Do you want to ensure that everyone who visits your website can easily find the information they’re looking for? By optimizing your website’s accessibility, you can make sure a wide range of users can explore and use all of its features.
Whether this means making sure voice search works correctly, providing captions for videos, or adjusting the text size on certain pages, businesses need to take an array of measures to maximize their visibility and inclusivity across different platforms. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion people live with some form of disability, making accessibility not just a courtesy but a necessity.
Read on as we share our top tips on how to improve your website’s accessibility.
Best Tips To Enhance Website’s Accessibility:
1. Pay Attention to The Colors
Making your website accessible is a must in today’s digital age. The most vital step to ensure accessibility is choosing the right colors.
Bright colors might draw attention, but they can be difficult to read, especially for those with certain vision impairments such as color blindness. Instead, it’s best to choose colors that offer sufficient contrast between the background and foreground so that your site is easier to navigate. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommend a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
Choosing colors carefully when designing your website will pay off in terms of improving overall access for anyone who visits your page.
2. Contextual Links Matters
As any web developer and content creator knows, ensuring your website is accessible to all is paramount to successful content creation. One key factor in achieving good accessibility levels is contextual links.
This means that rather than simply linking to your main website’s homepage or contact page, provide meaningful and relevant links to other pages within your website or even external websites that relate to the topic you are discussing. Use descriptive anchor text that clearly explains where the link will take the user, instead of vague terms like “click here.”
Doing this allows users to explore and delve deeper into a subject matter without having to search for relevant information.
Contextual linking also helps build a sense of trust with visitors as it shows them you have their best interests at heart and can help further shape their reading journey – making visits much more worthwhile and engaging for those visiting.
3. Make Your Site User-Friendly
Making your website accessible ensures everyone can easily understand and use its content. One way to improve accessibility is through tab indexes.
These elements allow your users to quickly and meaningfully navigate through various web pages on your site by assigning a numerical order of focus and clickable elements. Properly structured HTML with semantic tags, such as, <header>, <footer>, <nav>, <article>, <section>, and <aside> also improves keyboard navigation.
By mastering the skill of guiding users through the tab index, you will make sure they find their way around your website in an intuitive and user-friendly manner.
Whether you’re new in this field or a seasoned web developer, setting up the tab index correctly and maintaining a logical navigation order can boost the accessibility of your website exponentially.
4. Use Correct Alt Text
It is incredibly important to ensure your website is as accessible as possible for everyone. One major factor to consider is the alt text you use. On images, photos, videos, etc., alt text describes what the image depicts.
This means users who use screen readers to navigate websites can explore and understand what’s on the page more easily, but it also offers better SEO results for search engines such as Google.
So, ensure all alt text on your website is informative and helpful so everyone can have a great experience. Avoid using phrases like “image of” or “picture of” and instead focus on describing the function or content of the image.
5. Use Video Captions and Transcripts
Videos are a popular form of content, but they can exclude users who are deaf or hard of hearing if not properly captioned. Always include closed captions and, when possible, full transcripts for video and audio content.
Captions not only make content more inclusive but also improve user engagement and retention. According to a study by Facebook, videos with captions increase average view time by 12%.
6. Enable Text Resizing
Users with visual impairments often rely on browser-based tools to enlarge text. Make sure your website supports scalable text without breaking the layout. Avoid using fixed pixel sizes and instead use relative units like ems or percentages.
Providing controls to adjust text size directly on the website is also a helpful feature that shows consideration for diverse user needs.
10-Question FAQ: Website Accessibility
- What is website accessibility?
Website accessibility ensures that all users, including those with disabilities, can perceive, navigate, and interact with a website effectively. - Why is accessibility essential for websites?
Accessibility helps create a more inclusive web and improves usability for everyone. It also ensures compliance with laws like the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) or WCAG guidelines. - Who benefits from website accessibility?
Everyone! Especially users with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities. It also benefits mobile users, elderly visitors, and users in low-bandwidth environments. - What are WCAG guidelines?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are internationally recognized standards for improving digital accessibility. - How do I test my website for accessibility issues?
You can use tools like WAVE, Axe, Lighthouse, or the Accessibility Insights extension to scan for common accessibility problems. - What is alt text, and why is it important?
Alt text describes images for screen reader users. It ensures that visually impaired users can understand the content and also helps with SEO. - How can I make videos accessible?
Add closed captions and transcripts for videos. Ensure the media player is keyboard navigable and works with screen readers. - What font size and contrast are recommended?
Use a minimum 16px font size for body text and a contrast ratio of 4.5:1. Higher contrast is better for readability. - Is keyboard navigation important?
Yes. Users should be able to navigate the website using only a keyboard. Ensure focus indicators are visible and logical. - How often should I review my site’s accessibility?
Regularly, especially after design updates or content changes. Set a quarterly or bi-annual review schedule to maintain compliance and usability.
Final Words
We hope that this post helped teach you how to improve your website’s accessibility. Accessibility is not only a moral and legal obligation but also a smart business move—it ensures your website can be used and enjoyed by the widest possible audience.
If you need any further help or assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. At Site Architects, we specialize in building accessible, high-performing WordPress websites that deliver great user experiences for everyone.
Ready to make your website more inclusive and future-ready? Contact us today to schedule your free accessibility review.
