By making sure your website is ADA compliant, you are following the law. It will improve your accessibility to a greater percentage of the population. With over 50% of people with disabilities in the US, this is important to consider when designing your website.
As aforementioned, the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requires that any business with a physical location offer equal access to its goods and services to those with disabilities. This means designing and maintaining your website in an ADA-compliant manner.
Although the ADA is not legislation, there are many state and local laws that require adherence to the guidelines of this act. And when it comes to marketing your business through a website, you need to make sure that your site is ADA compliant before moving forward.
Every page of your site should be accessible by someone who has a disability in some way shape or form. If you have lots of images embedded into your text, you will either need to provide an option for viewers to expand these pictures or download them as high-contrast versions for easier viewing.
The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) has no clear rules for businesses on how to create an accessible website. This means that it relies on the understanding of individual business owners. This can be very challenging, as it is a vague guideline. Despite this, many companies still offer websites that are fully compliant with the ADA Act and appropriate for people with disabilities.
ADA compliance is not just for the disabled. It can also have a major effect on your customer base and lead to increased revenue. As more people understand that accessibility is important, more websites are being created with this requirement in mind. An ADA-compliant website is an important digital marketing tool, your business can reap the benefits of becoming ADA compliant.
The 5 main reasons your website should be ADA-compliant are:
- Increases Target Audience
There are many people who would love to engage with your website, find out more about your products, and explore the services you offer. But unfortunately for some people, it isn’t possible because their screen reader can’t work out how to navigate the site – this is a problem that your potential customers want to be solved. Having an ADA-compliant website solves problems like this, and thereby increases your target audience.
ADA compliance can help improve your reputation by making your business more customer-friendly. In today’s competitive market, it is not enough to just have a great product or service. You need to have an excellent customer experience as well.
- Improves Website Usability
The fact of the matter is ADA compliance and usability go hand in hand – an ADA compliant site’s usability is improved because it needs fewer workarounds or accessibility features that would otherwise distract from its overall design.
- Improves SEO Marketing Efforts
ADA compliance can also help your search engine optimization efforts. The more ADA compliant the website is, the more likely the site will rank higher on Google. This can lead to a higher number of visitors and potential customers. More leads mean more customers. More customers mean higher revenue for your business.
Failure to comply with ADA standards can result in hefty fines and penalties. By implementing an ADA-compliant design, you prevent any legal penalties that could harm your business. Running a business is already stressful enough, there’s no need to add legal trouble to the mix.