The BBC News website has recently released a number of articles outlining the sheer volume of websites that do not meet even the most basic accessibility standards. Ninety seven percent of websites in a recent Nomensa survey did not provide even minimum levels of accessibility. With it now a legal requirement for eCommerce websites to cater for users with disabilities there is no excuse.

When commissioning a new website or upgrading your current one, the accessibility of your website must be considered in all stages of the development. A number of common pitfalls found from the study are outlined below:

• 93% failed to provide adequate text descriptions for graphics
• 73% relied on JavaScript for important functionality
• 78% used colours with poor contrast, causing issues for those with colour blindness
• 98% did not follow industry web standards for the programming code
• 97% did not allow people to alter or resize pages
• 89% offered poor page navigation
• 87% used pop-ups causing problems for those using screen magnification software

According to a recent report from TalkTalk Business - Yes it does!

The report showed that although most UK adults believed in supporting local businesses they are not likely to purchase products or services from small/medium businesses without an adequate online presence. The report goes on to say that eight out of ten consumers use the internet to research a product or service before buying it.

It is important to note here that selling a product online is not crucial for a return on investment. For businesses unable to invest large amounts of their marketing budgets in to an eCommerce solution just yet - having a professional, accessible and informative online presence is all that is required.

If you are interested in developing or upgrading your company’s website take a look at the services we offer here or contact us from more information.