Are you up with the latest standards? Is your website accessible? #10

The web is constantly changing and evolving. What was considered best practice a year ago may now be outdated 🙃  

And no, staying current with the latest web and mobile development standards is not just about keeping your site looking modern - it’s more about ensuring:

• compatibility
• security
• accessibility

That's precisely why our team keeps up with the latest development standards, to ensure your app is secure, fast and user-friendly 🤝    

Better performance ⚡︎

Modern development standards introduce optimized codebases, leaner frameworks and more efficient algorithms, all of which contribute to faster load times, smoother interactions and a more robust overall performance.

Your users have to stay engaged and not turn to competitors, due to sluggish response times…  

Enhanced security 🔐

Using the latest standards in development means your application is less vulnerable to security threats. This protects not just your data but also the information of your users, which is paramount in building trust with your audience.   Updates usually come with optimizations that improve the performance of your applications. This can mean faster load times, better resource management and an overall smoother user experience.   We have to agree on this: Happy users are more likely to convert and become loyal customers!  

Improved UX

Current development standards prioritize:

• responsive design
• accessibility
• intuitive navigation

All of this is ensuring that your product not only meets but exceeds user expectations.

Moreover, these standards keep you aligned with the latest UX trends and technologies, from voice navigation to gesture controls.  

Better SEO

Search engines favor websites that load quickly, that are secure and are mobile-friendly—all of which are encouraged by current web development standards.

By following these guidelines we can help improve your site’s visibility, driving more organic traffic.  

Competitors

In a crowded marketplace, leveraging the newest technologies can give you a significant competitive edge. It can make your services or products stand out by offering something more efficient, secure and user-friendly than your competitors.    

Why does Accessibility matter so much?

It ensures everyone can use a website. It is no longer an afterthought, it’s a crucial aspect of web design and development. Ensuring your website is accessible to people with disabilities is not just a moral obligation, it’s a legal requirement in many jurisdictions. An accessible website can reach a wider audience, improve your site’s SEO and enhance user experience for everyone. Many people, faced with plain and uninviting text, tend to skip it and scroll further, just like this one. Making your website accessible means everyone can use it easily. Sadly, many sites don’t follow this rule, making it hard for people to use them…

How often have you caught yourself struggling to read a text on a website because the contrast and the sizing were inappropriately set?   Or been shocked when a video started playing unexpectedly as soon as you loaded a page?   → This is an experience many of us have faced, and it highlights a crucial aspect of website design that often goes overlooked: Accessibility and User comfort.     For example, you probably skipped the paragraph before the image, because it's not visually interesting and it has no:

• boldness
• color
• format
• structure
• media content

A website without accessibility is like a library with no doors—full of valuable information and potential, but impossible for anyone to enter and explore...

   

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Equally important is ensuring your site is easily discoverable. Everyone wants their product to be successful and easily searchable.   👉🏻 This is where SEO comes into play, it boosts your site's visibility and makes sure it reaches the widest possible audience.

Think of it like this: when you search for something on Google, you usually check out the first few options that pop up, right?

Everyone wants their product to land in those top 10 spots because it means more people will find and click on it.

Simply put:

Good SEO helps your product stand out in a crowded marketplace.

   

What do we do about this?

Here's what we can do for your digital products:

1. Audit & Compliance - We first make an overview of your present website in comparison to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This lets people with disabilities easily access your website.  
2. Optimizing for SEO - From optimizing meta tags and headings to improving your site’s load speed and responsiveness, we ensure that your site is built to rank well on search engines. Also, we can help fill your content with the right keywords to boost visibility and attract the target audience.  
3. User-friendly design - We take an accessible approach to design, offering proper colour contrasts and ensuring your product is easily navigable via keyboard. This improves the usability of your website for all users.  
4. Adaptive technology - We incorporate functionalities that facilitate screen readers and additional assistive technology like text-to-speech and others.  
5. Constant surveillance - We offer ongoing site maintenance and monitoring to ensure that it complies with new standards and technological advancements.  
6. Local SEO - For businesses serving local communities, we optimize your site for local search, helping you attract local customers when they’re searching for services or products you offer.

   

Technologies

In addition to the services outlined above, we use a range of technologies specifically designed to enhance accessibility for all users:

• VoiceOver for Mac and iOS - A powerful screen reader that provides auditory descriptions of each onscreen element and is integral for users who are blind or have low vision.

• NVDA for Windows - An open-source screen reader that enables blind and visually impaired users to interact with and access Windows operating systems and many third-party applications.

• TalkBack for Android - Google's screen reader, which offers vocal and vibration feedback to help users navigate their devices. It’s crucial for making Android apps and content accessible.

• JAW for Windows - A screen reader that allows users to read and interact with various elements on Windows. It’s known for its customization options, such as Text-to-Speech and PDF readers.

   

Want to see what does a modern app look like? Contact us ✨