Why online accessibility is a smart marketing move (not just a nice-to-have)

When we talk about accessibility online, it’s often framed as a legal requirement or an ethical obligation, and rightly so. But there’s another dimension that marketers and business owners should be paying attention to: accessibility is also a growth strategy.

If you are unable to cater to customers in a store or public setting then the issue is visible, however most users who have trouble navigating a website will just leave. The problem goes unchecked and continues, with website owners totally unaware of the pain and frustration they may have caused, as well as the lost revenue.

A website that is not fully accessible is likely to be losing users because quite simply, they are unable to use it or may get frustrated and click away. According to the World Health Organisation, over 1.3 billion people in the world have a significant disability. In the UK, it is over 16 million. This is a significant proportion of potential clients or customers. Therefore, to fully open your website to reach your entire audience, it needs to be accessible.

For some websites, such as those in the public sector, there are legal requirements to ensure accessibility is supported. Most of the time this is seen as an afterthought or a box-ticking exercise, but data shows there is value in providing a more inclusive user experience that considers all of the people using the website.

The UK ‘purple pound’ is a term that describes the spending power of disabled people and their households. In the UK, this market is worth an estimated £274 billion a year. webaim.org, who report annually on the accessibility of the top 1,000,000 home pages globally, found that 94.8% of home pages had detected WCAG 2 failures in 2025. They also found that of all website categories, shopping websites had the most errors of any type, with +39.8% more issues than the average website category.

This failure to recognise accessibility needs on a website has a direct impact on their sales. A survey from 2016 by Click Away reported that over 70% of users who face difficulties will leave a website within 10 seconds. It also reported that 82% of those same users said they would spend more on a website that met their needs effectively.

These figures reveal a significant potential loss in revenue that may be invisible to many businesses.

While accessibility is essential for people with permanent disabilities, its benefits reach much further.

Many users experience what we call situational or temporary accessibility needs. A parent holding a baby in one arm may rely on voice commands. A commuter on a noisy train may need captions to watch your video. Someone recovering from an eye operation may temporarily increase text size or use screen readers. These aren’t edge cases, they’re everyday realities.

Accessible design also improves clarity, consistency, and navigation, which benefits everyone. Clear headings help both screen reader users and people scanning your site quickly. Good colour contrast isn’t just for people with visual impairments, it also improves readability on mobile in bright sunlight. And larger clickable areas help users with motor challenges and users on the move.

So, when you build with accessibility in mind, you’re not just including people with disabilities, you’re making your content better for everyone, in every context.

Accessibility doesn’t just help people, it helps your bottom line. Instead of ploughing more money into marketing channels, by simply opening up your website more, you could see instant growth.

Here are some other benefits you could realise as a result of a more accessible website: :

• Better search engine performance: Google and other search engines favour sites with clean, semantic code, clear hierarchy, descriptive alt text and meaningful link structures. These are all core accessibility practices
• Increased conversions: if users can navigate your site easily, fill in forms without errors, and complete purchases without barriers, they’re more likely to convert. Simple accessibility fixes, like clear error messages or properly labelled buttons, can directly reduce drop-offs.
• Higher engagement and retention: an accessible site is easier to read, easier to use, and more enjoyable to browse. This leads to lower bounce rates, longer session times, and repeat visits
• Positive brand perception: consumers are increasingly values-driven. When you make your site accessible, you show that you care about inclusion, equity, and quality, and users remember that
• Wider reach: many organisations overlook entire demographics due to inaccessible design. Removing these barriers and providing a more inclusive experience means you can serve more customers, especially in ageing populations, global markets, and mobile-first audiences

Accessibility is a clear win: for users, for your reputation, and for your results.