5 Quick Wins for Website Accessibility & Better ROI
Why Website Accessibility Isn't Just the Right Thing—It's Good Business
When we talk about web accessibility, many business owners think of it as a nice-to-have or a legal checkbox. The truth? It's a missed revenue opportunity. Over 1 billion people worldwide live with disabilities—that's roughly 15% of the global population. In the U.S. alone, the spending power of people with disabilities exceeds $490 billion annually.
Beyond the market opportunity, accessible websites perform better across the board. Search engines reward accessible sites with better rankings. Users—regardless of ability—appreciate intuitive navigation and clear design. And yes, there's the legal side: the number of web accessibility lawsuits has grown significantly, particularly under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The best part? Many accessibility improvements are quick, inexpensive, and deliver immediate benefits. Let's explore five wins you can implement this week.
Quick Win #1: Add Alt Text to Every Image
Screen readers—software used by people with visual impairments—can't see images. Alt text is the workaround. It's also an SEO goldmine.
For every image on your site, add descriptive alt text that explains what's happening. Don't just write "image" or "photo." Be specific: instead of "team," write "Schiano Studios web design team collaborating in NYC office." Alt text should be concise (under 125 characters) but descriptive enough that someone could understand the image without seeing it.
Tools like Lighthouse and WAVE can audit your site and flag missing alt text. WordPress plugins like Yoast SEO also prompt you to add alt text during content creation. This single improvement helps screen reader users navigate your site and signals to Google that your content is rich and relevant.
Quick Win #2: Ensure Color Contrast Meets WCAG Standards
About 8% of men and 0.5% of women experience color blindness. Beyond that, low contrast makes reading difficult for anyone viewing on a phone in bright sunlight.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommend a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18pt or larger). That means dark text on light backgrounds, not light gray text on white.
Check your site's contrast using free tools like WebAIM's Contrast Checker or the Accessibility Insights browser extension. This often requires just tweaking your CSS—no major redesign needed. Better contrast also improves readability for everyone, which can reduce bounce rates and increase time on page.
Quick Win #3: Make Navigation Keyboard-Accessible
Not everyone uses a mouse. Some users navigate entirely with keyboards or voice-controlled devices that simulate keyboard input. Your site must be fully navigable using only the Tab key and Enter key.
Test this yourself: visit your website and try navigating using only your keyboard. Can you reach every link and button? Is there a visible focus indicator (usually a border) showing which element is currently selected? If you're tabbing through your site and getting stuck, you have an accessibility issue.
Most keyboard navigation issues come from:
- Missing or unclear focus indicators
- Buttons created with divs instead of proper button elements
- Skip-to-content links that aren't accessible
Work with your developer to add proper focus styles and semantic HTML (using `
Quick Win #4: Use Proper Heading Hierarchy
Headings aren't just about styling—they're a roadmap for screen readers and users of assistive technology. A proper heading structure (H1, H2, H3, etc.) lets users quickly understand your page's organization and skip to sections they care about.
Here's what not to do: starting with H1, then jumping to H4, then back to H2. Here's what to do: start with one H1 per page (typically your page title), then use H2s for major sections, H3s for subsections, and so on. Think of it like an outline for a paper.
Using semantic headings also improves SEO. Search engines use heading hierarchy to understand content structure, and properly formatted headings signal relevance for your target keywords. This is one of the easiest wins: audit your pages, fix the heading order, and you've improved both accessibility and SEO.
Quick Win #5: Make Forms Clear and Easy to Complete
Forms are often where accessibility breaks down—and they're critical for conversions. Each form field needs a proper label, not just placeholder text. Placeholder text disappears when users click the field, leaving them confused about what information goes where.
Best practices for accessible forms:
- Use ` connected to input fields via the `for` attribute
- Provide clear error messages that identify which field has an error and how to fix it (not just red highlighting)
- Mark required fields clearly, either with an asterisk or text label
- Group related fields using `
- Keep forms short—each additional field drops conversion rates
Accessible forms aren't just better for people with disabilities; they're better for everyone. Clear labels, explicit error messages, and logical organization reduce friction and improve completion rates. A/B testing accessible form design consistently shows higher conversions.
The Bottom Line: Accessibility is Good Business
Implementing these five quick wins expands your potential customer base, improves SEO rankings, reduces legal risk, and enhances the user experience for everyone. You're not just doing the right thing—you're making a smart business investment.
If you're unsure where to start, run your site through the free WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool or Google Lighthouse. Both provide specific, actionable feedback on what needs improvement.
At Schiano Studios, we believe great web design is inclusive by default. If you'd like a professional accessibility audit or help implementing these changes, let's talk. Your customers—and your bottom line—will thank you.