Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Published by
Bradley Salt
ON
Digital accessibility means designing websites, applications, and digital documents in a way that allows everyone, regardless of disability, to interact with them seamlessly and enjoyably. It gives users a smooth and intuitive online experience.In this article, you’ll learn who can benefit from digital accessibility, how incorporating best-practice methods increase customer satisfaction and website results, and the steps you can take to make improvements.
People with a range of disabilities can experience barriers when navigating the web. These challenges include:
Keeping these challenges in mind helps to create a website experience that works for everyone.
Improving the UX (User Experience) of your website has significant benefits for both the consumer and the organisation.Search engines increasingly prioritise web content that is clear, well-organised, and easy for both humans and their automated tools to process.When you prioritise accessibility, you naturally improve aspects of your website that both search engines and visitors value.
A well-designed website that prioritises accessibility provides direct impacts to conversion rates and overall user satisfaction.Here’s how:
Well-structured content and intuitive navigation (including keyboard compatibility) enables all visitors to efficiently find what they seek.
Clear labelling, consistent elements, and helpful error messages reduce confusion and improve usability.
Better usability makes it effortless for visitors to take actions, whether it’s finding information, completing transactions, or utilising online services.
Beyond technical SEO factors, creating a truly accessible user experience demonstrates commitment to fostering an inclusive online presence.This has tangible benefits for everyone:
People with a diverse range of needs often rely on assistive technologies or special browsing modes. Inclusive design helps you connect with a larger, underserved population.
Demonstrating a focus on accessibility aligns with responsible web practices, attracting loyal users and potentially creating a competitive differentiator.
Ready to foster stronger user engagement and improve the experience for everyone? Here’s how to get started.
These improvements can be done on pretty much every website, whether you use a pagebuilder like WordPress, Wix or Squarespace, or run a full-stack site.
Use a logical hierarchy with one main H1 per page and nested subheadings. This aids navigation for screen readers.
Press Tab through all interactive elements (links, buttons, forms) on your website. The focus should follow a logical order that matches how content appears visually (top-to-bottom, left-to-right). If the “focus indicator” jumps around the page erratically, basic page builder or layout adjustments may be needed.
Avoid links that rely solely on phrases like “click here” or “read more.” Instead, write brief text clearly indicating the linked content’s purpose (e.g., “Download our eBook on Marketing Tips”). This context aids screen reader users, visual scanners, and search engines.
Adding accurate Alt Text descriptions to images means that content is available in text form for both screen reader users and search engines. If an image is purely decorative, use a null/empty alt text attribute (alt=””).
Link between relevant pages on your website. This can be to a guide to find more information, or to anything else relevant to the user. Doing this improves SEO as well.
These are some more advanced techniques if you’re more experienced or looking to expand your technical skill.
Add roles such as “navigation”, “search”, and “main” to HTML for clear identification of page sections. This provides greater context and improved usability for assistive technologies.
Include a visually hidden link (visible on keyboard focus) allowing quick jumps to your primary content without repetitive navigation elements. This offers increased efficiency, particularly for screen reader users.
Use elements like <header>, <main>, <article>, and <nav> where appropriate. Their built-in meaning within code offers assistive technologies structural cues, and improve search engine crawlability.
Try to incorporate these prinicples when you’re designing a website.
Use sufficient colour contrast between text and background. Combinations like light grey on white are difficult to read, especially for individuals with low vision or those in bright sunlight. Use tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker to analyse your colour choices, and get numerical data to support informed design choices.
Opt for clear, consistently sized fonts and ensure adequate spacing between lines for clear text presentation. Avoid overly stylised, narrow, or decorative fonts that might hinder easy reading.
Prioritise clear organisation and flow within your layouts. Content shouldn’t feel cramped or visually overwhelming. Ensure key elements such as buttons or calls to action easily stand out.
These tips should help if you want to deep-dive into website design work.
Explore resources on web-font selection and best practices for visual clarity, considering diverse needs. Font weights, spacing, and typeface choice play a crucial role in supporting reading fluency.
Design mindfully with visual cues. Utilise heading styles, size variations, white space, and colour strategically to establish a clear hierarchy and aid comprehension for all users. This makes content more easily digestible.
Consider these points when writing and implementing content for your website.
Use simple language and direct sentence structures. Avoid overly complex phrasing, excessive jargon, and long, rambling paragraphs. Keep content focused and break down information into clear segments. Webaim principles are an excellent handbook.
Tailor your content to match the primary goal of the page. Transactional pages should have a clear, streamlined path to action (e.g., completing a purchase, signing up). Informational pages should deliver valuable information in a well-organised format. Avoid mixing different intents excessively within a single page, but do link between pages where appropriate.Check out our blog where we explain what Search Intent is, with useful examples and points so you can use it to your advantage.
Enhance scannability and understanding with formatting techniques:
More advanced techniques can improve your website’s content even further.
Try using tools that analyse your content for sentence length, word complexity, and overall ease of reading. Do this alongside a manual assessment of your content so the intended tone and clarity remain intact for your specific target audience.
Understand basic keyword integration principles to help align your content with potential search terms. Incorporate relevant keywords naturally into your content without hindering clear communication or affecting its user-friendliness.
Wrapping up, I hope this article helped to demonstrate the importance of excellent user experience, and you learned a few tricks you can apply to your own organisation.
If you want a hand with any of these tips, want to grow your online presence or need help with a project, please get in touch — we’d be glad to help. We offer SEO services for small organisations, large ecommerce businesses, and everything in between.
Let’s uncover the perfect recipe for your website project.Book in for a chat or call on: 07518 746785
