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ADA Compliance

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What are my top 5 Digital Marketing Insights from Inbound19?

October 21, 2019 //  by WSI Connect

My first Inbound marketing conference is a wrap!

It was a whirlwind of sessions and networking that sparked amazing learning and discussions. Over 24,000 people were in attendance at this remarkable event. I had a packed agenda filled with networking events and sessions. It was inspiring, fast paced and motivating. 

Let’s get started with insight #1.

1. Video is impactful

Video is critical to any marketing strategy. It aids consumers in the buying process, boosts organic search traffic and increases the understanding of your product/service thru an interactive and personal experience. I didn’t have the opportunity to squeeze in a session regarding video however my colleague did. You can read her very insightful post that sums up its importance: The #1 thing I learned from Inbound19

Almost every presentation I attended incorporated video. Snippets or clips that served as an ice breaker to garner audience attention and set the tone of the entire session.

Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text. (Insivia)

Key Takeaway:
Video is an effective tool for your overall digital marketing strategy. It can be an easier way to convey complex ideas in a highly creative format that is universally understood.

2. Storytelling / Authenticity is meaningful

I noticed each one of my sessions at Inbound 19 had a story. They weren’t case studies, self-promotion or client wins… they were personal stories about the presenters struggles, perspective or spark. Each of these stories then tied into the larger session topic and helped the audience dive deeper in its application. I didn’t recognize this pattern until I was back from the conference. I was out with my colleagues for lunch and I began sharing information about the sessions I attended. I began each of my discussions by re-telling the stories that amused or connected with me first. Those stories were essentially going viral thru my retelling albeit on a smaller scale.

One of the more memorable stories was by Sangram Vajre who’s session on How to Take Your Marketing from Good to Great focused on ABM (Account Based Marketing). It was a fresh perspective and he was able to engage the audience from the very beginning with a story about his son.  He was caring for his son while his wife went out of town and decided to take this role from good to GREAT:

  • Average Parenting – the status quo where they get by on TV, food and playtime
  • Good Parenting – picks it up a notch to Dad 1.0 where they play Xbox, watch movies and eat healthier snacks
  • Great Parenting – Dad 2.0 that lets his son watch ALL the Rocky movies and eat pancakes for ALL meals

He then dove deeper by discussing how to connect this parenting concept to how we work with our clients and focus our efforts step by step on creating GREAT marketing solutions.

Integrating super-personalized marketing into your strategy is a way for your business to say, ‘i’m listening. i know what you want… what you need… what you enjoy.’ The more your business shows this to a customer or prospect, the more likely they will be to connect with you and become a promoter of your business.” — Jess Marranco, Hubspot

The key takeaways from these sessions regarding storytelling and authenticity:

  • It should be entertaining
  • The story should be memorable
  • Something the audience can relate to
  • Contains nuggets of knowledge or awaken curiosity

Key Takeaway:
Focus on authentic long-term relationships thru a shared connection or idea.

3. Marketing Automation is essential

Automating our workflows and marketing tasks with seamless and timely touch points frees up time to focus on the customer experience and strategic solutions. When done correctly, it will accurately provide the right information to the right person at the right time. It can help reduce manual entry and keep your data and records accurate. This is important for:

  • Your sales team by having the confidence to act on accurate information
  • You marketing team by contacting and communicating with right people at the right time thru email drip campaigns and workflows
  • And management by increasing leads, deals and therefore revenue 
marketing_automation-wsi_connect

There are no limits to what you can automate thru proper planning. It will empower your sales team and streamline your overall processes which is a successful combination for all teams to thrive.

The marketing automation tech stack can include:

  • CMS (Content management system) or website
  • Email marketing software
  • Landing page and form builder
  • Campaign tool
  • Social media publishing tool
  • CRM (Customer relationship management)
  • Analytics tools

Key Takeaway:
Marketing automation helps to scale growth and reduce time on repetitive manual tasks.

4. Email Marketing is alive

Over the years I am sure you have heard that email marketing is dead. It would appear that number of emails that reach an already cluttered inbox are usually never opened, are deleted or marked as spam. However did you know: 

Email marketing drives more conversions than any other marketing channel, including search and social” – Campaign Monitor

I attended a fascinating session showcasing how to build a list of engaged subscribers thru A/B testing, welcome emails, personalization and focused relevant content. The main question to ask is: Why Should Anyone Care?  The main point many marketers and business owners miss with email marketing is if you are providing value thru the content in your newsletters and segmenting your lists based on answering the main question then your email newsletters WILL be impactful.

Key Takeaway:
Refine your email marketing strategy and focus on answering the main question: Why Should Anyone Care?

5. Accessibility is for everyone

We recently launched a new ADA Compliant service at WSI Connect so I was excited to attend the session called: Accessible Marketing Is Modern Marketing: Building Accessibility In Instead of Opting Out by Christi Olson from Microsoft. She specifically focused on Inclusive Design principles and how to apply them across digital media.

If you aren’t building accessibility into your products, website, or marketing campaigns, it’s like saying to one in five customers, “I don’t want your business.””

ADA-Accessibility_WSI_Connect_Digital_Marketing

Christi took a deep dive into understanding how implementing this across your customers experiences. Below is a high level overview of the top 10 areas to focus on:

  1. Content Writing and Structure
  2. URL and link text and descriptions
  3. Text readability
  4. Accessible fonts
  5. Images and video
  6. Color contrast and shapes
  7. Keyboard navigation
  8. Contact information
  9. Call to action buttons
  10. Event space and registration

Key Takeaway: 
Focusing on accessibility and inclusive design as part of your overall strategy and design instead of an afterthought.

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(and discover why you should work with WSI Connect!)

Category: BlogTag: ADA Compliance, Automation, Email Marketing, Hubspot, Inbound Marketing, Marketing Automation, Video Marketing, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Website ADA Compliance

What is ADA Compliance and Does My Website Need to be ADA Compliant?

April 3, 2019 //  by Luke Middendorf

A number of business owners that we’ve talked to are growing more concerned about their website and how their business could be affected by ADA compliance. Lawsuits are up, even though the law remains unclear.

*It’s important to note that I am not a lawyer. I had a lot of help putting this together but it is not intended to be legal advice. If you are in the process of being sued consult an attorney.

This could be a good opportunity for your business.

It turns out than many of the elements required to make a website more accessible are the same elements that we address when optimizing websites to rank better in search engines such as Google. It can also expand your audience by making the content accessible to people with disabilities.

Both cases could help improve the amount of quality leads coming in through your website.

Here is a third-party free tool that we use to help identify some of the challenges a website may have regarding ADA compliance.

· ADA Compliance Checker

If this feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. Feel free to reach out with any questions and we will do our best to help.

Contact WSI Connect for a FREE SEO Consultation

What is ADA?

The ADA is also known as the Americans with Disabilities Act. This Act affects how buildings are designed, how schools operate, how government agencies are run, and even how websites are created. The idea is to make sure those with disabilities are not excluded from any area of life.

When discussing ADA compliance regarding website design, the intention is to make sure anyone from anywhere in the world can access and use your website. As technology has continued to grow, specific guidelines (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or WCAG) have been developed to help ensure web content is accessible to people with disabilities, making use of the web a more even playing field.

The Elements of the WCAG

The WCAG has specific elements that every website must address when following website ADA Compliance Guidelines. First, the website must follow four distinct principles. It must be:

  • Perceivable
  • Operable
  • Understandable
  • Robust

These principles then lead to thirteen guidelines. These guidelines are designed to aid the designers and authors of the website when working to adhere to the four principles. They include:

  • Text Alternatives
  • Time-Based Media
  • Adaptable
  • Distinguishable
  • Keyboard Accessible
  • Plenty of Time
  • Adherence to the Seizure and Physical Restriction Threshold
  • Navigable
  • Input Modalities
  • Readable
  • Predictable
  • Input Assistance
  • Compatible

In addition to the principles and guidelines, the WCAG provides success criteria in which specific testing must meet the defined levels of conformance are conducted. Website compliance can be rated: A, AA, or AAA based on the success criteria testing.

Finally, there are a wide variety of techniques provided to either make the website sufficient or advisable under the confines of the ADA.

The Specifics of the WCAG

Each of the standards for website design as outlined by the WCAG is intended to make the website ADA compliant and useable for anyone who has a disability as defined under the ADA.

For example, creating a website that has a text option will greatly help those who may be considered legally blind or have difficulty seeing items up close.

Also, using color coding for different areas of the site and allowing to change the colors from a white background with black lettering to a darker background with lighter lettering may also allow those with difficulty seeing better accessibility to the content on the website. There is even the option to include closed captioning for videos and sound clips to read the website content, which aids those that are hard of hearing or even deaf.

Finally, the WCAG addresses the issues relating to seizures and other medical issues covered under the ADA. Technology is known for using the latest and greatest items to make anything stand out from the crowd. This also applies to website design. Designers want their websites to stand out. If they are creating a site for something considered hi-tech, they may be drawn to flashing lights or loud noises. Adhering to the WCAG will still allow these designs, within reason.

Additional references:

  • LA Times – Lawsuits targeting business websites over ADA violations are on the rise
  • Law.com – ADA Lawsuits Are on the Rise, Website Complaints Biggest Targets

Conclusion

Making sure your website compliance is up to the standards set by the WCAG will help you attract a larger client base and help keep you relevant in Google and other search engines. This could be a very good opportunity to expand your audience and grow your business.

Contact WSI Connect for a FREE SEO Consultation

Category: BlogTag: ADA Compliance, WCAG, Website ADA Compliance, Website Content Accessibility Guideline, Website Design

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