Website Accessibility: Why It’s Just as Important as SEO

In today’s digital world, creating an accessible website is no longer optional — it’s essential. Just as you wouldn’t launch a website without SEO, accessibility should be built into your design and development process from day one.

When your site isn’t accessible, you create barriers for users and risk excluding a large audience that could benefit from your products, services, or information.

Beyond usability, accessibility is a matter of compliance. Standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and laws like the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) or AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) now make accessibility a legal requirement in many regions.

If you’re planning a new project or redesign, explore our accessible website design services to ensure your site is inclusive from the start.

Why Accessibility Matters

Accessibility isn’t just about serving users with disabilities — it improves the experience for everyone. Consider how captions help users in noisy environments, or how clear, high-contrast text benefits users on mobile devices under sunlight.

When websites are inclusive, businesses gain broader reach, improved SEO, and stronger trust with customers.

Common Misconceptions About Web Accessibility

Many people think accessibility only means adding alt text or adjusting colors. In reality, it’s much broader. Accessibility involves designing for people with:

• Visual impairments or blindness
• Limited mobility or motor control
• Cognitive challenges such as autism, dyslexia, or ADHD
• Hearing impairments or deafness
• Older adults less comfortable with technology
• Users on slow internet connections or older devices

Accessibility ensures your content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust — the four core principles of WCAG, remembered with the acronym POUR.

Designing with Accessibility in Mind

Building an accessible website starts with a user-centric mindset. Test your site with people of different abilities and backgrounds before launch. Their feedback can uncover issues that automated tools might miss.

At Vito Creative, we specialize in user-focused web design with Pagecloud, ensuring every website we create looks beautiful, performs well, and remains inclusive for all users.

You can also improve accessibility by:

• Using semantic HTML (headings, lists, and labels) to make content easier to navigate with screen readers
• Providing video captions and transcripts
• Offering adjustable text size, spacing, and contrast
• Ensuring keyboard-only navigation works seamlessly
• Avoiding time limits for reading or form completion
• Creating a low-bandwidth mode or optimized version for slower connections

Tools to Help You Test Accessibility

Several tools can help you assess and improve your website’s accessibility:

• WAVE Accessibility Evaluation Tool
• axe DevTools
• Google Lighthouse Accessibility Audit
• Accessibility Insights by Microsoft
• Siteimprove Accessibility Checker (popular for education and government organizations)

We use these and other advanced tools as part of our accessibility auditing and SEO optimization services, helping clients identify issues, meet compliance standards, and create more inclusive online experiences.

These tools can identify areas that don’t comply with WCAG 2.1 or AODA standards, but real user testing remains the gold standard.

Accessibility Benefits Everyone

An accessible website:

• Expands your audience reach
• Enhances SEO (search engines value properly structured, accessible content)
• Improves overall usability and performance
• Demonstrates social responsibility and inclusivity
• Reduces the risk of legal issues

When accessibility and SEO work hand in hand, your site not only ranks better but also becomes a place where everyone can engage equally.