Just a few years ago digital accessibility was known to few and no business took it into account when developing a product. Web design agencies, today and thanks to the regulations that are gradually being implemented, have to comply with the laws by offering accessibility solutions.
In this article we will review the meaning of web accessibility and how it has a positive impact on a
web design agency.
Brief introduction to web accessibility
When we talk about web accessibility, we refer to the facilities that a website offers people to navigate and find information, regardless of their limitations. With accessibility, web development agencies make sure that people with vision, mobility or cognitive problems can fully use web pages. That is why it is so important for digital agencies to apply accessibility to web projects, providing the product with a higher quality and also betting on inclusion.
What accessibility knowledge does a website agency need?
There are different types of accessibility and each is treated differently depending on what information is to be presented.
In web design agencies it is common to find several profiles or a multidisciplinary team that carries out a project. The development of a web page can be organised into three parts:
· Graphic and visual design. Process carried out by graphic designers. They must take into account the use of colour, text size, typography, etc.
· Content analysis and data structure. This task is carried out by communication or marketing specialists, and they must ensure easy reading and an orderly structure.
· Computer development to build the web and publish it on the Internet. Web programmers are in charge of this last step. They have to take care that the web is navigable with different devices, among other things.
Each of these points is closely linked to accessibility, so it is essential that all members of the web design company are aware of the accessibility requirements and know how to reflect them in their work.
Although it is true that many factors have to be considered when creating an accessible web page, web design agencies can always rely on accessibility solutions that accompany the product. These solutions represent an added value for the client and a reason for differentiation.
Offer web accessibility solutions
These solutions are tools that can be incorporated into any web page and thus offer multiple accessibility options, both to the site manager and to the end customer.
Userway's technology has different functionalities and is very easy to integrate into any website builder or into websites created from scratch. As a web page agency, you can use any of the Userway tools during the development of your projects, such as:
· Scanner to identify accessibility problems and errors.
· Inspector that checks the degree of accessibility requirements that a website meets.
· Widget for integration in web pages that is composed of numerous accessibility configurations for the end user.
· Accessibility audit reports.
In addition to these applications, UserWay offers you the possibility to offer it directly to your customers. Userway's "Reseller" method has been created in order to help make the digital world more accessible and is based on the fact that web design agencies can sell to the end customer. The sales process has been made as simple as possible: Userway provides all the necessary marketing material for your web design company to profit quickly and effectively.
You can register as a Reseller on Userway for free and start offering web accessibility solutions to your clients now.
4 benefits that accessibility brings to your web design agency
1. Better reputation of your brand
Offering web projects that take people with disabilities into account demonstrates the social responsibility of digital agencies and their concern for inclusion. This will make your web design company recognized for creating higher quality and higher value work.
2. Increase in customers and sales
By improving the reputation of your website agency, the circle of clients will grow, as good opinions will be shared, and with it, possibly also increase sales. Future clients greatly appreciate the empathy and social concern that digital agencies transmit to them, so it is important to become aware of the advantages of having an accessible website.
3. Maintenance cost reduction
Working on web accessibility from the beginning will make long-term maintenance much more bearable, since a basic accessible website is already well-developed, simpler, and ready for anyone to use. Web design agencies have to maintain a considerable number of websites and a good way to save costs, both in time and money, is by developing accessible products from the start.
4. Products for everyone
The most important benefit for your web design agency is that applying web accessibility guidelines will mean including all people in your products, regardless of their limitations or features. Developing websites that allow access and navigation autonomously and without difficulties, should be one of the main objectives of all web development agencies.
UserWay in your web design company
Userway's multiple tools can help your agency develop products for everyone that meet accessibility requirements. Each employee profile of your company will have the necessary technology to perform their functions and obtain accessible results, for example:
A graphic designer will have at their disposal the Colour Contrast Checker (at the moment this tool can be found in the English version) to ensure that their designs are accessible to people with some visual impairment.
In the same way, a web programmer will find the Accessibility Scanner very useful to help him fix the errors in the programming code.
If you want to try all the tools, request a Userway demo for your web agency now and see all the benefits first hand.