Consumers are increasingly conscious about choosing brands, products, and services that reflect a high degree of social responsibility in today's world. When your business creates digitally accessible experiences, consumers will likely recognize it and see your brand in a more favorable light.
Opportunities for brands that focus on accessible web experiences
Brands that provide accessible digital experiences to customers will benefit from two unique opportunities. First, it allows the business to welcome persons with disabilities to learn about and utilize its products and services, fulfilling a commitment required by the Americans with Disabilities (ADA), increasing the brand's reach, and improving access for an underserved population. Secondly, it lets the business demonstrate its commitment to accessibility through its corporate messaging, bolstering its brand image and profile in a competitive marketplace.
Positive brand experience for a wider audience
The genesis of a favorable brand image as an admired company lies in the nature and scale of positive interactions the brand can create with its users. In an increasingly digitized world, where most consumers interact with a brand online during the purchasing process, a failure to create an accessible web experience will deprive the business of a large part of the market.
With as many as 26 percent of adults in the United States having some disability, the business loses a substantial market share if it is not creating digitally accessible experiences.
Increase brand loyalty and advocacy
Customer loyalty is hard to achieve when so many competing brands are available to consumers with an array of compelling offers. A customer's commitment to a brand increases when the brand addresses their unique needs rather than prioritizing profits.
When a high level of digital accessibility creates repeated positive interactions with the brand, it generates customer trust and loyalty. Happy and loyal customers are the best brand ambassadors who advocate for free, and the impact will be far more convincing than paid advertising and marketing.
For many consumers today, their buying journey begins with a search engine. Therefore, businesses often invest significant time and resources in search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to achieve higher visibility for their brand in Google Search results.
However, one of the essential best practices for SEO is to conform to the WCAG or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Companies whose websites and digital platforms follow these guidelines increase their chances of ranking higher in search engine results.
Create awareness about brand accessibility
When a business is committed to digital accessibility, it is time to raise awareness and let the world know the brand's values and principles. Discerning customers will always appreciate it when they see a brand that shares the same values.
A formal web accessibility statement is your opportunity to make a strong declaration about your corporate commitment to digital accessibility. Make sure the information presents clear facts about the level of web accessibility your business aspires to achieve and the steps you take to reach those thresholds. Display your web accessibility statement on your corporate website in an easily visible place, and periodically update it as your brand progresses on this front with evolving digital technologies.
Sharing progress with your customer base is a great way to demonstrate transparency. Use your website, e-commerce platforms, blog, social media networks, e-newsletter, online press releases, and any other digital platforms available to communicate with customers to convey this message. People love it when they know you care for them and are willing to demonstrate your commitment in action.
Final thoughts
The difference between a good and a great company lies in how customer-centric the business is. Almost no business today can afford to ignore the path to digitization, whether to communicate with customers or sell products and services. It is time to recognize that digital accessibility is inseparable from the actual digitization of your business, and it will add outstanding value to your brand and corporate image.
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