Brick-and mortar stores aren't the only places that need to be accessible to those with a physical disability. There are millions of people who have a disability and shop on the internet. Those with disabilities have their own tools to make accessing the internet easier, such as transposing written language to audio or a special mouse and keyboard. However, there are ways for you to take it another step further by making your own website more easily accessible for anyone. Check out some of our tips to make your website user-friendly for all people.
A clean and simple design works on many different levels for all of those in your target audience. You can start with contrasting colors on specific areas of interest on your website, or use colors to help those with a learning disability. Combining contrasting colors, or colors in general, make it easier for those who have a disability to navigate your website or understanding a concept. Create clearly labeled links they can use to navigate. Make sure your layout flows smoothly and is as clutter free as possible.
MOZ tells us that "alt text" or "alt tags" is text that describes the appearance and function of an image on a webpage. Not only is alternate text important in the general sense, but it is also extremely useful for those with any impairments. Alternate text can be used by those with a tool that converts text into audio. It can also help describe the image a little bit better.
Some visitors to your website might not be able to use a mouse, and most websites are inadvertently not set-up to be used without a one. Make sure you have a website created to be navigated by a mouse or keyboard. Test out your website to see if you can navigate with the most commonly used keys, which are TAB, Shift+TAB, Space, and Enter. If you find that these keys are not helping you navigate your website, it's time to go back and make sure they can. Check out this tutorial at Lori Ballen on who to make your website ADA compliant.
While it might be a nice idea to have some music playing in the background of your website, it won't be a pleasant surprise when a visitor with a disability visits your website. It's usually extremely hard to find the source of the audio or video that is playing, even for those without a disability. It can also be very annoying in general, so it's best to leave it out.
We hope that with these tips, you are able to reach out to more people of all abilities and increase your traffic and profit! The more user-friendly you become, the more people will want to do business with you. If you are needing help with making your website or Ecommerce store more user-friendly, send us a message today!
