Top 7 Risks of Not Having an Accessible Website

Most business owners do not take the necessary steps to make their websites accessible. 90% of websites are inaccessible to people with disabilities who rely on assistive technology, and 98.1% of home pages had detectable WCAG 2 failures.

There are several risks attached to not having an accessible website. The main risks involved are loss of revenue, legal action, and damaged reputation. Mentioned below are seven major risks of not having an accessible website.

1. Loss of Revenue

One of the main risks of having an inaccessible website is loss of revenue. This happens when people cannot access your website or are unable to purchase your products or services. In some cases, businesses have had to file for bankruptcy because they failed to recover from lost revenue.

2. Legal Action

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects people with disabilities from discrimination. If your website is not accessible to people with disabilities, you could get sued. In 2021, more than 4,000 ADA Lawsuits were filed against inaccessible websites.

3. Damaged Reputation

When people cannot access your website, they may think that you don’t care about them and their disability. Customers will then take their business elsewhere, and eventually, this can sacrifice your business’s hard-earned reputation. The damaged reputation will also make it hard to attract new customers.

4. Loss of Website Visitors & Customers

Nearly 57 million Americans are disabled. People with disabilities are more likely to do business with companies that have an accessible website. If the website is not accessible, one can lose a ton of customers.

Reduced Search Engine Ranking

Search engines like Google favor websites that are accessible to all users. If the website is not accessible, it will have a reduced search engine ranking.

5. Increased Costs

Businesses will have to spend more money to make the website accessible and compliant with the ADA. This includes the cost of hiring an ADA consultant and the cost of making changes to your website.

6. Legal Fees & Fines

Apart from fixing the website for accessibility, if a lawsuit is filed against the website, there will be costs like attorney fees, legal fees, and settlement costs which can ring between $5,000 to $150,000.

Making your website accessible is important to avoid these risks. There are a number of ways to make your website ADA-compliant, such as using alt text, providing transcripts, and using simple language.

If you want to learn more about how to make your website accessible, contact us today. Our highly skilled experts can help you avoid these risks by making your website ADA-compliant. Click this link for EcomBack’s top-notch ADA WCAG Compliance services. Get a free audit and consultation today!