Digital marketing rules in today’s online outreach to a global audience. Businesses rely heavily on digital marketing efforts to reach a wider audience and increase their online visibility. According to the World Health Organization, there are around one billion individuals throughout the world who are disabled. This accounts for an estimated 15% of the global population.
However, it is important to ensure that these efforts are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. In fact, ensuring web accessibility is not only a legal requirement in many countries, but it also helps to enhance user experience and can ultimately boost sales and conversions. With a few simple tips, businesses can make web accessibility a seamless part of their digital marketing efforts.
The first tip is to ensure that all digital content is designed with accessibility in mind. This includes everything from the website layout and design to the content and multimedia used.
For example, using descriptive alt tags for images and ensuring that video content has closed captions can greatly improve accessibility for those who are visually or hearing impaired. Additionally, using a simple and consistent layout can help users with cognitive disabilities navigate the website more easily.
By keeping accessibility in mind during the design process, businesses can create a more inclusive and welcoming online environment for all users.
Why Is Creating Content on The Web That Is Accessible to All Users So Significant?
Accessibility on the web is not limited to those who are hearing or sight impaired. Accessibility is also concerned with cognition, motor/sensory skills, variations in eyesight, and other disability.
The primary justification for accessible content is to ensure that the internet and its reaches a wider audience.
The business expansion is the second justification. Businesses that make their websites and applications accessible ensure potential clients get they products or services they need.
To put it another way, one in every four individuals in the United States reports having some kind of disability/impairment. A poorly accessible website prevents up to 30 per cent of the American population from purchasing your goods and services.
One such reason is that you might get into legal difficulties. In 2022, there were two high-profile lawsuits about the accessibility of websites. Cosmetic giant L’Oreal and UC Berkeley were sued over inaccessible websites and reached settlements with the Justice Department.
Maintaining a site’s high level of accessibility also provides a number of other advantages. Accessibility requirements combine with technical problems such as search engine optimization (SEO), copywriting, user experience (UX), and user conversion.
Which Aspects of Digital Content Should Marketers Focus Their Attention On?
The question to ask is, “What digital assets should marketers not be worried about?” Because there is no correct response.
It doesn’t matter what kind of material you’re putting out there. Even if its a video, a tweet, or any other content, all of it has to be accessible to everyone.
Your content must be compliant with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This conclusion was made by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the United States. Why take a chance when inaccessible websites have been the basis of several lawsuits for digital accessibility. This trend does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Why Those Working in Digital Marketing Should Embrace Accessibility and Make It a Priority?
Accessibility in marketing indicates businesses are willing to reach as many people as possible.
When seen in this light, accessibility is not a compliance problem; rather, it is a chance to extend one’s reach. It is clear why accessibility should be embraced by digital marketers since it presents an opportunity to expand one’s reach.
When your content and other assets are inaccessible, you lose viewers and turn off prospective customers. Over $13 trillion in disposable income is controlled by people with disabilities, just untapped.
Making your website accessible gives you profits in terms of leads, boosts your credibility, and increases conversions.
3 Simple Ways to use Accessibility in Digital Marketing
1. Alt text for images
The alt text for an image should be an accurate description that gives the viewer information about its context.
Screen readers will read the alt text to the user in order to explain a picture. Marketers utilize alt text to improve the SEO of the page on which the image is housed. However, disregarding alt text will result in a decrease in the accessibility of your website as a whole.
The purpose of alternative text is to provide readers with disabilities with the same context as non-disabled users.
2. Use an acceptable color contrast ratio
Making a simple adjustment to your website’s contrast ratio is one of the easiest ways to make your website more accessible to visitors who are color-blind or visually impaired.
The WCAG 2.0 Level AA specifies text and graphic pictures must have a contrast ratio of 4.5:1. Text that is 18 points or larger, requires a contrast ratio of 3:1.
3. Make appropriate use of captions and transcripts
Captions and transcripts are two tools that are used to make video and audio information more accessible. These two tools are comparable but not the same.
Captions (called “subtitles” in some areas) provide content to people who are Deaf and hard-of-hearing. Captions are a text version of the speech and non-speech audio information needed to understand the content. Transcripts are a text version of the speech and non-speech audio information needed to understand the content. Descriptive transcripts are required to provide video content to people who are both Deaf and blind. It includes description of visual information to understand the content.
Conclusion
In conclusion, making web accessibility a part of digital marketing efforts is not only a legal requirement but also a moral responsibility to ensure that all users, regardless of their abilities, can access and benefit from the content provided.
By following these three easy tips, businesses can make their websites more accessible and inclusive for everyone. Not only does this enhance user experience, but it can also help to increase sales and conversions by reaching a wider audience.
So, it’s a win-win situation for both businesses and users. In today’s highly competitive digital landscape, ensuring web accessibility can be the key to standing out from the crowd and building a loyal customer base that values inclusivity and accessibility.
