Many people find websites difficult to navigate - but who's to blame?

Website accessibility is a key component that most are missing

Although easier said than done, accessibility, usability, and inclusion should always be key aspects in creating a website that works for everyone.

However, according to a new report from Heap, nearly half (43%) of consumers feel the majority of websites are not designed around the end-user's needs.

The digital insights platform sifted through anonymized data from hundreds of customers to see what kinds of insights they are not getting, and it turns out that quite a lot has been slipping through the net.

Website disconnect 

With the report pointing out that 98.5% of website owners have a tool that gives them data on how users interact with their product or website, but of that, only 24% say they have full insight into the user journey on their site, it conjures up the question - who is to blame?

With only 16% of digital experience owners knowing why most customers drop off their website, despite over 98% disclosing they have the tools, it appears that the fault lies somewhere in between the website builder service provider and the organizations using it.

TechRadar Pro reached out to Heap for further insight on the report findings, to which the digital insights platform is yet to respond.

There is a significant overlap between accessibility and usability, and with 89% of consumers mentioning that ease of use is a critical factor when choosing between two websites, it is one explanation for the website drop off rates website owners are experiencing.

According to W3C's web accessibility initiative, many websites and tools are developed with accessibility barriers that make them difficult or impossible for some people to use.

Not getting on top of it could cost businesses billions, as analysis from web hosting providers LCN found in its recent report.

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