An accessible website is one that everyone can use, including people who rely on screen readers, keyboards, captions or larger text. It is also a site that is easier for every visitor to scan, faster to act on and clearer for search engines to understand. Accessibility is not a separate project. It is part of building a good website.
Here are the basics worth getting right, and how to check each one.
Why accessibility matters for your business
- More people can buy from you. If a visitor cannot read your text, use your menu or submit your form, that enquiry is lost.
- Better usability for everyone. Clear headings, readable contrast and simple forms help people on small phones, in bright sunlight or in a hurry.
- Stronger SEO foundations. Descriptive headings, alt text and clean page structure are the same signals search engines use to understand your content.
- Lower legal risk. Many countries have accessibility requirements for some businesses and public services. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the widely used reference standard.
Make text easy to read
Low contrast is one of the most common problems on modern sites. Light grey text on white might look elegant, but many visitors will struggle to read it.
- Aim for the WCAG AA contrast level: at least 4.5:1 for normal body text and 3:1 for large text.
- Keep body text at a comfortable size and allow it to scale when users zoom.
- Avoid placing text over busy images without a solid or dimmed background.
Write useful alt text for images
Screen readers announce images using their alt text. Without it, visitors hear a file name or nothing at all.
- Describe what the image shows and why it is there, in a short sentence.
- For product photos, mention the product and any key detail, such as colour.
- Decorative images that add no meaning should have empty alt text so they are skipped.
Make everything work with a keyboard
Some visitors navigate with the Tab key instead of a mouse. Try it on your own site.
- Every link, button, menu and form field should be reachable with Tab.
- The focused element should have a visible outline so people know where they are.
- Pop ups and menus should open, close and trap focus correctly, and close with Escape.
Use headings and structure properly
Headings are not just styling. Screen reader users jump between them to scan a page, much like sighted visitors skim.
- Use one main heading (H1) per page that describes the page.
- Follow it with H2 and H3 headings in a logical order.
- Use real lists, buttons and links rather than styled boxes that only look like them.
Build forms anyone can complete
Forms are where leads and sales happen, so this is where accessibility issues cost the most.
- Give every field a visible label, not just placeholder text that disappears.
- Explain errors clearly, next to the field, and say how to fix them.
- Do not rely on colour alone to show which fields are required or invalid.
- Keep forms short and ask only for what you need.
Write clear link and button text
"Click here" and "Read more" tell a screen reader user nothing when they hear a list of links out of context.
- Use link text that describes the destination, such as "View our plans" or "Read the launch checklist".
- Make buttons say what they do, such as "Send enquiry" or "Book a call".
Caption video and avoid surprises
- Add captions to videos with speech, and transcripts for audio content.
- Do not autoplay video with sound.
- Let visitors pause animations and carousels, and respect reduced motion settings.
How to check your site
You do not need specialist tools to find the biggest issues:
- Tab through your key pages. Homepage, a service or product page, and your enquiry form.
- Zoom to 200 percent. Content should still fit and remain usable.
- Run an automated check. Free tools such as Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools or WAVE flag missing alt text, low contrast and unlabelled fields.
- Try a screen reader briefly. VoiceOver on Mac and iPhone or NVDA on Windows will quickly show where your page is confusing.
Automated tools catch only part of the picture, so combine them with a quick manual review.
Keep accessibility ongoing
Accessibility slips over time as new pages, images and forms are added. The easiest approach is to build it into every update: check contrast when you change colours, add alt text when you upload images and test forms whenever they change.
If you would rather have a team handle this as part of building and maintaining your site, Mashify's managed website and app subscriptions cover design, development and ongoing updates. See the plans on our pricing page, or browse more guides on the Mashify blog.