Brand teams work hard to define their audience for their digital marketing and ecommerce websites. You might be part of one of those teams. You work hard to create personas, promote products, execute promotional brand campaigns, build email newsletter lists and optimize your website for ecommerce conversions. There are a lot of folks to please internally during the process! But is it actually a welcoming place for everyone visiting the website? Let’s be honest, a lot of times when it comes to website management, accessibility seems to be an afterthought.
Accessibility Quick Facts:
- 27% of your potential US audience has some sort of disability (source: CDC)
- 3,255 website accessibility lawsuits were filed in federal court in 2022 (source: Seyfarth)
- 300% spike from 2017 to 2022!
- 4,200+ website accessibility lawsuits are projected for 2023 (source: Forbes)
Does My Website Need to be Optimized for Accessibility?
Take a second to ask yourself if accidentally shutting the door on potential customers is good for business or generally respectful to folks. Well, the thing is, that’s exactly what might be happening on your website, especially if you're not baking accessibility testing and optimization into your web development workflow. But don't stress, because we're here to be your accessibility guide!
Here's the deal. A lot of times, when it comes to websites, accessibility seems to be an afterthought. Not the best approach, because it means that people with disabilities might find your website a bit like a maze. And that's not cool at all — let's save the labyrinths for poofy-hair David Bowie and his merry-making, nightmare-inducing muppet goblin friends (DB's tight-tights did look hella comfy tho, not gonna lie).
What's the Game Plan? Install accessiBe? Use A Website Accessibility Checker Tool?
Well, you've got a couple of options on the table. First up, there's those snazzy apps and plugins for platforms like WordPress and Shopify that have great marketing and promise turnkey solutions (looking at you accessiBe). Sounds like a friggin’ breeze, right? Well, not so fast. These tools can handle about 20% of the accessibility work, mainly focusing on the looks of things. But here's the twist: the other 80% is where the real magic happens. We're talking about nailing down screen-readers and keyboard navigation – that's where the real accessibility gold lies, and that's where we, Victory Creative, roll up our sleeves and dig in.
The other option is pure manual step-by-step review and optimization. We’ve earned knowledge and experience by working with national corporations and household name brands and have found that you cannot avoid the manual approach and achieve an adequate result. Don’t make the mistake that all you need to do is install an app or plugin and walk away! Be prepared to learn about accessibility guidelines and WCAG 2.1 jargon like "Level AA" and "Priority 2" – and yes, it is important stuff. But let's be honest, diving into all that info can feel like exploring the deep sea. And it's not just about reading – it's testing, testing, and more testing. Sounds like a full-time gig, right? So if coding isn't exactly your jam, you might already be thinking about bringing in us.
Do I Really Have to Budget For This?
Let's loop back to why this is important. We’ve mentioned that around one in five people have some form of disability worldwide. That's a pretty huge chunk of potential customers, wouldn't you say? If your website isn't accessible, you could be missing out on a lot. But here's the kicker – it's not just about business, it's about being a good digital neighbor, throwing open the door for everyone.
But wait, there's more. Just like when a brick-and-mortar storefront isn’t physically accessible, if your site isn't up to scratch in the accessibility department, you could be in for some legal hurdles. Yep, you heard that right. The Department of Justice says websites are like public spaces, and if they're not accessible, you could be in for a rollercoaster ride. Lawsuits have spiked a whopping 300%, and guess who's in the spotlight? Yep, ecommerce sites are right there. That's a real wake-up call!
Victory Creative Is Here to Be Your Accessibility Champions.
We've got some top-notch talent, experience and coding magic. We scan your site, hunt down the issues, and systematically fix 'em up. Suddenly, your site is a welcoming hub for everyone. Oh, and here's the cherry on top – we save you time and money too. Even if you're a small business, you can totally make accessibility a reality without breaking the bank.
So, let's come together and make the internet a friendlier place, one website at a time. Get in touch with Victory Creative, and let us sprinkle our accessibility magic on your site. Your visitors – and your peace of mind – will be forever grateful!
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