5 Reasons to Make a Website ADA Compliant to Avoid Lawsuits

As more people shift their efforts towards online sales following the COVID-19 Pandemic , most business owners remain unaware of a growing ...

As more people shift their efforts towards online sales following the COVID-19 Pandemic, most business owners remain unaware of a growing web accessibility risk that is lurking in the shadows.

While most business owners are aware of how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) relates to their in-store operations, they are clueless as to how these regulations affect their website.

These laws intend to ensure that people with disabilities have equal opportunities as those without, and since it's birth, the internet has changed the way that we do everyday life. From connecting with friends to making purchases or even deciding what and where to buy products, the internet has become a way of navigating the world around us. This is why ADA regulations extend to websites and even mobile apps. Your website needs to be accessible to people who have disabilities affecting their hearing, vision, as well as physical capabilities.

ADA regulations follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), comprised of hundreds of individual requirements provided by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

With so many compliance requirements, it's likely your website is currently at risk, which may be affecting your business in several ways. Trying to keep up with all these regulations can be exhausting, and most business owners don't have the time to research and implement these requirements.

The good news is, on this page I'll share with you a quick and easy way to become ADA compliant in as little as 48-hours.

But before I do, here are 5 benefits to making your website accessible:

Top 5 Reasons to Make Your Website ADA Compliant to Avoid Lawsuits

1. ADA Compliance Expands Your Target Audience

Without an ADA compliant website, you're neglecting the millions of potential customers with disabilities who cannot access your site. Many of the 1-in-5 people with disabilities could be looking for your products or services. However, when they arrive at your website, they may find themselves unable to purchase due to their inability to navigate your website, which gives your competitor the upper hand.

For example, a visually impaired individual may not be able to read the font style or size on your website. Though it was strategic for drawing attention to your current promotion, it isn't legible for this individual. The same applies to your images without alternate (alt) text. While alt text is intended to allow screen readers used by the blind to describe these images, without alt text, some of your audience is "left in the dark." The same applies to code within your site, which allows those with physical limitations to navigate your site using only the keyboard or those who have epilepsy to pause flickering images.

2. ADA Compliance Enhances Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engines use web crawlers to review your site in order to provide the best results for the end-user. Likewise, WCAG regulations are designed to promote website navigation of screen readers that crawl your website pages much like that of search engines. Elements such as meta-tags, alt text, and other compliance regulations prove to be a win-win. They can make your website more appealing to users, search engines, and screen readers, which could prove beneficial for your SEO efforts.

3. ADA Compliance Can Improve Brand Image

In addition to increasing your audience, ADA Compliance is an opportunity to show your customers how much you value them. One of the best ways to get people behind your brand is by sharing your cause... Branding your business as a disability-friendly company shows that you care about your customers and that you support the cause to make the internet accessible to everyone!

Since most websites aren't accessible to individuals with disabilities, your company can stand out from the crowd as an innovative leader in your industry. As customers and individuals with disabilities spread the word, your efforts to make your website ADA compliant can be the perfect way to gain positive press for your business.

4. ADA Compliance Can Improve Your Close Rate

WCAG regulations simplify the customer's ability to navigate your website. They promote comprehensive web pages for ALL people so they can find exactly what they are looking for quickly. By following these guidelines, your website could convert more leads because everyone will be able to find what they are looking for more easily.

5. ADA Compliance Avoids Costly Penalties

Based on ADA regulations, all pages on your website must be at least grade A complaint (grade AAA being the highest). These laws also don't discriminate against the legal risk for businesses, no matter your business size. Large corporations such as Amazon, Target, and Chick-fil-a have been targeted in recent years. Major universities such as Harvard, Florida State, and Miami University have been hit. Even celebrities such as Beyonce, Kylie Jenner, and Pharrell Williams have been sued for non-ADA compliant websites. This doesn't scratch the surface of the number of mom-and-pop shops that have inadvertently fallen victim to "fly by night" self-proclaimed "social justice advocates."

With many attorneys saying that fighting these battles could cost $20k+ in legal fees alone, the best way to avoid these costly litigations and penalties is to make the necessary changes to your website now.

Now What?

As I mentioned earlier, making your website ADA compliant can be challenging due to:

• Hundreds of individual WCAG requirements necessary to be compliant.

• The countless hours it takes to implement all these regulations on your website.

• The estimated $30k+ it costs to hire a web designer to revamp your site (assuming they know what they're doing).

• The ongoing hurdles of trying to maintain compliance over time.

Receive all the perks of ADA compliance without the hassle of having to figure it out on your own thanks to Artistic-Zeal's new ADA website compliance technology.

Their technology can have your website ADA compliant within 48 hours, and it updates every 24 hours after that to ensure you maintain compliance.