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Balancing web site accessibility against commercial objectives

Most web sites involve accessibility testingpossible and make your site very friendly to
at some point in the web development stage.search  engines.
But the best journey from a customer point of
view doesn't necessarily match the bestWe  all  want  intuitive  sites
journey from a commercial perspective. For
example, in the offline world, supermarketsAn expert user will not object to a simple
place essentials such as milk and bread atintuitive site, without the latest technology
the back, forcing customers to walk pastand use of graphics. Look at the highest
everything else, in the hope it will get themtransactional sites, Google, Ebay, Amazon and
to  buy  more.Yahoo. The design looks stuck in the 90's but
it works, because they are intuitive and easy
The accessibility debate has moved on fromto use. They have spent fortunes on the
being simply about making a site easy foraccessibility vs. income debate. Use them as
consumers to navigate, to making it moreyour R & D and take the best of what they are
persuasive from a commercial perspective.doing.
There is also the issue of advertising, which
is constantly evolving with new flashyAccessibility  can  add  value
formats being developed all the time.
However, is accessibility incompatible withGood website accessibility is not a barrier,
good commerce? We outline below some of theto engaging in good commerce. You can provide
arguments that says, the two can be mutuallythe positive experience that the visitor
beneficial:expects and needs but present the information
in a way that benefits you. For example, when
Accessibility is still a competitivewe created the LSO website, we ensured the
advantagesearch feature worked comprehensively but was
always geared around pushing the product
The majority of sites have accessibilityfirst in a useful way. So whatever the
issues to one degree or another. This can bevisitor searched for, whether composer,
poor navigation, poorly laid out sites orconductor, specific music, we always
poor functionality such as searches thatpresented related performances first,
don't return what you want. The first rule offollowed  by  CDs  then  articles.
web development is Don't put any barriers to
entry to your products in front ofMeet  their  needs,  take  their  cash
prospective customers. If your site is more
usable than your competitors, you are moreGood web site accessibility means providing
likely to attract, retain and transact withwhat the user wants, so without making it
visitorsintrusive, use the information you have on
them to present information that is more
Disability  is  an  issuelikely to make them transact with you. If you
invest in good underlying technology, you can
There are over seven million people in the UKcreate meaningful relationships between your
who are disabled to some degree. Beyond thisproducts, services, affiliates etc. You can
there are many more millions who are not usedthen relate this to the information you have
to using computers or specific features suchon your visitors, based upon how they have
as drop-down menus. These are very validtransacted with you in the past, what they
audiences and prospective customers. Not onlyhave searched on and past pages they have
will ensuring a site works for them by usingvisited. By linking past actions and your
variable text size; multiple ways ofrelated products you can present specific
navigating a site; and ensuring your siteproducts, goods and information to people
works in alternative browsers such as audiothat is more likely to meet their specific
browsers; benefit them, you also ensureneeds.
maximum exposure to the targets audience



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