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New Study from Acquia Reveals the Business Impact of Neglecting Digital AccessibilityAcquia, the leader in open digital experience software, today released its 2024 Survey Report: Consumer Perspectives on Digital Accessibility, which examines how website users with disabilities perceive the state of digital accessibility and how their experiences impact brand reputation and loyalty. Critically, the report found that 89% of participants say they encounter accessibility issues that make it challenging to interact with websites or other digital experiences offered by brands, leading more than half (62%) to say that they would consider switching to a competitor with better accessibility features. "It's clear that digital experiences are not meeting the accessibility expectations of those who need them. This is a critical business issue that requires more attention," said Jennifer Griffin Smith, Chief Market Officer at Acquia. "Digital accessibility is an essential pillar of digital experience design and management that should not be overlooked or shortchanged. Creating equal, accessible opportunities for all is a value all marketers and organizations should strive for." Brands Are Paying the Price for Digital Accessibility Deficiencies The Acquia survey found that not only are disability issues widespread, but so are the impacts:
Making Digital Accessibility A Priority Will Grow Confidence and Trust The survey participants' experiences clearly show that more work needs to be done to improve digital accessibility, and brands would be rewarded for taking decisive action. Indeed, 93% of consumers surveyed say that it is important that the brands they engage with prioritize digital accessibility. However, consumers want progress instead of platitudes and many respondents reported skepticism about companies' true intentions. In the past year:
Concluded Jennifer Griffin Smith: "Ultimately, we're talking about a large proportion of the population who would like to access, enjoy, and get value from digital experiences. As digital marketers, we should not be excluding anyone from engaging with or participating in our digital content. This is an enormous opportunity to grow your customer base, increase revenue and, above all else, improve customer satisfaction and brand loyalty." Methodology The online survey was fielded in April 2024 by Researchscape and collected responses from 1,265 adults across the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia who identified as having a disability. To view more details, please visit https://www.acquia.com/accessibility-report-2024. About Acquia Acquia empowers ambitious digital innovators to craft the most productive, frictionless digital experiences that make a difference to their customers, employees, and communities. We provide the world's leading open digital experience platform (DXP), built on open-source Drupal, as part of our commitment to shaping a digital future that is safe, accessible, and available to all. With Acquia Open DXP, you can unlock the potential of your customer data and content, accelerating time to market and increasing engagement, conversion, and revenue. Learn more at https://acquia.com. All logos, company, and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
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