Web accessibility is a hot topic nowadays. Everyone wants their website to be more accessible as it will help them reach more people. That’s where the role of a digital marketer comes in. Today, we will be discussing the relationship between accessibility and digital marketing. How these two are connected and why accessibility is such an important part of digital marketing. But first, let’s understand what accessibility is.
Understanding Web Accessibility
Web accessibility refers to the usability of websites and other digital tools for people regardless of their abilities and disabilities. The designers and web developers are encouraged to create websites and digital tools that are free of barriers for people with disabilities and in accordance with W3C’s POUR (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust) principles.
Importance of Web Accessibility in Digital Marketing
More and more sectors are going digital nowadays and therefore, the possibilities are also increasing for digital marketers. In such scenarios, how important is web accessibility? According to the world bank, 15% of the world population has some form of disability. If your apps, digital tools, and websites do not have accessibility features, it will be hard for them to use your product or service.
Making Web Accessibility A Priority
Web accessibility will protect you against fines and lawsuits if the accessibility standards are followed. Not only does an accessible website give every user a great experience, but it will also help you avoid legal complications. For that, you should conform to the accessibility requirements of your province, state, or country. Some regulations you should know about are:
- EU Web Accessibility Directive
- Standard on Web Accessibility Canada
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 (India)
Digital Accessibility
Digital accessibility consists of not only web accessibility but also includes other forms of digital media. Your documents, video and audio content that you put out, and your mobile apps.
If you want everyone to engage with your content, no matter where you put it, digital accessibility is the way to go. An accessible website will help you enhance your public image, and will have improved usability that can drive more engagement and loyalty from your users.
Factors to Consider for Digital Marketers
This is where web accessibility will be the closest to the digital marketing efforts of a website/app. To create and market an accessible website, a digital marketer needs to know a few things about disabilities first.
Disabilities can be temporary, permanent, or even situations. For example, someone recovering from a fracture can be temporary, while a nursing mother is a situational type. Understanding different types of disabilities will help you create better marketing campaigns and add specific improvements to your website or application.
Here are the types of disabilities to consider
1. Limited Mobility
People suffering from limited physical movement or mobility impairment may find it hard to move the mouse or press certain keys together. This may also include limitations like gripping, clicking, and pushing objects. For example, you can add an on-screen keyboard for certain mobility issues.
2. Visual
These refer to temporary, partial, or permanent blindness. It can be blurry vision, light sensitivity, color blindness, or complete blindness. A good example of an accessibility feature for such a disability would be text to speech feature.
3. Auditory
Complete or partial hearing loss is a common disability. For this disability, you can provide subtitles to your video content.
Read More: How is Digital Marketing and Web Accessibility Related?
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