal requirement in many industries providing essential services. 

Some stringent laws and regulations in the United States (ADA) and Europe (WCAG) mandate that websites in regulated industries be accessible to individuals with disabilities. 

For companies and institutions operating in these specific industries, ensuring website accessibility is a social responsibility and a legal obligation. 

That’s why, among these industries, we can find:

• healthcare
• financial institutions
• education

While website accessibility for legal compliance does not apply to all websites, such as most small business websites or e-commerce stores, businesses in specific industries must understand their legal responsibilities and take proactive steps to make their websites accessible to everyone. 

By doing so, companies can avoid potential legal liabilities, enhance their brand reputation, and embrace the principles of inclusion and equality.

And that’s it for this article!

Ensuring that your website is accessible to all individuals is not only the right thing to do, but it also makes good business sense.

By making it user-friendly for everyone, you can expand your reach and potential customer base, positively impacting your business activities and society as a whole.