Website Accessibility Basics for Small Businesses

An accessible website is one that people with different abilities and devices can use: someone who can't see the screen, someone who can't use a mouse, someone with poor eyesight or a slow connection. The W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative organises this into four principles, often shortened to POUR.

This article is part of our guide to choosing a website builder. It follows the W3C's principles, checked on 20 September 2026, and is not legal advice.

The four principles

Perceivable. People must be able to take in the information. The W3C's examples include text alternatives for non-text content such as images, captions and transcripts for audio and video, content that keeps its meaning when its presentation is adapted, and not using colour as the only way of conveying information, with enough contrast and resizable text.

Operable. People must be able to navigate and interact. The W3C says all functionality available by mouse should also be available by keyboard, and lists adequate time, avoiding harmful flashing, clear titles and navigation, and visible keyboard focus.

Understandable. Content and interface should be clear and predictable. The W3C lists identifying the page language, using clear language, having navigation appear in the same place on each page, and giving descriptive instructions and chances to correct errors.

Robust. Content must work with a range of tools. The W3C's example is markup that can be reliably interpreted by current and future assistive technologies.

Five quick checks you can do today

1. Images: does every meaningful image have alt text that says what it shows or what it's for? Decorative images can have empty alt text.
2. Keyboard: unplug your mouse and use Tab to move through a page. Can you reach every link, menu and button, and always see where you are?
3. Contrast and text size: is the text readable against its background, and does it still work when zoomed in?
4. Headings and links: does each page have one main heading and sensible sub-headings? Does link text make sense out of context? "Read our pricing" is clearer than "click here".
5. Forms: does every field have a visible label, and does an error message say what went wrong and how to fix it? This matters for your contact and booking forms.

Video and audio

If you use video, add captions. If you publish audio, offer a transcript. The W3C lists both under making content perceivable.

Choosing a platform

Templates vary in how accessible they are out of the box. When you compare platforms, test the trial with the keyboard-only check above. See how to choose a website builder.

Why it also helps your business

Accessible pages are clearer for everyone, including people on small screens or slow connections. Google's SEO Starter Guide asks for descriptive alt text and sensible heading order for similar reasons. Pair this with SEO basics and the checklist in what a small business website needs.