On July 26, 1990, President George Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. It signaled the rise of a new dawn. People living with a disability could now have the same opportunities as everyone else on all fronts.
It also means that businesses in the public domain have to accommodate these individuals by making sure their buildings, businesses premises, and all public utility areas are ADA compliant. But, what does “ADA compliant” mean?
Well, the short answer is: Businesses should be able to accommodate people with all kinds of disabilities. That way, individuals who have impaired vision, hearing or any other physical disability can get convenient access.
In today’s technological era, ADA compliance extends into the digital realm as well. Websites and mobile apps now need to be ADA compliant.
In this article, we look at 7 key reasons why ADA website compliance is integral to your business. Read on.
1. Expand Your Reach
There are currently 56.7 million people in the US who have a disability. This makes up a whopping 19% of the general population.
That’s 19% of people who could be interested in your product. Why wouldn’t you want to take advantage of those numbers to improve your business’ bottom line?
Whether you’re in construction, fashion, healthcare or technology, having an ADA website will help your business stand out if people with impairment can easily read and navigate through your website. That’s how you build your brand.
2. Be ADA Compliant to Save Yourself from a Law Suit
If someone with a disability visits your website only to find that they can't access the information they desperately need, they have the right to file a lawsuit against you. That puts a different spin on things, doesn't it?
When the ax falls, no one is spared. The legal repercussions can be dire. Ask Kylie Jenner.
So, if you want to avoid paying hefty fines of being non-compliant ensure you make the necessary changes to your website now. It’ll save you loads of money.
3. Boost Your Website SEO
If you’re wondering: “What is ADA-compliant about boosting my website SEO?” Well, everything.
Most people aren’t aware of the effect that making a website ADA compliant has on improving its SEO. Adding tools on your website that makes it easy for visitors with impairment to navigate actually boost its rank on Google.
Isn’t that the goal of any business website? ADA compliant web design is a win-win for everyone.
One of the ways you can make your website ADA compliant while boosting your SEO is to make the text on your site compatible with screen readers. These convert text to speech for visually impaired visitors.
You should also ensure that all images and videos on your website have alternate (alt) text and video transcripts respectively. These not only tell the person what’s going on in the images and videos but they also bump up your site’s rank.
The secret here is to provide a generous amount of meta-description for your website’s media. It makes it better for everyone! Learn more on this by using an ADA compliance website checklist to cover all your bases.
4. Increase Engagement
The rule of thumb here is to have a website that your audience finds engaging. One of the ways you can do this is to feature high-quality content on there.
If you design a website that meets the required accessibility standards for design, you inevitably increase engagement. It’s all about "dwell time". Here's how.
To increase the amount of time people spend on your site, they need to find your content engaging. This decreases the bounce rate for your website since numerous people more so those with impairment end up spending more time on your website consuming your content. Increased engagement means increased brand exposure.
5. Inspire Brand Loyalty
Why not set the pace in your industry by making your website ADA compliant? It earns your business a reputation of being customer-centric.
When your website accommodates people with disability, you become the go-to for all their needs as pertains to your niche market. In turn, they’ll become fiercely loyal to your brand.
They tell anyone who’ll listen how great your website is. These word-of-mouth referrals drum up more business. You effectively position yourself as a leader in your industry.
Your brand becomes the default example of how all business websites should look. The positive press you’ll get from it doesn’t hurt either.
6. Create Credibility
The only way you can survive in the cut-throat world business is to create credibility. Most people love to support small businesses in their community.
So, how can you give back to your community to show them that you appreciate their support? A great way would be to make your business website accessible to every single member of your community.
Making it all-inclusive tells them that you’re open, transparent and that you have nothing to hide. Creating that level of credibility is paramount to the longevity of your business.
7. Tax Incentives
Did you know that all ADA compliant businesses get some tax incentives? If you make your website ADA compliant you can claim this on your returns to receive a tax credit.
So you’re essentially killing two birds with one stone with sites that meet ADA compliance. You create a better website that’s accessible to everyone and save money on your taxes while you’re at it!
The Bottom Line On Website ADA Compliance
The goal of every small business owner is to have an all-inclusive website that doesn’t discriminate against any segment of the population. Not only is it the right thing to do but you’ll avoid missing out on an entire demographic that could positively impact your company’s bottom line.
So, set yourself apart from the competition by making your website ADA compliant. You’ll be surprised at the rewards you’ll reap for improving inclusivity online.
Need more tips on how to grow your business web design? Check out our website for posts on digital marketing strategies you can use.
