Website accessibility means making your site usable for people with visual, auditory, motor or cognitive impairments. For Surrey businesses, it is also a smart commercial move: accessible sites tend to be easier to use, better structured and more search-friendly.
Why accessibility matters
Roughly one in five people in the UK has a long-term impairment. If your site cannot be navigated with a keyboard, read by a screen reader or viewed comfortably on a phone, you are turning visitors away. Accessibility is also increasingly relevant to public sector and B2B procurement requirements.
Accessibility basics
Start with the basics: good colour contrast, descriptive alternative text for images, visible form labels and keyboard-friendly navigation. Use headings in a logical order, avoid autoplaying media and make sure links make sense out of context. These small changes make a big difference.
Accessibility and SEO
Search engines favour well-structured, fast and mobile-friendly pages. Many of the same practices that help accessibility also help SEO. Clear headings, descriptive link text and fast loading images improve both screen-reader experience and search rankings.
Testing your site
Free tools such as WAVE, theaxe DevTools and browser contrast checkers will quickly reveal common issues. For a more thorough review, we can audit your site against WCAG 2.2 AA and recommend practical fixes.
If you need an accessible site, contact Godstone Web Design.
The business case for accessibility
Investing in accessibility is not just about avoiding risk; it opens your business to a wider audience and often improves the experience for every visitor. Accessible sites tend to be clearer, faster and better structured, which also helps search engines and mobile users. In public sector and B2B procurement, meeting WCAG 2.2 AA is increasingly a requirement, so an accessible site can directly affect your ability to win contracts.
The good news is that most accessibility improvements are straightforward when they are built in from the start. Good colour contrast, keyboard navigation, clear headings, descriptive links and readable forms do not add significant cost if they are planned early. If you already have a site, an accessibility audit can identify the highest-impact fixes in priority order.
Training your content team is one of the best long-term investments. Even a well-built accessible site can become less usable if every new image is uploaded without alt text or if headings are skipped. Add simple guidelines to your content workflow and review new pages before they go live. Accessibility is a habit, not a one-off project. We also recommend testing with a keyboard: unplug the mouse and try navigating every page. This quickly reveals problems with focus order, form fields and interactive elements that automated tools sometimes miss. It also gives your team empathy for users who cannot use a mouse. If you serve the public sector or larger corporate clients, an accessibility statement and a published conformance target can strengthen procurement responses. For a practical WCAG audit in Surrey, contact us and we will provide a prioritised fix list.
Frequently asked questions
Is accessibility a legal requirement for private businesses?
Public sector bodies have clear legal obligations, and private businesses in some sectors face duties under the Equality Act. Even where it is not strictly enforced, inaccessible sites risk complaints, lost customers and reputational damage.
What is WCAG 2.2 AA?
WCAG is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Level AA is the standard most organisations aim for, covering contrast, keyboard use, resizable text, form labels and more. It is the level typically referenced in procurement and legal discussions.
Does accessibility help SEO?
Many accessibility practices also improve SEO. Logical headings, descriptive link text, image alt text, fast loading times and mobile usability help both screen readers and search engines understand and rank your pages.
How much does an accessibility audit cost in Surrey?
The cost depends on the size and complexity of the site. A small business website audit is typically much less than the cost of a full rebuild, and the report gives you a practical fix list. Contact us for a tailored quote.
Can small changes make a real difference?
Yes. Improving contrast, adding alt text to images and checking keyboard navigation can make the site usable for many more people. These changes are often quick wins that also improve the experience for all visitors.
