Things to know about website accessibility

Release Date:2023-12-04

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In today's digital age, websites have become one of the most important online presences for businesses and individuals. In order for a website to rank well in search engines and attract more target users, it is essential to improve the accessibility of the website . This article will delve into the definition of website accessibility, its importance in SEO, and how to improve the accessibility of a website.

1. What is website accessibility?

Website accessibility refers to the ability of users to access and understand website content without barriers. This includes, but is not limited to, visual, auditory, physical, and cognitive accessibility. A website with good accessibility should be easy to navigate, with readable text, clear content, and compatible with a variety of devices and browsers.

However, just understanding the definition is not enough for us to fully grasp the essence of website accessibility, we also need to delve deeper into its importance in SEO.

The Importance of Website Accessibility in SEO

With the development and popularization of Internet technology, search engines have become the main way for people to find information and resources. A search engine-friendly website can improve user experience, increase traffic and promote sales. Therefore, it is crucial for website owners and operators to understand the importance of SEO. Among them, the accessibility of the website plays a key role in SEO.

Improve user experience: When a website is easy to use for all users, both those with disabilities and regular users, a better user experience is achieved. A user-friendly website will attract more visitors, thereby increasing the credibility and brand value of the website.

SEO: Search engines consider a website's accessibility and readability when evaluating its quality and ranking. If a website is search engine friendly, it will rank higher in search results, increasing its chances of being found.

Comply with regulations: The laws and regulations of many countries and regions require that corporate websites must be accessible to all users. Ignoring this requirement may result in legal disputes and fines.

3. How to improve website accessibility

Now that we know the importance of website accessibility in SEO, let’s look at how to improve the accessibility of your website.

Ensure the readability of the website content and functionality: The text content should be concise and avoid using overly complex terms. Also, ensure that the website's colors, fonts, and layout are easy to read and understand.

Implement responsive design: A responsive website is one that adapts to different devices and screen sizes, ensuring that all users can easily navigate the site.

Provide a clear navigation structure: The navigation structure of your website should be simple and intuitive, allowing users to quickly find the information they need. In addition, make sure all pages of your website are easily accessible via a back or jump menu.

Optimize images and media files: For images and other media files, clear alternative text (alt text) should be provided so that visually impaired users can understand the content through screen readers. In addition, optimize the size and loading speed of images and files to improve the responsiveness and user experience of the website.

Support keyboard navigation: In addition to mouse-click navigation, ensure that keyboard users can also navigate the site using arrow keys and other shortcuts.

Include accessibility plugins and tools: Consider using accessibility plugins and tools, such as the WAVE assessment tool, the Lighthouse accessibility audit tool, etc., to help discover and resolve potential accessibility issues.

Train staff: Educate staff on the importance of website accessibility and provide necessary training to ensure they always consider accessibility when creating and maintaining website content.

Continuous monitoring and improvement: Regularly evaluate and test the website for accessibility to identify and resolve potential issues. At the same time, pay attention to user feedback and data to understand what areas need further improvement.

Work with professionals: Working with professionals who have experience in accessible design and development can provide more professional advice and solutions to enhance the accessibility and user experience of your website.

As an example, let’s explore Lidl’s (food retailer) accessibility optimization journey.

Lidl is a well-known food retailer with a large number of website users. However, in some aspects, the accessibility of its website has certain problems, which affects the user experience and SEO. In order to improve this situation, Lidl cooperated with a professional web design and development team and embarked on an accessibility optimization journey.

First, the team conducted a comprehensive accessibility assessment of Lidl's existing website. They found a number of issues, such as a complex navigation structure and lack of keyboard navigation support, which caused inconvenience to users, especially those with disabilities.

In response to these problems, the team developed a series of optimization measures. They redesigned the structure and layout of the website to make it simpler and more intuitive, allowing users to quickly find the information they need. At the same time, they also added keyboard navigation support, allowing users to browse freely on the website using keyboard arrow keys and shortcuts. In addition, the team also optimized the loading speed of images and media files, improving the website's responsiveness and user experience.

To ensure that employees take website accessibility seriously, Lidl also provides relevant training courses and guidance materials. These training and educational activities are designed to make employees understand the importance of website accessibility and provide the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure that they always consider accessibility when creating and maintaining website content.

In addition to the above measures, Lidl also regularly conducts accessibility assessments and tests on the website to identify and resolve potential accessibility issues. They pay attention to user feedback and data to understand which areas need further improvement. At the same time, they also work with professionals with experience in accessible design and development to obtain more professional advice and solutions.

Through this series of optimization measures, Lidl successfully improved the accessibility of its website and achieved better user experience and search engine rankings. These improvements not only attracted more users to visit its website, but also improved its brand value and market competitiveness.

This case tells us that improving website accessibility is an ongoing process. Companies need to pay attention to user needs and experience, take appropriate measures, and continuously monitor and improve. Only in this way can we build a website that truly meets accessibility standards and attract more users and search engines.

It can be seen that website accessibility plays a pivotal role in SEO. Optimizing website accessibility means improving user experience, promoting search engine optimization, and complying with relevant regulatory requirements. Through a series of professional strategies and technical means, enterprises can successfully build websites with excellent accessibility. Such websites will attract more users and search engine attention, thereby increasing website traffic and rankings, and further enhancing the market competitiveness of enterprises.