As the internet continues to grow and change, the user base continues to diversify. This continuous growth is exciting for small businesses thanks to the limitless potential of new customers, but comes with some additional challenges when building a website that is accessible to all those who may utilize it. Take an adventure with us to learn what accessibility options will be required of your business’s website and what more you can add to ensure that all users’ needs are met.

It is 2023; we all know that the internet is the most powerful marketing platform we have, but as the internet continues to grow and change, the internet’s user base continues to diversify. This continuous growth is exciting for small businesses thanks to the limitless potential of new customers, but comes with some additional challenges when building a website that is accessible to all those who may utilize it. Take an adventure with us to learn what accessibility options will be required of your business’s website and what more you can add to ensure that all users’ needs are met.

Does your website need to be accessible?

Different governing bodies do have different requirements for web accessibility, but in the United States the standards for web accessibility are provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). According to the ADA, businesses which must provide accessibility to their websites are those that represent businesses which are open to the public, including all government websites. Specific examples provided by the ADA are:

• Retail stores and other sales or retail establishments;
• Banks;
• Hotels, inns, and motels;
• Hospitals and medical offices;
• Food and drink establishments; and
• Auditoriums, theaters, and sports arenas.

These examples may seem broad and that is with reason. If you operate a business, it should be accessible.

What does “accessible” mean?

As stated above, different governing bodies may provide different standards for what accessibility looks like for your website. Per the most recent release of web accessibility standards from the ADA in March of 2022, the basic requirements for your website to follow in order to be accessible are as follows:

• Reasonably contrasting colors across the website;
• Captions on video content;
• Alternatives (alt text) on photo content;
• Information being provided by more than color alone;
• Keyboard navigation tools; and
• Online forms designed to be understood and filled out correctly.

Put simply, your website should be designed to be used by as many people as possible. This includes folks who are colorblind, physically disabled, hard of hearing, and otherwise. 

Why should my website be accessible?

On top of the legal requirements to provide an accessible user experience, maintaining a website with a high standard of accessibility helps you generate business. Whether it be because your website is more accessible that a competing business’, or because consumers just generally like to see a business trying, ensuring that as many people as possible to interact with your website only stands to grow your business.

In addition to the potential good optics of having an accessible website, the importance of providing accessibility is directly growing because the amount of people in the US with disabilities is increasing steadily over time. According to information from the Center for Disease Control, more than 25% of Americans have a disability, meaning that upwards of 1 in 4 visitors to your website may need accommodations.

Other benefits of providing accessibility to your website include better SEO ratings, a growth in your reputation as a business, and a potential increase in company income.

Conclusion

All told, creating a website which is usable by as many people as possible can’t be a bad idea. While adding accessibility across your website may be an investment, it will pay off in the long term. Global requirements for website accessibility are only going to become more strict, so following the basic requirements provided by the appropriate governing bodies will only stand to better prepare your business for the future.

In order to ensure that your website is up-to-date, consider the experts at Mystic Media Dot Com as your one-stop resource for accessibility. We have provided cutting-edge accessibility for our clients for years and would love to do the same for you! For more information please contact us here.