When we talk about building a great website, we usually focus on things like design, load speed, and SEO. But there is another crucial element that is often overlooked by small businesses: website accessibility.
Accessibility simply means designing your website so that everyone, including people with disabilities, can use it easily. This includes people with visual impairments who use screen readers, people with motor difficulties who navigate using a keyboard instead of a mouse, and people with cognitive or hearing impairments.
In the UK alone, over 14 million people live with a disability. If your website is not accessible, you are effectively closing your digital front door to a significant portion of the population. Here is why accessibility matters for your small business, and some simple steps you can take to improve it today.
Why Accessibility is Good for Business
Making your website accessible is not just about doing the right thing (although that is a great reason in itself). It also has tangible benefits for your business:
You Reach a Wider Audience:
By removing barriers, you make it easier for more people to buy your products, book your services, or read your content. The spending power of disabled people and their households in the UK, often referred to as the “Purple Pound”, is estimated to be worth £274 billion a year.
It Improves SEO:
Many of the best practices for accessibility are also best practices for Search Engine Optimisation. For example, adding descriptive text to your images helps visually impaired users understand them, but it also helps Google understand what the image is about, which can boost your search rankings.
It Creates a Better Experience for Everyone:
Accessible design is often just good, clear design. A website with high contrast text, clear headings, and simple navigation is easier for everyone to use, whether they have a disability or are just trying to read your site on a small phone screen in bright sunlight.
It Protects Your Business:
While the rules are stricter for public sector organisations, the UK Equality Act 2010 requires all businesses to make “reasonable adjustments” to ensure their services are accessible to disabled people. An inaccessible website could potentially lead to legal challenges.
5 Simple Steps to Improve Your Website’s Accessibility
You do not need to be a coding expert to make your website more accessible. Here are five practical steps you can take right now:
1. Add “Alt Text” to Your Images
Alternative text (or “alt text”) is a short description of an image that is read aloud by screen readers. Every image on your website that conveys information should have alt text. Keep it concise and descriptive. For example, instead of “image123.jpg”, use “A plumber fixing a kitchen sink”. If an image is purely decorative, you can usually leave the alt text blank.
2. Use Clear, Descriptive Headings
Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) help organise your content and make it easier to read. Screen reader users often use headings to skip through a page and find the information they need. Make sure your headings are in a logical order and clearly describe the content that follows them.
3. Ensure High Colour Contrast
Text should be easy to read against its background. Avoid using light grey text on a white background, or placing text over busy images where it gets lost. There are many free online contrast checkers you can use to ensure your colours meet accessibility standards.
4. Make Your Links Descriptive
Avoid using vague link text like “Click here” or “Read more”. A screen reader user scanning a list of links will have no idea where “Click here” leads. Instead, use descriptive text that tells the user exactly what to expect, such as “Read our guide to boiler maintenance” or “View our pricing page”.
5. Check Your Keyboard Navigation
Some users cannot use a mouse and rely entirely on their keyboard (usually the Tab key) to navigate a website. Try unplugging your mouse and navigating through your own website using just your keyboard. Can you access all the menus, click all the links, and fill out your contact form? If you get stuck, a keyboard-only user will get stuck too.
Improving your website’s accessibility is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. By keeping these principles in mind as you add new content or update your design, you can ensure that your business is welcoming and accessible to everyone.
About Dead On Digital
Dead On Digital supports UK small businesses with practical websites, digital marketing and smart automation that help improve and strengthen their online presence. Everything we do is focused on keeping things clear, simple and aligned with how real businesses actually operate day to day.
We believe your website and online presence should keep working for you as your business grows, not be built once and forgotten. If you are reviewing where you are now or thinking about ways to improve things online, we are always happy to offer friendly, honest advice. Reference