Still, in the interest of investigating, I made the change for one of our clients and started sharing external links in the comment section instead. Then, I included a call-to-action in the post description to send folks to the comments to get the link. 

Was this a good idea? Maybe, maybe not.

Does a link in the comments really help with LinkedIn engagement?

I was skeptical that this change would be a positive one. To me, it felt like it would just be another barrier to getting folks to click a link they may only be mildly interested in anyway. Would this practice really increase engagement?

After two months of including links in the comments, rather than the post description, here’s what happened:

1. Our client’s engagement rate actually went up! 
   
2. Their link clicks remained stable and/or decreased slightly – no significant change was seen, though. 

There are other variables that could account for higher engagement, however. Engagement could have gone up due to an unusually popular post, for example. So, I gave it more time.

Another two months passed, and our client’s engagement rate continued to increase! …but link clicks continued to slowly fall. 

What does engagement on LinkedIn get you?

When you have a healthy engagement rate on any social platform – which can often be as low as 2-5%, depending on the size of your audience – this typically gains you visibility. When a post gets more engagement, the algorithm is more likely to show it to a wider audience. 

Don’t get too caught up in on-platform metrics, though: above all, being active on social media platforms should feed our goals!… which almost always means getting your audience to leave the social platform, by clicking on one of your links. 

In other words, if your link clickthrough rate is dropping, that means fewer people are clicking through to actually buy from you.

Where should we put our links on LinkedIn? It depends.

If you want to drive folks towards your website, your email list, your webinar, you might as well put that link in the main text of your post. If someone has to make an extra click to access your link, they’re simply less likely to do it.

Website best practices support that, too: one of the guiding principles in website strategy is to make the most sought-after items accessible with as few clicks as possible. This doesn’t mean dumping everything on the homepage… but it does mean removing unnecessary steps. So, when you’re on LinkedIn, you’ll want to remove that unnecessary step, too.

If you’re specifically looking to reach new people, however, you may want to keep links out of the main text of your post, and go for that higher engagement rate. If you have a well-rounded social media strategy, you’ll be doing a bit of both: some posts will be designed for audience growth, and others will be intended to get those clickthroughs.

In short: if you want someone to click on a thing, make it as easy as possible for them to do so.

Are you at your wit’s end with the “fun” quirks of social media?

The Social Shift is here to guide you through building an approach that fits your business and your capacity. Learn more and get started.

So that we’re all on the same page: let’s define email marketing. It is a powerful marketing tool that uses email to promote goods or services, while also developing relationships with customers. In other words: consider email marketing a form of “direct mail” using the internet.

Why would we want to use email as a marketing tool? Isn’t everyone on social media now? While it’s especially true that we’re spending more time using social messaging sites and apps these days, statistics show that the vast majority of us still rely on email communication. Over 90% of consumers check their email at least once a day, with Millennials and Gen Z accounting for 93% of email users. The majority of us check our email before we check in on our social media accounts.

Yes, email is important, but why make a bigger fuss about it now? Since 2020, we’ve seen a decline in organic website traffic across most industries, which is bad news for a lot of us. Email open and click rates, however, have increased, without a matching increase in sends. This tells us folks are turning to and relying on email communication for information and updates.

Let’s get more specific about the factors that make email marketing more effective than social media:

Email gives you direct access to your people

In the same way a friend welcomes you into their home, a customer invites you into their inbox when they opt into your mailing list. You don’t get in unless they grant you access. This means messages shared with them via email have a much greater chance of being seen than posts you share on social media, and being well-received.

People tend to trust email more than social media 

With the increase in untrustworthy and questionable accounts on social media platforms, the direct relationships you form through your email marketing become even more valuable.

Email provides a respite from social media

Social media can provide useful real-time updates, but fatigue is real, y’all. Folks need a break from the 24-hour news and information cycle, and they also want ways to stay connected on their own schedules. Plus, email inboxes are chronological, not influenced or controlled by an algorithm. This means your message has a much greater chance of being read.

Engagement is more likely to increase

With the dramatic increase in remote work situations (not to mention the less-awesome fact of folks working fewer hours or not at all), we’re all spending a lot more time online. This increases chances of your emails being read, received, and hopefully acted upon.

Email creates a more direct connection

There are a few key factors that lead someone to open an email. They’re looking for help, some kind of assistance for a concern they have. If they don’t need something in the immediate future, they open emails from you because they know, like, and trust you, and they consider you a valuable resource. Building further on the know/like/trust aspect: you hear and see your people; the experience they have with you feels personal.

Now here’s the thing: you know and I know that we’re using our email marketing to stay top-of-mind with current and potential customers. We got bills to pay! That said: your email list isn’t just a list of buyers – they’re a list of flesh-and-blood people. Take time to serve them and acknowledge their needs rather than constantly selling to them. Developing that relationship will lead to increased sales and loyalty in the long run.

Interested in seeing how email might fit in your marketing toolkit? Let’s chat about it!

When you’re a new service business, there’s the temptation to take on every client that pays. Even if you may not want to work with a client, you might say yes just to get revenue flowing. (We’ve all been there!)

But, if you’re an established business, there’s the fear of shifting who you serve. Maybe you’re bringing in a stable income with clients who were really exciting to work with back in the day… but now the work doesn’t quite light you up like it used to. Or, maybe your existing client base doesn’t align with your vision for the future.

Whatever the reason, that awkward twinge in your gut is your body telling you to think about client fit. Paying attention to client fit benefits your business, and starting now will bring you more peace and profit in the year to come.

Client fit builds an audience that’s absolutely right for you.

It feels scary to say no to bad-fit clients when you’re new. It’s even scarier to start building a new audience when you’re comfortable with the one you have. 

But, when you think about where your business could be a year or two from now, do you want your inbox to be full of inquiries from this type of client? If you don’t want that, but you keep saying yes to them anyway, you could end up growing an audience you never wanted in the first place.

You’ll save time by ensuring a clear and respectful relationship.

Even when a client needs what you have to offer, the client fit could fall short in other ways:

• Do they work in an industry that doesn’t fit you, or that you even find to be… boring?
• Does the client expect you to be available 24/7, or outside of business hours? 
• Are they asking for fast turnarounds or last-minute changes that you aren’t able to easily accommodate?
• Do they micromanage you when you’d rather be given creative freedom?
• Do they want to be totally hands-off when you prefer to build a more collaborative relationship?

When a client’s needs don’t align with your work style, you take on a bigger headache than you would for a client who fits you well… and you won’t even get paid more for your trouble! Sounds like a bum deal, doesn’t it?

Paying attention to client fit means that you’ll have a client who understands what you need from them and respects your boundaries. You get paid and get to work with someone delightful!

Client fit builds the potential for more ideal clients to come through with less effort from you.

If you’re building a referral-based business, it’s even more important to pay attention to client fit!  When your existing clients refer others to you, they’re most likely to refer you someone who’s just like them.

Think about it: if you just wrapped up working with the Client From Hell, would you want them to send you even more clients like them? Whether working with them was boring, frustrating, or just more than you bargained for, you know you don’t want to do it again.

On the flip side of that, if you just finished your work with an ideal client who was absolutely lovely to work with… do you want them to tell all of their like-minded friends and colleagues about you?

I think I can guess which option sounds better to you.

It doesn’t have to be hard to assess client fit, either.

Not sure whether you have the bandwidth to suss out whether a client fit is pitch-perfect? Even a brief conversation with the client can give you enough information to feel sure in your choice, or enough red flags that you know to pass them onto someone else. Spending that 15 minutes of time up-front could save you hours upon hours of time and frustration!

How can you shift your marketing or your consultation process to start making sure those dream clients come thru?

“But wait, I haven’t done email marketing–I don’t even have a list!” you might be saying.

It’s okay. A lead magnet is just what you need to grow your list, get a foothold in email marketing, and grow your business! 

If you’re not sure how to create a lead magnet, or even what one is, we’ve got you covered.

What is a lead magnet?

A lead magnet is a free item or service that you offer in exchange for a visitor’s contact information. 

You’ve likely seen a lead magnet before, in forms like these:

• 15% off your first order from an online shop
• A free trial of a software subscription or service
• A downloadable checklist or guide
• A webinar or other online learning

There are other ways to get creative with your lead magnet, but it can also be really simple, if that’s what feels right for your business.

Why do I need a lead magnet?

Simply put: a lead magnet is the extra incentive your audience needs to sign up for your list! 

The online space gets more crowded by the day, and “Sign up for our newsletter” just isn’t enough to motivate your audience to subscribe anymore. 

By offering your audience a bonus, you’ll motivate them to sign up. For service providers, you’re also giving yourself the opportunity to build trust, and remind them of what you offer, so each person who signs up is more likely to buy from you.

How do I create my own lead magnet?

Okay, so you’re all-in on creating a lead magnet for your business… but how do you get started? There are a few things to keep in mind, as you come up with an idea for yours:

Solve a (small) problem your ideal client has.

A lead magnet should provide some value to your audience, so they feel that they’ve gotten some benefit from signing up for your email list. Whether you offer a discount, a consultation, or a free guide, it should help your ideal client solve a problem they deal with.

Make it short, sweet, and easy to use.

When we say “small problem,” we mean that! You don’t want to give away all of your genius for free–you just want to offer a taste. Then, they’ll be more motivated to book you for deeper work.

Show yourself as the expert you are!

Your lead magnet isn’t just for getting subscribers–it’s there to help you build trust, too. You know so much about what you do for work, and your audience is signing up to get a sample of that. 

Share info and strategies in your lead magnet that show off your expertise, and your audience will remember you as an expert!

Deliver it instantly!

Your lead magnet should give folks that sweet dopamine hit of accomplishment, by delivering your offer right when they sign up! The more you delay on delivery, the less likely they are to engage with it and discover how great you are.

You can set up most email platforms to deliver an email right away when a new subscriber joins, so make sure to take advantage of that.

Feeling lost with creating your own lead magnet?

We offer Lead Magnet Coaching and Creation, to guide you through identifying the slice of genius you want to share and distilling it into an enticing offer that gets folks signing on, and gets delivered in a snap. Find out more about how we can help you attract more clients!

I get it, too–it’s a tool with a lot of potential, if you know what you’re doing! Some of those changes, however? Mmmmaybe aren’t so positive.

I won’t tell you how to live your life  But if you’re going to embrace AI, I do want you to know what you’re getting into.

First, answer this question:

• Will you be writing all of your copy yourself?
• OR, do you want to hand off copywriting entirely?

“I have to write my own copy.”

If you’re writing your own copy, using AI for marketing copy can actually be a helpful time-saver. Got a topic to write about, but find yourself staring at a blinking cursor and feeling stuck? Asking an AI such as ChatGPT to write about that topic can give you a starting point to work from. 

If you go this route, make sure that you: 

1. check the copy for accuracy, because there’s a lot of misinformation out there.
2. make edits to fit the type of marketing (social, email, blog, etc.).
3. revise the copy so it sounds more like you, and less like a robot.

So, if you’re a newer business that doesn’t have a marketing budget yet, it could actually be appropriate to tag that robot for some help. You’ll be putting your own time into your marketing copy anyway, so a time saving measure like this one is a HUGE win for folks like you.

What if I want to hand off my marketing copy?

If you’ve been reading about AI and thinking, “why don’t I just save some budget and use AI for marketing copy across the board? What’s the problem with that?”

I know, you don’t WANT to write your own copy. You’re busy, you don’t like writing, you’d rather be going on a hike or having some oh-so-precious quiet time.

But sorry, friends, here’s the harsh truth: AI is NOT a substitute for good marketing.

“But why not,” you ask? WELL, here are just a few things our robot overlords can’t do:

• AI doesn’t do unique strategy for your business–it just does exactly what you ask it to. A good copywriter or marketer will come up with strategy as part of their content creation.
• Copywriters and marketers check for accuracy. ChatGPT doesn’t have that kind of quality control built-in.
• An AI “learns” by looking at existing copy… which leads to it generating content that sounds just like everyone else in your industry. (womp wommmmp) Copywriters and marketers, on the other hand, know how to create content that stands out.

The long and the short of it is, if you’re big enough to have a marketing budget, you’ll get much more out of your investment by working with a human being. There’s no algorithm for creativity (well, not yet anyway), and it doesn’t pay to cut corners on quality.

What can I do instead?

If handing off all of your content to a copywriter or marketer feels cost-prohibitive right now, consider hiring an editor or a copy coach to support you! Having an expert eye on the content you create will help you learn to create better content faster, and you’ll see better results from your marketing.

Are you looking for support with your online marketing? Get in touch with us! We can help you rework it all–marketing copy included!–or connect you with a trusted copywriting expert.

Want the tips you need to attract more followers, and build a powerful online presence that truly reflects your business? We’ve got ‘em! Let’s get started!

Wait… what’s the difference between an Instagram name, username, and bio?

Great question! Here’s a quick anatomy lesson for your instagram profile.

Instagram user name: Your Instagram user name is your digital identity on the platform. It’s the name you pick when you sign up for an account and what people use to find and tag you in posts and stories. Your username also appears in your profile’s URL. Keep in mind that you only have 30 characters to work with, and no spaces or emojis are allowed. You can change this every few weeks, but if you change it too often, you might confuse your followers or break backlinks to your profile.

Instagram name: Your Instagram name is what appears at the top of your profile, just below your username. It can be your real name, business name, or nickname, and it’s separate from your username. Your name is an essential part of your brand identity on Instagram, and it’s one of the first things people will see when they visit your profile. You can have up to 30 characters, but Instagram may limit how often you can change it. The best part? Your name can contain emojis and special characters, so feel free to get creative!

Instagram bio: Your Instagram bio is like a mini-introduction to your brand or personality, so it’s super important to make it count! Keep it short and sweet – no more than 150 characters – and highlight who you serve, what you do, and any impressive accomplishments. Use emojis to add some personality and emphasize key brand elements or values. And don’t forget to include a call-to-action to your business links – let your followers know how they can take the next step with you!

…so how do I choose the best user name for me?

A few quick tips for choosing your instagram user name:

There are some basics to keep in mind when picking an Instagram user name: 

• keep it simple and memorable. 
• avoid using numbers or special characters that might confuse your audience
• stick to letters and short, catchy names that people can easily remember. 

It’s also a good idea to check if your username is available on other social media platforms, to maintain consistency across all profiles. 

Use keywords related to your niche or industry.

Using keywords in your Instagram user name is a great way to attract the right followers and grow your biz. Suppose you’re a master gardener, using keywords like “seed” or “plant” in your name can increase your visibility to people searching for those topics on social media platforms like Instagram.

But, don’t go overboard! Too many keywords can make your username too complicated. So, keep it short, sweet, and memorable.

Why keyword research is important before you choose your instagram user name

Before you jump into picking a name, let’s talk about why keyword research matters. By finding the right keywords and using them in your username, you’ll be more easily discovered by your ideal audience, leading to more followers and a stronger online presence. Plus, keeping up with popular hashtags and industry trends can give your profile that extra oomph. 

There are some great free tools out there, like Instagram’s search feature or Google Trends, but if you’re looking for more in-depth information, you could check out paid options like Ubersuggest and VidIQ. 

The key is to know your customers and their needs, and make sure your username reflects the solution you’re offering. So, let’s get searching and make your Instagram profile shine!

How to find the right keywords to target

Think of keywords as the secret code people use to find what they’re looking for online. By doing some keyword research and choosing the best ones for your business, you can make it easier for potential customers to find you. 

But here’s the catch: you need to be strategic. Don’t go for those broad and competitive keywords that everyone else is using. Instead, focus on specific keywords that have low competition and high search volume. That way, you’ll stand out from the crowd and attract the right people to your business. 

How to use use keywords in your Instagram user name

Ready to optimize your Instagram username and attract your ideal audience? One simple tip is to use relevant keywords in your username. Try incorporating one or two high-traffic keywords that represent your brand and keep it catchy and easy to remember. For example, if you’re a fitness coach for young women, a username like “FitGirlCoach” or “HealthyHabitsHQ” could be effective. 

In conclusion…

I hope this article has left you feeling inspired and ready to take on the world of social media and SEO! Remember, using keywords strategically can truly make all the difference in getting your business noticed by potential customers.

But, if you’re ready to widen your audience on social media, but you’re feeling overwhelmed at the possibilities, don’t hesitate to reach out to Upswept Creative! We’re here to help and would be thrilled to work with you.

Or, if you’re not quite ready to make the jump to done-for-you management, you can get our bite-sized tips in your inbox every Tuesday with our weekly series, Social Media Snack Break.

Keep shining bright, and go get ’em!

You can follow us on Instagram @upsweptcreative for all of our thoughts about social media for modern entrepreneurs

As tempting as it is to take it off your to-do list, it is worth it to keep your email marketing efforts consistent year-round! There are a few reasons you might not have considered, too.

Email marketing helps improve sales.

You’ve probably experienced this as a consumer: a major holiday comes up, and suddenly you’re bombarded with promo emails from every list you’ve joined, and every website you’ve ever purchased from. And then, they disappear for 6 months or a year.

It can get irritating, and also feels, well, kind of gross, right? It’s like that business only thinks about you when they want something from you.

Right now, you probably send out an email blast when it’s a typically busy day or season for you. Still, you’ll often see even more benefit with consistent email marketing.

Every email you send throughout the year is an opportunity to upsell to your current clients. It also keeps you top-of-mind, so when a potential client does need you, you’re the first person they call.

Email marketing can teach your audience.

When I say “teach,” I’m not just talking about giving away free advice. 

Email isn’t constricted by character counts or image requirements, which makes it a great way to educate your audience about what you do.

By using email marketing year-round, you can answer common questions, and talk in more depth about what makes you different from your competitors. People will be able to read your emails and know if you’re the right person to help them before they even reach out to you.

Best of all, email can give your readers a clear sense of who your audience actually is. If they learn that they’re not for you, they can simply unsubscribe–leaving you with a curated list of folks who ARE right for you.

Your email list is all yours!

A lot of your small business pals are probably buzzing about social media, whether they love it or hate it. The thing none of them talk about often enough, however, is that the social media platform controls everything you do on it. Your posts, your connections, the loyal fan base that you worked so hard to build–even whether you have access to keep using it.

With billionaires buying social platforms, banning users for flimsy reasons, and generally behaving badly, you may not even want to stay on a given social platform. They’re not exactly the most uplifting spaces on the internet, after all.

The good news? With your email marketing, you’re in control! No matter what platform you use, you’ve built your list, you’ve created your content, and you decide what gets sent. Research still shows that it’s the best way to reach your audience, and no mysterious social algorithm is going to get between you and your audience, either. 

In short, it’s worth it to keep up with your email marketing all year. It’s going to be the most consistent, and consistently rewarding tool you can use for your business.

Are you excited to level up your email marketing, but don’t know how to get started? You can book an email marketing consultation now, and we can point you in the right direction. 

Every new platform promises that this is the only way you’ll connect with potential customers. This is the only way you’ll build an audience. This is the only way you’ll grow your business.

But is it really? 

Short answer—absolutely not.

While social media is a great way to gain brand awareness and connect with your ideal audience, it’s not always the most effective option for your marketing.

If social media just isn’t working how you hoped it would, Email marketing could be the answer. 

There are around 330 billion emails sent and received every day. 

Over half of the world’s population uses email.

According to marketing studies, 79% of marketers rank email as one of their top three marketing tools. Email is cost-effective no matter how big or small your business is. You can reach hundreds of people with one email, making the return on investment one of the highest across marketing strategies—around $36 for every $1 spent. 

How can email marketing help small businesses?

Lead Generation With an Opt-In

Gaining new leads is a never-ending process for a small business. 

Sure, you can throw all of your marketing efforts at the wall and see what sticks. Or you can target your efforts and only bring in leads that are already interested in your services.

Offering a lead magnet– a relevant freebie that your ideal audience wants or needs– in exchange for their email address pulls in potential customers that are already familiar with the problem you’re solving. 

It’s quality over quantity. Why waste your time pulling in as many people as possible when only a small percentage of them could become clients? It’s better to target your lead generation to those that are in your ideal audience to begin with.

Okay, so you have all of these email addresses. Now what?

Building a Strong Audience Through Email

Thanks to your opt-in, you have a list of people who you know are already interested in your services. 

Now is the time to build relationships with those people. 

Reaching out through email to welcome them into your community is the first step. A short email sequence that welcomes them in, tells them about you, and lets them know what to expect builds trust and credibility. 

Email is the perfect medium for building a direct rapport with your prospects: 

• It’s more personal than social media, and you won’t get buried by a sea of posts or back-burnered by “The Algorithm.” 
• It’s something that almost everyone uses. 
• It’s mobile-friendly.
• The metrics are easy to track, and content is easy to adjust.
• You aren’t limited to a certain number of characters, and you don’t have to find an image to go with every piece of content you write.
• You can reach large numbers of people.

Increasing Brand Awareness with Email Marketing

Once you have a strong relationship with your email list, it’s time to start encouraging people to look at how your services can help them. 

Use an email sequence to let your audience know about your services in a more personal, detailed way. Let them know about new products, sales, features, and success stories. You’re raising brand awareness and promoting your services without paid ads. You’re also driving more traffic to your website as your audience looks for more information. 

An email marketing campaign builds excitement and interest in your services by doling out information a little at a time. You always want to leave them wanting more!

Email Marketing For Customer Engagement

Email marketing is a great way to engage with your audience directly. 

Invite them to reply to your emails with feedback, questions, or just to say hi! Letting them know you’re a real person behind the words establishes credibility and trust. 

You’re also able to gather information about your audience and give them more relevant information. By segmenting your email list, you can direct content specifically for certain followers rather than giving your entire list information relevant to only a few of them.

Your followers will appreciate your content as less of a sales pitch and more of a conversation. 

Your sequence should lead them through a journey. You understand their problem, you know how they feel, and you have the solution for them.

Email marketing isn’t going anywhere. Just the opposite, in fact. It’s more reliable than social media–and less work, too.

If you’re not using email in your marketing plan, now is the time to start. If you’re not sure how, reach out and let us help. Email marketing is a service we’lll be offering in the near future so get on our radar now and let us know you’re interested!

So what’s the catch? Even if it makes you feel warm and fuzzy, not every testimonial is gold for online marketing. 

Not every testimonial is helping your website sell for you, either. In fact, the way you use testimonials on your website could actually be hurting you.

There are a few things to watch out for when you’re choosing your next website testimonial.

Testimonials that are too vague

We know that a good testimonial can build a potential client’s trust in your business. 72% of folks say testimonials help them trust a business, in fact. Even so, some testimonials don’t do the best job of that.

Consider this: have you ever asked a friend about a service you’re looking for, and they give you a recommendation. They’re glowing with praise, saying, “they’re so great! Totally the best in town!” When you get that service for yourself, however, you find that it’s… well, not so great?

That’s because what makes them great for your friend doesn’t necessarily make them great for you.

Testimonials on your website are like that, too. All the “greats,” and “bests,” prove that someone loved your work, but they don’t tell your audience why that is.

When you’re choosing which testimonial deserves to be on your website, look for that why. Testimonials from clients who talk about the problem you solved, the positive changes they felt, or the parts of your approach they loved are way more convincing than a bunch of vague superlatives taking up space.

Testimonials that take up too much space

Speaking of taking up space, one of the biggest ways that testimonials can cost you sales is by taking up too much space–especially on your homepage.

I’ve seen testimonials that are practically a novella pasted onto a business homepage, and let me be real with you: nobody is going to read that testimonial. They may skip over it entirely.

And when they skip over it, they may also skip over something important–like that button to book a session with you. Or they could leave your website entirely.

So, keep it brief. Choose the one or two sentences from that endless string of praises that actually communicate what’s so special about your work. Give folks just enough to keep them interested, without distracting from the most important elements of your website.

Testimonials on your website that are hidden away

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I stand by it:

Testimonials pages on your website are a waste of time.

Sure, having a testimonials page is better than having no testimonials on your website at all, but you’re missing out on a lot of the benefits of a really juicy testimonial.

Having testimonials on their own separate page just hides them away from your audience, hoping that they’ll just happen to click on the right link to see them.

Wouldn’t it be much more powerful to share the details of one of your services on your website, and then have that perfect testimonial right there alongside it, telling your audience exactly why they should book you right now?

Yes, yes it would. 

If you have that social proof, don’t hide it away. Try pairing it with your other web content for that extra punch.

Want some help figuring out what should go on your homepage instead of that college-essay-length testimonial? You can try a Website One-on-One to get some of my quick insights, or book a Website Design consultation and my team and I will hook you up with a full project that guide you through it.

Still, with this July being the 32nd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, now is a good time to think about website accessibility, too. Some accessibility issues can get pretty technical, but there are some simpler ways to improve website accessibility that will help other folks in your audience, too.

Headings can improve your website accessibility.

Using headings throughout your website is just good practice, especially if you have a longer piece of content. Larger and more visually interesting headings help break up content visually for everyone, whether they have a disability or not. 

If you’re using a website builder, making the text “look nice” isn’t enough for website accessibility. If you see text options in your builder such as Heading 1, Heading 2, etc., you want to use them! Those Heading options correspond to their own special tags in the website code, so assistive technologies can recognize them as headings, making it much easier for folks to move through your website.

An added bonus of using headings properly: they can also help your search engine rankings! Using key search terms in heading tags is great for SEO.

Use descriptive link text.

“Click here” is a frequently used phrase for links on websites, and I’m here to tell you: that is precisely what NOT to do for website accessibility. 

People who rely on screen readers to navigate your website won’t know what the purpose of the link is or where it will take them, if you just use “click here” for your link text.

Instead, be descriptive with the link text you choose. For example, you can let folks know that they’re about to learn more about web design services. For buttons, you can keep it shorter but still give a clue about what will happen when they click, like saying Book a Consultation on a button that leads to your bookings calendar.

Check your color contrast.

Colors aren’t just for making your website look engaging and pretty–they also help your audience easily distinguish different pieces of content! However, when folks in your audience have color blindness, or even just have trouble reading dark text on a darker background, you can lose their attention pretty quickly.

This is why it’s important to choose colors carefully. If you’re working with a good web designer, then they’re hopefully checking for color contrast already! If you aren’t, there are some tools that can help, such as this color contrast checker, or even a Chrome add-on that lets you see like someone who’s color blind.

Use Alt tags on your images.

Something we’ve definitely noticed in web design trends is a reliance on photos and graphics. And hey, I get it. They’re eye-catching and inviting when done right! 

Unfortunately, screen readers can’t interpret photos and graphics used on your website. (sad trombone) That’s where Alt Text comes in! In short, alt-text describes the photo that a screen reader sees when it’s on your website. That way, folks with vision impairments can at least understand what’s in the image, even if they can’t see it.

And, just as with headings, using Alt tags on your images can also boost your SEO, so it’s definitely worth doing. Just look for an area in your website builder (such as WordPress) for a place to type in the short description of your photo.

This post isn’t an exhaustive list of ways to improve website accessibility, but I hope I’ve given you a few ways to help make sure your website is inviting in all of the people who are looking for you. To learn more about website accessibility, take a peek at ADA Site Compliance’s 20 Ways To Improve Web Accessibility. If you’re looking for help from a website pro, give us a shout.