Uncover New Business Opportunities with Section 508 Accessibility Compliance

As technology penetrates deep into our daily lives, the term ‘digital accessibility’ gets its fair share of the limelight. Sadly, the majority of businesses do not get the true essence of Section 508 Accessibility, rather consider it as an obligatory law − only to be regulatory compliant and avoid hefty fines. This thinking still prevails despite the recent shift to digital-only services pivoted by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

 The sudden urge of switching to digital services and platforms created almost overnight by the virus acted as an opportunity for the businesses − that helped them sail through the winds and expand paradigms wider than ever. However, we often forget the population with disabilities where digital accessibility becomes an important question.

From our window, we see 508 accessibility compliance as a genuine business opportunity. Promoting social justice and inclusivity is prodigious for a brand’s reputation that never goes out of fashion. Hence, you can easily unlock greater customer potential. Apart from this, digital accessibility entails a list of benefits and motivating factors that extend beyond avoiding lawsuits. Take a look:

 

•       Tap New Revenue Streams

 Incorporating accessibility facilitates business growth by making the website easy to use. It allows the content, products, and/or service offerings to be accessible to a wider range of audiences, including users with circumstantial needs and elderly people with age-related disabilities.

On the contrary, ignoring the accessibility issue cuts off your business from potential prospects. This implies that you’re losing almost 20% of the world’s population, which is equivalent to 1.3 billion people—who experience any type of disability. Also, the aging of the baby boomer generation creates new audiences for businesses by putting age-related disabilities on the radar of digital accessibility. They will surely appreciate the accessible online experience!

 

•       Build Better Brand Reputation

Digital accessibility creates a room full of opportunities for organizations to promote brand reputation, create the right impact, and increase customer loyalty. They are perceived positively as social and corporate responsibility are concepts valued most by the people. A  Forbes study also cited that “corporate social responsibility is a key strategy for businesses to increase their customers' fidelity.” The study also stated that “out of 1,000 Americans, 88% said they’d be more loyal to a business that advocates for social issues, while 92% said they’d definitely trust them.”

A website with an accessibility interface inherits a ‘quality label’, clearly indicating that the business cares for their users' equal access and caters to their unique needs. The rise of cruelty-free products, vegan brands, companies advocating for climate change, etc., are good examples of this uprising trend−focusing on how to create a positive impact while establishing a long-term relationship with customers.

 

•       Boost Search Engine Optimization

Yes, you read that right! Complying with section 508 accessibility and other such laws impacts a website’s overall search engine optimization (SEO) rating and its visibility on search engine result pages (SERPs).

An accessible site is easier to navigate, irrespective of the user’s disabilities; thus, enhancing the experience and site usability. A good user experience (UX) is one of the prime factors for a website’s SEO status since it affects the average time spent by users on your website. While interacting with content, the consumers experience comfortable, extensive, and practical navigation, leading to a lower bounce rate. This way, you also assure that customers keep coming back.

Numerous accessibility practices overlap with SEO requirements. This includes implementing an intuitive design and providing quality and accessible content universal to all users. The technical practices like using alternative text in all visuals, the right semantics, an organized header structure, title tags, etc., relate to the site’s compatibility. This makes the site accessible to different types of navigations including keyboard navigation.

 

Bottom Line

By now, it is clear that the impacts and benefits of 508 accessibility compliance are greater than you may have known. It is imperative for organizations to understand that business goals must meet their audience’s needs. A brand’s digital accessibility advocates the fact that the consumers are really important and their needs are valued. Hence, it is now time for you to take a step forward towards digital accessibility and lead the way!