Access by Design 4

Let’s talk about the C Word

The C Word. A word that could be offensive to some of your visitors when they come to your website. If I found it on your website right now, you would be shocked and embarrassed to say the least! You would feel terrible that so many people had read it and just left without you ever knowing about it. That is what happens when you use... read more »

Website Accessibility – ignorance is no longer an excuse!

There is just so much misinformation and misunderstanding about website accessibility, where your legal responsibilities lie, what it actually is, the list goes on and on. Website Accessibility needs to be explained, simply and clearly, to everyone who has a website that is open to members of the public. Simply put, if your website cannot be accessed by a group of people (such as people... read more »

All that glitters is not gold… that is why websites need an accessibility audit!

I have just finished a website accessibility audit for a publicly-funded organisation in the UK. Their website had been launched last year and they had been asked to have an accessibility audit done. This website accessibility audit was a substantial project! It was an intensive project, my final audit ran to over 180 pages, consisting of over 28,000 words with a few diagrams thrown in. The... read more »

I am afraid that will cost extra…

I took a call yesterday from a Town Council. They had just had their website rebuilt and wanted some accessibility features on it. The web developers have turned around and said that it will cost extra. They now have to get two other quotes to compare, which is why they called. If only that had come to us in the first place. They... read more »

Grants towards a website upgrade if your business is in the Chichester area

Hot off the presses today: From the Economic Development Team 26 March 2021 Enabling Grant Scheme We are really pleased to announce that the Enabling Grant Scheme is being launched and will be open for applications on Monday 12 April 2021. Please make sure that you have read the guidance notes carefully before applying as the criteria have changed and the way the applications are processed is different... read more »

Drop your Cookie Banner or risk prosecution!

Really? Come on Clive, that’s a bit extreme isn’t it? Well, read on and judge for yourself…. Cookie banners break Accessibility Guidelines. Many visitors with disabilities are never even aware there is a cookie banner in the first place. This, to me, puts the website in breach of the Equality Act and leads them open to legal action. However, it is not just people with disabilities that... read more »

Google is laughing at you…

…and it’s not sending anyone to your website! It is just SO annoying, isn’t it? You have spent ages building yourself a website. It was painful, frustrating but you finally got it done! You proudly announce the launch to the world and sit back, waiting for the rush of new customers who will be beating a path to your door. Except they do not come. You... read more »

If you have a Cookie Banner on your website, you should read this!

Do you know what a Cookie Banner is? You see them on most websites. They usually appear at the top or the bottom of a website when you first visit it. It will inform you that the website has a Cookie Policy that you have the option to agree to by clicking the OK button. Would you like to know what the best thing you can do... read more »

Are you in the top 1% for what you do?

In surveys, the majority of men consider themselves to be above-average intelligence and above-average drivers. Statistically, that is of course impossible but interesting nonetheless! Two statistics for you: 40% of all the websites in the world are built with WordPress and 64% of all websites built with a CMS. CMS, by the way, stands for Content Management System and means that the website can be... read more »

Macrovegan take a step up to Option 6!

Bill and Marlene are simply amazing. They are vegans with more than 70 years of experience between them. They have been on a mission to transform people’s lives through teaching and training. They have seen some of their clients have their lives transformed in ways they would not have thought possible and have built up a loyal following around the world. Challenges with their previous... read more »

7 seconds is all you get!

Grab their attention in those crucial first few seconds! Current analysis suggests that someone visiting your website for the first time will decide whether to stay and explore your website further or leave (never to return) within the first 7 seconds of landing on your home page. That is a sobering thought. It goes some way to explain why websites will often have pop-ups appearing... read more »

15 minutes that could transform your business!

I had a Zoom call earlier this week with a chap I had met through networking. He had taken advantage of my offer of a 15 minute session to learn about the three things he needed to do to get better rankings with Google. I do not sell SEO, I build websites but I know a lot about what Google is looking for and... read more »

What an Accessibility Audit REALLY is!

If you are in Local Government, the Fire Service, the Heritage and Conservation sectors or, in fact any sector that is non-profit and is seen as for the public good, you should read this. UK Government Accessibility Guidelines In 2018, the UK Government published regulations regarding Public Sector Bodies and the accessibility of their websites for people with disabilities. In 2019, The National Association of... read more »

What you see is NOT what you get!

Standards are important When it comes to websites, there are 2 sets of coding standards that should be followed: . One is to do with Coding Standards and one is to do with Accessibility. Both are extremely important to Google. Accessibility is especially important to every publicly-funded body in light of Government guidelines, stipulating that their websites must meet, or at least aim to meet,... read more »

The truth about Templates and your Website!

If you are talking websites, what does a Template actually do? Well, if you didn’t have one, your website would looks very plain and most likely not work at all! A template controls how the website looks. If you need an Image Gallery, Slideshow etc. you will either use a Plugin to provide the feature or have it coded specifically. If you lack the expertise... read more »

The problem with choosing a website provider...

... is like buying a car! I know nothing about cars, I can’t even change the oil on mine. When it came to buying my current one (a lovely old Volvo), I asked Simon, a local brilliant mechanic, to look out for one for me. If I didn’t know Simon, I would not know whether one car would be better than another at... read more »

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