How Digital Accessibility Boosts Conversions

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In today's competitive digital landscape, marketers are constantly being asked to do more with less—whether generating leads, building brand loyalty, or driving conversions.

We're expected to squeeze more from every campaign while cutting costs where we can.

One strategy that often gets overlooked, even though it can have a massive impact on your bottom line, is digital accessibility.

Most marketing leaders I talk to are surprised to find that nearly one in four adults in the US live with a disability that can affect how they experience and interact with digital content. By neglecting accessibility, many marketers may unintentionally exclude up to 25% of their potential audience.

And considering that the disability community controls nearly $8 trillion in spending power, that's a lot of revenue to leave on the table.

That's why at my company we prioritize implementing accessibility best-practices into all areas of our website, which has had a large impact on many areas—but especially conversion rates. They continue to improve year over year, and last year, at our peak, our rates nearly doubled from the previous year, along with lower bounce rates and longer session durations.

When you make your website easier to navigate for people with disabilities, you're also making it easier for everyone else, too.

Why Digital Accessibility Matters for Marketers

Digital accessibility means ensuring that your website is usable by all visitors, including people who are blind or deaf or those that have mobility issues. These users often use assistive technologies, such as screen readers to access websites and digital content.

When we make our websites accessible, we aren't just making it easier for people with disabilities to engage with our content. We're making the experience better for everyone because, ultimately, simple and clear navigation and easy-to-read content benefit all users.

The bottom line is that by making your site more inclusive, you're not only fulfilling an important social responsibility but also creating an opportunity to improve key marketing metrics—without significant additional budget.

Five Digital Accessibility Tips

Here are some tips you can implement right now to make your website more accessible and boost your conversion rates.

1. Understand your users and their journey

The first step in creating an accessible website is understanding your audience. What do your users need from your site? How do they navigate your pages, and what obstacles might they encounter?

It's important to consider different types of users, including those with visual, auditory, or mobility impairments.

Once you've mapped out your users' journey, you can start addressing the barriers they may face. That might mean providing text alternatives for images, ensuring your site is compatible with screen readers, or ensuring that your buttons and links are easy to navigate with an adaptive keyboard.

Content and workflows that are important to your users, and your business, must be prioritized for accessibility.

2. Design clear and compelling calls to action (CTAs)

When designing and testing CTAs, it is critical to design with accessibility in mind, especially color contrast best-practices. Ensure your CTAs stand out visually, with plenty of contrast against the background. Free tools can help you confirm whether your design meets standards.

Avoid using vague language like "Click here" or "Learn more." Instead, be specific and clear, using action-oriented language like "Get started today" or "Sign up for free."

3. Keep wording simple and straightforward

Simplicity is key for accessibility. Complex language and jargon can create unnecessary barriers for your audience, especially those with cognitive disabilities.

Keep your messaging clear and to the point. Write in plain language that everyone can understand, and use short paragraphs and bullet points to make your content easier to read.

Importantly, such clarity will benefit your entire audience.

4. Personalize your user experience

Personalization is an effective tool for boosting conversions, but it's important to ensure that your personalized experiences are accessible.

Use the data you have about your users to provide relevant content, and be mindful that not everyone interacts with your website in the same way.

Consider how users with disabilities will need different ways to access your content, and offer multiple formats where possible.

5. Simplify your navigation

One of the biggest frustrations users face on any website is poor navigation. To improve accessibility, simplify your navigation using clear labels, logical categories, and consistent layouts.

Make it easy for users to find what they're looking for, regardless of how they access your site. Whether someone uses a mouse, keyboard, or screen reader, they should be able to move through your site seamlessly.

The Case for Accessible Websites

Beyond the social and ethical reasons for making your website accessible, there's a strong business case to be made. As I noted earlier, continued accessibility considerations have a large hand in increasing conversion rates.

But the benefits don't stop there. Accessible websites tend to have lower bounce rates, longer session durations, and better SEO performance—all of which contribute to better business outcomes.

Moreover, marketers are always being asked to generate more business growth with fewer resources. Addressing accessibility is one of the easiest ways to maximize the impact of your existing website traffic without spending more money.

It's a smart, sustainable strategy that can deliver results.

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Digital accessibility is a massive, often overlooked opportunity for marketers. By taking steps to make your website more inclusive, you're not just expanding your audience—you're creating a better experience for everyone.

And when users have a better experience, they're more likely to convert. It's a small investment of time and resources that can yield significant results—and it's the right thing to do.