So what can you do.  As you know it is a legislative requirement all over the western world ¹ to adhere to a degree of accessibility for a web site.  Sure you can go through the usual checklist of accessibility issues, work out the ones that are within your budget and leave it at that.  Yes you will have ticked that box off.  However in some cases your web site may still not be accessible despite your limited, but best intentions.

Accessibility is not Checklists

The issue with going down this route is that accessibility is not about checklists – it is about people.

People  like you and me. People with families and friends, with an sphere of marketing influence.  They have wants and needs, and money to spend.  It is sad that this to often the forgotten segment of any market.   Maybe in these lean times that’s a market that you should be focusing on.

One thing is certain you should not be ignoring any accessibility issues when you are planning for your web site to be redesigned.

Over the years I have often heard people say  - “Oh we  don’t have any disabled customers, so accessibility is not an issue for us.”  Well the thing is accessibility is more than  just getting web sites to work for people that have been registered with a disability.  The reality here is that all of a site’s audience will at one time or another  encounter some form of an accessibility issue.

Remember that could be the 65 year old retiree with eyesight issues, or the twenty-something recovering from sports injury to their hand.   Both these people could be potential customers.   And if they have a bad experience trying to access your web site then they are likely to remember that and prefer not to use your site over your competitor, be that in the next suburb or overseas.

What can you do

So what can you do about all the web accessibility issues if you have a limited budget.  First off you need to talk with an experienced web professional  to ensure that the information and functionality of your web site is accessible by anyone within your budget.

To often with a web site redesign in order to win a project the aspect of the site’s accessibility is swept under the carpet and not mentioned.  This isn’t the best outcome for the client (you),  that will assume that all these professional aspects are being taken care of.  The way around this is to just ask about the accessibility aspects of the web re-design process.

In times when every customer is never more important, this could have the potential to render your web site not as effective as it could be.   Something to think about.

Examples of Accessibility Legislation

Untied States

• Section 255 of Telecommunications Act of 1996
• Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act 1973
• Section 508 of Rehabilitation Act 1986 (amended)
• Americans with Disabilities Act 1990.

Untied Kingdom

• The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Part III Access to Goods and Services,
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001,
• The Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Part IV Education.

Australia

• Disability Discrimination Act 1992

Remember when you used to go to your favourate cafe, they would remember your name, the barista would even know your coffee order, and would often make it up for you with just a nod.  The wait staff would chat away and even tell you of exclusive specials that were not on the boards or menu. You would swear the servings you got were bigger too.  Over all you’re not just visiting a cafe,  you were visiting old friends.  It’s just a pleasant experience, somewhere you would recommend to others.

Nothing really new.   In the real world retailers have known for long time that creating the best shopping experience was important for sales, well now that has been translated to the web.

Customers having a good experience, (one that is not frustrating them) with a website will:

• establish a loyality base with  your site
• recommend your site to friends
• return for repeat business, to relive the experience.

Now people currently rank a good experience  by their lack of having a bad experience.  So the reality is we have to remove all the negative aspects that cause bad experiences from a web site. After this is done the aim is to make the site a unique experience in some way,  such that the site will be remembered for it.

So how do you know if your customers are have a good user experience on your web site.  The only way is to ask them.

Sure you can look at the web statistics on what they have been doing, and how they travel through your web site, but frankly this will only tell you so much.  You have to listen to them. Don’t disregard any complaint or suggestion.   On the web people will more often pass a site by if they can’t get what they want or find it frustrating and a bad experience.  It is very rarely that they will tell you that they have an issue with a web site.

You can ask them in a number of ways, via online or offline surveys, interviews or via conducting independent testing using people that would be in the same market segment as your customer base.   Yes, it is true, this type of testing does cost; however it allows you to determine very quickly what the issues are with your web site.   Knowing the problem, puts you a good way towards the solution.

At the end of the day, it comes down to do you really know for certain if your customers aren’t getting frustrated with your site.   What proof do you have.   As with anything in business you really need to have more than just a personalised gut feeling.  If you are offered good customer experience is the real world, are you also offering a good experience in the online one as well.

Yes some very large banks and businesses have lost a lot of virtual money, in terms of the stock market.

However, step back for a moment and consider the effect that the global financial crisis is really having on day to day business.   If you ignore the irresponsible sensationalistic media  spinning that we are being fed, is there really a day to day problem.  It’s all about confidence, your confidence.

Here in Australia and especially in Western Australia we are very well placed to overcome this lack on confidence.  So why then are  people in a panic, slashing budgets to the bone, restricting travel, stopping all marketing.   In some cases I know of businesses restricting the sales team in an effort to save money.  Yes it is a little short sighted.

I can let you into a secret I know your competitor’s are:

• Looking towards the web for cheaper alternatives to traditional marketing.   They know a good quality web site is cheaper that an advert in a major newspaper and about the cost of Yellow pages book or online advert, but with a greater overall impact.
• Ensuring that their web site is not the cause of customers failing to find what they are looking for.
• Considering if people are looking at their web site on a mobile phone and  how accessible it is on a mobile phone.
• Making sure, that their web site is not frustrating their new and repeat customers.
• Looking at what their competitors are not doing and leveraging that to increase their market share

The real issue is where does your web site stand in all this.  Now is the time to take advantage of any shortfall in your market.