Website Accessibility 101: What Every Business Needs to Know.

In today’s digital era, your website should be treated like a high-end sports car—eye-catching, fast and built to leave a lasting impression. It’s your first introduction and elevator pitch all rolled into one, and we all know how much first impressions matter. Captivating your audience with stunning visuals, thoughtful typography and a compelling call-to-action (CTA) is key, but there's more to the story. With nearly 16% of the global population living with a disability (World Health Organization, 2023), your website must be inclusive and accessible to as many people as possible. 

Still, with such a wide range of accessibility needs, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. That’s where this guide comes in—it’s your road map to understanding the fundamentals of website accessibility and why it’s essential for your businesses success.

Photo by Getty Images

What is Website Accessibility? 

Website accessibility ensures that your site is designed to be usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. This includes individuals who are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, have mobility or cognitive impairments or those who may rely on assistive technologies like voice commands, screen readers, and keyboard navigation. In short, accessibility is about being digitally inclusive and making sure no one is left behind.

Why Does It Matter for Businesses and Startups?

As a business owner, every interaction and first impression counts. With limited resources and visibility, it’s crucial to ensure that your website—your digital storefront—is in top shape. Website accessibility isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a necessity. It’s also about more than compliance. It's about creating an inclusive space where everyone can access your brand and feel welcome. Prioritizing accessibility early on sets a strong foundation and will only benefit your business in the long run.

Below are some key benefits to incorporating accessibility into your website:

Reach A Wider Audience

1 in 6 people around the world live with a disability (World Health Organization, 2023). That’s a significant portion of potential users—and customers—that you may be accidentally excluding if your website isn’t accessible. An inclusive, welcoming site ensures that everyone has the opportunity to engage with your brand. This not only expands your immediate reach but also fosters goodwill and loyalty within this often-overlooked community. 

Think about it—if a user with a disability has a positive and seamless experience on your accessible website, they are far more likely to become a loyal customer and advocate for your brand within their networks. This word-of-mouth marketing can be invaluable, especially for startups seeking to build trust and credibility.

Better User Experience 

The beauty of accessible design lies in the inherent focus on clarity and usability. Features like clear navigation, proper color contrast and easy-to-read content don’t just help users with disabilities, they improve the overall user experience for everyone. Designing with accessibility in mind often leads to a cleaner, more user-friendly website design. Imagine a user browsing your site on a bright sunny day with glare on their screen—high color contrast makes the content easier to read. Or consider a user quickly scanning your site on their mobile device—clear, ordered heading tags and concise language help them find the information they need efficiently. Remember, a positive user experience, regardless of one’s ability, is a cornerstone of building a successful online presence.

Photo by Nathana Reboucas

SEO Boost

Search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing love websites that are well-structured and coded with accessibility in mind. Many accessibility best practices align directly with SEO best practices principles. Alt text, proper heading hierarchies and clean code contribute to higher search rankings and better online visibility. By building an accessible website, you're essentially optimizing it for both humans and search engines, leading to higher organic rankings, increased online visibility, and ultimately, more traffic to your website.

Brand Reputation

Let’s be honest, you don’t want your business to be known for a frustrating or inaccessible website, and for today’s socially conscious marketplace, brand perception is important. Consumers are increasingly drawn to businesses that demonstrate values like inclusivity and social responsibility. An inaccessible website can unfortunately send the opposite message, potentially alienating a significant portion of your audience and damaging your brand's reputation.

On the other hand, a well-designed, accessible site sets your brand apart from the competition and signals that you're thoughtful, inclusive and future-ready—qualities that resonate with modern consumers. This proactive approach fosters trust, builds a positive brand image and sets you apart from competitors who may not be prioritizing accessibility. In the long run, this can translate into increased customer loyalty, positive word-of-mouth and a stronger brand identity that resonates with modern consumers who value inclusivity. 

Legal Protection

In many countries, including the U.S., laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) require websites to be accessible. While the specifics can vary, the overarching principle is to ensure equal access to goods and services, which increasingly includes online platforms. Non-compliance can lead to fines, lawsuits and negative PR, yes, even for small businesses. 

What to Focus On?

Getting started with website accessibility can feel overwhelming, but it does not have to be. By focusing on some key elements like the ones mentioned below, you can make a huge difference in how user-friendly your website is. However, it's important to remember that progress, not perfection, is the initial goal.

Check out these items to help make your website more accessible:

Alt Text for Images

While writing blogs or clicking "More Information" on any image on Canva or Unsplash, you might notice a section called “Alt Text” which stands for alternative text. It’s essentially a text description of an image for individuals who cannot see it. And, yes… it’s part of website accessibility. 

The descriptive text explains images for screen readers, helping visually impaired users understand what the image is conveying by reading it back to them. Without descriptive alt text, these users would encounter a blank void where an image is, missing out on potentially vital information or context. When describing images, be concise yet informative. Focus on the essential details that contribute to the understanding of the surrounding content. Remember, the goal is to convey the purpose and meaning of the image within the context of the webpage, not necessarily every detail in that image. 

Keyboard Navigation

Have you tried navigating your website using only the Tab key? Can you move through all interactive elements easily? No? That is why we need keyboard navigation in action. Many users cannot rely on a mouse due to motor impairments, tremors or other physical limitations. Keyboard navigation ensures that users who can’t use a mouse can still interact with your website using their keyboard alone. Try to perform all key actions—navigating to different pages, filling out forms, triggering buttons—using only your keyboard. Suppose you find any "keyboard traps" or areas where you get stuck and can't move away, or other elements that are not reachable via keyboard. In that case, you know you have critical accessibility issues that need to be addressed.

Additionally, a well-implemented keyboard navigation system will also visually indicate which element currently has focus, often through a clear focus indicator (a border or highlight). This allows users to know where they are on the page and what action they can take.

Color Contrast

Color contrast impacts everyone. Ever tried reading light grey text on a white background? Tough, right? That’s why color contrast matters. Good contrast between text and background improves readability for users with visual impairments or color blindness. 

Tools like WebAIM’s contrast checker can help you get it right. These tools provide a pass/fail result based on WCAG standards for different text sizes. While aesthetic considerations are important, they should never compromise readability. Often, simple adjustments to color palettes can significantly improve contrast without sacrificing visual appeal.

Photo by dem10 from Getty Images Signature

Readable Fonts

Fancy fonts might look cool but they can also be hard to read. Accessible websites use clear, legible fonts with adequate size and spacing. Stick to clean typefaces (like sans-serif fonts), avoid excessive styling and make sure your text is easy on the eyes for everyone.

Beyond the choice of font, other factors contribute to readability, including font size, line height (the vertical space between lines of text) and letter spacing. Ensure that your body text is large enough to read comfortably without requiring zoom. Adequate line height prevents text from feeling cramped and improves reading flow. Avoid excessive styling like all caps or italics for large blocks of text, as these can also reduce readability. The goal is to make your text as easy and comfortable to read as possible for the widest range of users.

Proper Heading Structure

Think of headings as the table of contents for your page. Using H1 for titles, H2 for main sections and H3 for subsections helps screen readers understand the layout and flow of your content. It also helps all users quickly scan and find what they need. This hierarchical structure allows screen reader users to navigate the content efficiently. They can jump between headings to get an overview of the page and quickly locate the information they need. Furthermore, proper heading structure is also beneficial for SEO, as it helps search engines understand the key topics and subtopics of your pages. Treat your headings like an outline for your content, ensuring a clear and logical flow.

Captioned Videos

Whether it’s a promo, tutorial or behind-the-scenes clip, your videos should include captions. Captions make your content accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Beyond accessibility for the hearing impaired, captions also benefit a wider audience. They can be helpful for users in noisy environments where audio is difficult to hear, or in silent environments where listening is not possible or preferred. Captions can also improve comprehension for non-native speakers.

Many video hosting platforms today offer automatic captioning, but it's crucial to review and edit these for accuracy, as automatic captions can often contain errors. Want to go the extra mile? Consider providing captions in multiple languages to further expand your reach.

Form Labels and Error Messages

Filling out forms can be a source of frustration for any user, but poorly designed forms can create significant barriers for individuals using assistive technologies. Clear and properly associated labels are essential for form fields. Properly labeled fields guide users, especially those using screen readers and descriptive error messages ensure everyone can submit forms without frustration.

Equally important are clear and informative error messages. When a user makes a mistake in filling out a form, the error message should identify the issue and guide how to correct it. Generic error messages like "Something went wrong" are unhelpful. Instead, provide specific feedback, such as "Please enter a valid email address" or "Your password must be at least 8 characters long."

How to Get Started?

Knowing the importance of accessibility is one thing, but putting it into action is another. Now that you know the basics of website accessibility, we have some good news. You don’t need to be a developer or accessibility expert to begin. With the right tools and mindset, you can start making your website more inclusive today. Here are a few simple steps to help you get started.

1. Download our FREE Website Accessibility Checklist

   Let us start with the basics. Our FREE downloadable checklist gives you a clear, beginner-friendly roadmap to assess and improve your site’s accessibility. It’s a great first step to identify gaps and implement practical changes, all without getting overwhelmed. Should you need further assistance, our team at The Hopkins Creative is ready to help you. 

2. Follow WACG Guidelines

   The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the global gold standard for web accessibility. Don’t worry about memorizing them all—start with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. It covers the most essential accessibility features that help make your site usable for everyone.

3. Incorporate Accessibility Into Your Workflow

   Don’t ignore accessibility. It also shouldn’t be an afterthought. Whether you're building a landing page, designing a button or writing content, be sure to keep accessibility at the top of mind. Better yet, train your team to check for contrast, use proper headings, write alt text and ensure that forms are clear and functional. By training them to verify contrast, implement proper heading structures, write effective alt text and create clear, functional forms, you're fostering a team that inherently builds with inclusivity in mind.

4. Ask for Professional Help 

   Working with a professional can make a big difference. From audits to implementation, accessibility experts can help you create a site that’s compliant, inclusive and user-friendly. Good news! Having a strong online presence allows customers to find your business. Whether you're looking for a site analysis, website redesign, a new landing page or a robust and interactive business site, our team works with you throughout every step to ensure your ideas are transformed into a professional business website that creates memorable first impressions. 

Small businesses and startups shouldn’t consider accessibility as a “nice to have” function but rather a must. An important piece that reflects your values as a business, widens reach and provides a product/service for all. So, whether you're launching your first landing page or building out your MVP, make accessibility part of your website foundation.