What Is Website Compliance? (And Why It Could Be Costing You Customers)
If you've never heard the term "website compliance" before, you're not alone — most business owners haven't, until it becomes a problem. In plain terms, website compliance means your site meets accessibility standards (commonly referenced as ADA/WCAG) so that people using screen readers, keyboard navigation, or other assistive technology can actually use it.
The common gaps
- Images without alt text, so screen readers can't describe what's on the page
- Low color contrast that makes text hard to read for visually impaired visitors
- Menus and forms that only work with a mouse, locking out keyboard users
- Form fields with no labels, so screen readers can't tell users what to enter
Why it matters
Two things are on the line: your customers and your legal exposure. Businesses have received demand letters and lawsuits under ADA Title III over inaccessible websites — and separately, an inaccessible site is simply turning away real customers who can't use it. On top of that, some of the same fixes (clean structure, real alt text, fast load times) are exactly what search engines reward with better rankings.
How to check your own site
A few quick things you can look at yourself: try navigating your site using only your keyboard (Tab key), check whether your images have descriptive alt text in the page code, and run your homepage through a free accessibility checker. If more than a couple of things fail, it's worth a professional audit before it becomes a bigger issue.
Next step
Get a free compliance and performance audit and find out exactly where your site stands — no obligation, just a clear list of what's working and what needs attention.