Your users are diverse and so is the way they choose to consume media – video being one of the main ones. Video melds both sight and sound, but many users, especially those with disabilities, can have a difficult time understanding the content the video presents if options to assist them, such as transcripts or live to caption, are unavailable. All videos should be created to ensure that every user, disabled or not, can obtain and comprehend the information it provides.
Before we cover how to create an accessible video, let’s look at three benefits of how incorporating accessible video is good for your business.
Reaches a Larger Target Audience
In today’s digital world, users are prone to sharing the content they consume with different social media platforms, friends, and colleagues. A video is more likely to be shared when its content is understandable and relatable, engaging, and if the user believes that others will find it useful as well. This natural passing on of content allows the video to organically reach a user who can truly benefit from your services or product if the messaging relates to them.
Improves Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Google tends to favor your content when you incorporate video into your website or mobile application – especially when the video is accessible to all users and easily findable. Websites that incorporate web accessibility often rank higher than their competition on not just Google, but YouTube as well. Users are twice as likely to make a purchase when they come across a product video online that shows and explains the product, which also helps you build a stronger connection with your buyers because they were easily able to find and relate to the video content.
Increases Conversions
Not only does video have the power to be relatable, but it can be persuasive and it simple to implement on all your web and mobile platforms when you want to catch the eye of a user. When you add a video to your homepage or separate landing page, you actually increase your conversion rate by 80% and more. Seventy-four percent of users who watched an explainer video on a website or mobile app about a product ended up buying that product.
How Do We Make Videos Accessible?
This is the golden question. To make video accessible to those with disabilities, it’s important to follow and incorporate the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) by the W3 into your design and development processes. There isn’t just one thing you can do to make your videos accessible, but several that are important to integrate into your content.
In my next few blogs, I’ll share some key features to incorporate into your videos to make them accessible to all your users. In my next post, we’ll cover which controls to include and how to include them appropriately. For more information on creating the accessible design, download our guide, Digitally Accessible Experiences: Why It Matters and How to Create Them, and contact our experience design experts for more information.
