Sometimes, in our quest to build the perfect website, with a sleek design and optimized search engine functionality, we can lose sight of the most important question of all:
Is the site accessible to as many customers as possible?
BNET recently explored this question in some detail and raised some interesting (and surprising) points in the process. (For example: "Increasingly, laws are being passed requiring a minimum level of accessibility on a Web site.")
In an editorial entitled "Making Your Web Site Accessible to All", BNET lays out some of the "best practices" of accessibility. These include:
Keep It Simple: Good accessibility design is also good Web site design. Trying to be too clever or trying to use too many groundbreaking features is simply not effective when you’re trying to communicate on the Web. Make your site simple, clear, and consistent; the result will be a Web destination that is more accessible for everyone.
... Clear and consistent layout of content is important for accessibility. While it may not seem exotic or eye-catching, black text on a white background actually improves readability for everyone. While it is not that hard to find faint red text on a stark yellow background on some “artistic” Web sites, you should avoid the use of colored or graphical backgrounds, particularly where substantial quantities of text are presented, especially if you are trying to increase accessibility to your Web site. It is also important that font sizes should be reasonable and that visitors should be able to change the font size if they wish.
Provide Clear Navigation
Implementing consistent and clear navigation allows everyone to move through the Web site easily and in a logical manner. If you go to a sub-page on your Web site, users should be able to get back to where they started and to be able to easily go to any other related Web page that is also part of your site. Navigation design should embrace clarity and simplicity.
The article goes on to explore ALT text and the dangers of incorporating moving images, tables, frames, scriplets, and much more. It also warns against utilizing non-universal technology ("If content has to be delivered that requires a plug-in or other special feature ... make it easy for the visitor to obtain that plug-in") and touches on many other points.
It's a recommended read, and offers many useful ideas to keep in mind when making your website as customer-friendly as possible. Check out the original article, linked to above, and let us know what you think.
