Getting your website design right is critical to the success of your business. Whether you use a good Website Design Agency, do the work yourself, or rely on paid advertising, getting the customer to your site is only the first part of the battle. You need to keep them on your site and get them to use your services.

But, it’s important to do this right and comply with the web design accessibility standards. Fortunately, this is easier than you may think, providing you know what the standards are.

Qualifications

 The first thing your website should do is demonstrate your qualifications and the nature of your product or service. This is what will keep someone on your page for more than the average of 20 seconds. 

In short, you need to instantly show who you are, why you should be listened to, and the value you’ll bring to their life or their query. That’s a pretty tall order in under 20 seconds but it’s achievable by being direct and honest.

Visibility

Alongside preparing a statement that achieves the above aims, you need to consider how easy its for people to see the information you’re displaying.

This means considering the device that is likely to be used, estimates suggest 63% of enquires will come from a mobile device. That means your website must be mobile-ready and desktop ready.

But, complying with the latest standards is more than just being ready for any format of screen. You need to consider those that have reduced sight. It’s not possible to offer Braille over the internet yet but you can have an option to use larger fonts and icons. This will need to be an option that is very easy to see and transforms the page as soon as it is clicked on. 

You should also add text-to-speech options. This will allow those who are blind to access your webpage and gain from the information and services you’re providing.

To ensure your website can do this you need to include headers, divide large blocks of text, and even include text to describe images. In short, you need to code your website properly to allow visually impaired people to access it and to ensure you’re complying with the latest regulations.

At this point, it’s worth noting that although many sites do not comply with accessibility regulations, if you do, you’ll be increasing your potential customer base. If you then maintain the same style of site your impaired users will keep returning because you’re making it easier for them.

Remember Sounds

People who are hard of hearing can happily access your web pages and read the content. But, if you’re displaying videos you should be including a description of the video to cater to those that are hard of hearing. 

Again, this will make the process of visiting your website more pleasurable, you won’t just be compliant, you’ll be building a solid customer base.

As well as keeping aware of the latest accessibility standards, you’ll find there is plenty of free information and resources, to help you stay ahead of the regulations and the competition.