When you first create your company’s website, the goals are most likely to ensure that it is professional, on-brand and on message, easy to navigate, and that it of course reaches the largest audience possible. With so much business done online, companies realize that a website is no longer just a second-thought; it is necessary to their success in the industry. But here’s a question to ask yourself – have you truly done everything you can to make your website accessible to all?
Without an accessible website, you are in fact closing the door to many potential leads and customers, as well as sending out a negative message that accessibility may not be your company’s top priority. There is a large amount of people that suffer from different disabilities and accessibility issues who need to be able to access online content, but may be facing issues. With that said, we’ve got some great tips from the experts at accessiBe on how to make your website accessible.
Familiarize Yourself with ADA and WCAG Compliance Legislation
The first thing to familiarize yourself with is the actual legislation that exists to address ADA and WCAG compliance. The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that websites are accessible for those with a disability so that they can access the content with ease. Unfortunately, these rules and regulations can be tricky to navigate for the everyday business owner, which is why accessiBe is proving to be so useful. The experts at accessiBe make it their job to stay on top of all the current legislation so they can answer your questions.
Conduct a Free Audit
Maybe you’re under the impression that you’ve done a fairly good job at making your website accessible to all. If that’s case, it’s a good idea to make use of accessiBe’s free audit which will scan your website and provide feedback on how accessible it truly is. The results may come as a surprise to you.
Make Use of Customizable Tools
Another tip from accessiBe is to make full use of the customization tools available to you. These allow you to adjust shapes and sizes, change up the colors of the interface, move icons, and even choose from different icons to give a customized and more user-friendly look. It’s about giving you control to make the website as accessible as possible.
Ensure You are Staying Compliant
Another thing to remember is that even once you take those initial steps to make your website accessible, you will need ongoing monitoring for compliance when it comes to updated and new content. This is exactly why accessiBe features 24-hour automatic maintenance scans of all web content. It takes all the pressure and stress off your shoulders and you will have peace of mind knowing that nothing is falling between the cracks.
A Website That is Accessible to All
In order to reach the masses and grow your customer base, you need to be able to provide a website experience that can be enjoyed by all, without barriers and restrictions. This is exactly why it’s so important to use these tips aimed at making sure your site is compliant and accessible for all.