D&I and inclusion are becoming increasingly important priorities for businesses. The Internet especially post-covid has become integral for everyone to everyone to complete everyday tasks and as a result website accessibility is crucial.
It's used to read the news, access financial information, make basic purchases and much more.
Yet, for many people with disabilities, a large proposition of the internet is inaccessible as high as 97%.
For agencies, this offers an opportunity to proactively approach this, while it is foremost ethical and Inclusive and a requirement by law, it is also a good business practice with tangible benefits. Here’s why:
Increase your customer’s revenue
It’s estimated that 1 in 5 people have a disability and In 2021 they top 1 million home pages with errors which meant visitors with disabilities can’t convert. By building compliant websites for your customers and websites for everyone you’re opening them up to a whole new market of potential new customers and more revenue, not only that by delivering a better experience you’ll see higher conversion rates.
Lawsuits
Web Accessibility isn’t just a nice to have, it’s a legal requirement. Covered in the UK by the Equality Act of 2010 and by ADA (Americans with Disability Act) In the US. In 2020 there were over 3,550 lawsuits filed so having a website which doesn’t meet the WCAG standards leaves your clients at risk of large fines and legal penalties. Not only the financial risk but the potential impact on brand reputation can have a detrimental effect. This outlines why it’s very important for digital agencies to be speaking with your customer about digital accessibility and why they need it.
Customer experience and a wider customer base
A research study predicted that by 2020, customer experience would overtake both product and price as the key brand differentiator. In 2018, PWC research proved this prediction correct: customers are now willing to pay a 16% price premium for better customer experiences. What’s more, 90% of businesses now agree that the overall customer experience is their primary focus.
Creating digitally accessible websites for your customers, allows them to provide an experience that 1 in 5 people have rarely ever received. The potential impact for your customers is an increase in average order value, customer loyalty and a much higher (CLV) Customer lifetime value.
Future proof your digital agency
Digital Accessibility is a growing trend globally. Many businesses are starting to understand the potential impacts an inaccessible website may have and this has a direct impact on your digital agency.
They expect you to be able to solve these challenges and building an accessible solution into your products will allow you to differentiate your agency, deliver better results for your clients, provide a better customer experience and increase your revenue streams.
