Benefits of Accessibility Testing
What is Software Accessibility Testing and Its benefits
The digital media platform is growing rapidly; hence, digital applications and websites have become inevitable areas of banking, shopping, healthcare, education etc. These websites and digital applications need to be made accessible so that disabled people can also use the applications and websites easily. Many countries have made it mandatory to develop accessible websites and applications, which can cause legal trouble. In this article, you will get to know about software accessibility testing along with its relevant benefits.
What is software accessibility testing?
It is a testing method that ensures that a website or application being built is in accordance with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards. The website should be easily accessible to disabled people.
The strategic importance of accessibility testing:
There is an increased use of digital applications and technologies, which means there is a demand for digital tools. Accessibility testing is focused on the disabled community being able to access websites or applications with ease.
Product based companies and online businesses can leverage software accessibility testing to:
- Increase the market share and customer base
- Enhanced accessibility for disabled people
- Accessibility for users is improved with low-bandwidth internet
- Relevant information and content is provided to more users
- Market opportunities are created in untapped markets.
For example, there is a huge number of global websites that are inaccessible to the disabled communities. This is an untapped market that needs to be tapped by businesses to expand their brand and generating revenues. Accessibility standards for Canada are also well-defined for Canadian businesses.
The following are the benefits of accessibility testing:
1. Code quality is improved: The scope of usability testing is increased and a high-quality codebase is created for the finished product/website. Various coding errors can be identified by accessibility testing tools that can otherwise lead to software bugs/usability issues.
For example, there are many shopping sites that have reduced their accessibility errors to a drastic level by incorporating high-quality code in accessibility tests.
2. The user base is gradually increased: A smaller user base is expected from those websites that are not accessible. The accessibility of applications and websites can be improved by the tactical implementation of accessibility tests and thus reaching a wider user base.
Application/website information can be conveyed in multiple forms, including resizable text, video captions, written transcripts and images with Alt text through a well-defined accessibility test strategy.
3. Enhanced SEO activities: Rich text content is contained in accessibility-friendly websites, so that relevant content can be found easily. If the SEO ranking is high, then more traffic can be driven by the website’s search engines, resulting in more revenues and conversions.
Websites and applications are created by accessibility testing with navigation and simpler interfaces, thus encouraging more users to use them and reducing bounce rates.
4. Legal complications are avoided: There are many countries wherein the respective governments have made it mandatory to develop accessible websites that are aligned with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). This, in turn, helps the website owners to avoid any legal hassles, as their website complies with accessibility protocols. Similarly, accessibility standards for Canada are also described properly so Canadian businesses can incorporate accessibility standards accordingly.
5. Improved user experience: if the digital content is made accessible, it will be useful for users. An accessible design helps in making the application’s navigation, appearance, text clarity and other features more appealing and user-friendly. Software accessibility testing should be carried out strategically to satisfy users and thus enhancing their website experience.
Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing an accessibility test for your specific project, get connected with a globally renowned software testing services company that will provide you with strategic testing solutions along with support and technical advice to adequately meet your project requirements.