WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg has sent the WP community into a frenzy with his latest antics. So what happened?
In a surprise to just about everyone, Matt publicly targeted WPEngine, the largest hosting company in the WordPress ecosystem, by claiming [1] they are not contributing back to WordPress in a satisfactory manner and [2] demanding a $32-million ransom payment for alleged misuse of various WordPress trademarks
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A well-designed contact page is an essential part for any business website. It serves as a gateway for potential customers to reach out and connect.
One crucial element of a contact page is the phone number display.
A clear and easily accessible phone number can significantly impact user experience and conversion rates.
Now, suppose you’re scrolling through a website, and you’re ready to take the next step. You want to talk to someone, right? But if that phone number is hidden behind a maze of text or tiny buttons, you’re gonna bounce.
So, let’s discuss the best practices for displaying phone numbers on your WordPress site. We’re talking about making it easy for people to pick up the phone and connect with you.
Key Takeaways
Intuitive Design: Keep it clean, minimal, and easy on the eyes. People appreciate simplicity and efficiency.
Multi-Channel Accessibility: Offer a variety of contact options, including phone, email, and social media links, to cater to different preferences.
Clear Expectations: Define the purpose of the contact page and what visitors can expect in terms of response times. A clear call-to-action can encourage engagement.
Mobile-First Approach: Optimize your contact page for mobile devices, as people spend a significant amount of time on their smartphones.
Personality and Engagement(Optional): Add a touch of personality and humor to your contact page to make it more memorable and engaging.
Personal Connection
I recently tried to find phone number to contact a company online and was met with a frustratingly complex contact form. It demanded unnecessary information and made the simple act of reaching out feel like a chore. As a result, I gave up. A simple, user-friendly contact form can make a huge difference.
Key Elements of an Effective Contact Page
Your contact page isn’t just a way to your business; it’s a demo of your customer service. More than simply providing contact information, it’s an opportunity to create a welcoming and efficient experience.
With that in mind, let’s explore the essential elements that can make your contact page stand out.
Clear and Concise Layout
The layout of your contact page should be straightforward. Cluttered designs can confuse people and may even discourage them from reaching out.
Here’s how to ensure a clear layout:
Use Ample White Space: Use ample white space to give elements room to breathe and prevent the page from feeling overwhelming.
Structured Sections: Clearly defined sections for various types of inquiries (e.g., customer support, sales, feedback) can make navigation easier.
A great example is Podia’s contact page. They introduce their support team right at the top, creating a friendly and approachable atmosphere. This not only shows their brand personality but also makes it easy for visitors to find the help they need.
Easy Navigation
A well-designed contact page should make it easy for visitors to find the information they need.
Place contact options prominently above the fold, such as buttons for live chat, email, or phone.
Include a link to your contact page in the main navigation bar for easy access from any page.
JetBlue is an excellent example of a contact page done right, with a clean layout, categorized options, and clear instructions for getting help.
Prominent Call-to-Action (CTA)
A clear and compelling call-to-action (CTA) is essential for encouraging visitors to contact you.
Make your CTA stand out with contrasting colors or larger font sizes.
Offer a variety of CTAs to cater to different preferences, such as “Call Now,” “Chat with Us,” or “Send Us a Message.”
T-Mobile does a great job of using clear CTAs to guide visitors to the right resources. A well-designed contact page not only provides a functional tool but also helps build trust and foster a positive connection with your brand.
Best Practices for Displaying Phone Numbers
When displaying phone numbers on your website, try these best practices to improve user experience and accessibility:
1. Clear and Consistent Formatting:
Use a consistent format: Choose a format that is commonly used in your target region (e.g., (123) 456-7890, 123-456-7890).
Include area code: Even if it’s a local number, including the area code can help prevent misunderstandings.
Use hyphens or spaces: These can improve readability and reduce errors.
2. Prominent Placement:
Place phone numbers prominently: Make sure they are easy to find on the page. Consider placing them in the header, footer, or a dedicated contact section.
Use relevant icons: Consider using phone icons or other visual cues to indicate that a phone number is available.
Use a contrasting color: Make the phone number stand out from the rest of the text.
3. Mobile-Friendly Design:
Optimize for mobile: Ensure that phone numbers are easy to read and tap on smaller screens.
Avoid excessive clicking: Make sure users can reach the phone number without having to navigate through multiple pages.
4. Accessibility Considerations:
Link phone numbers: Make phone numbers clickable to allow users to open their phone’s dialer app with a single click.
Provide a copyable format: Allow users to copy and paste the phone number for easy use in other applications.
Consider accessibility features: Ensure that phone numbers are easily readable by screen readers and other assistive technologies.
5. Multiple Contact Options:
Offer multiple contact methods: In addition to a phone number, consider providing other options like email, a contact form, or live chat.
Using Plugins to Enhance Phone Number Display
Now that you’re familiar with the best practices for displaying phone numbers on your website, let’s talk about some fantastic WordPress plugins that can help you elevate your contact information to the next level. These tools not only make phone numbers more accessible but also improve the overall user experience when reaching out to your business.
Recommended WordPress Plugins:
1. Jotform WordPress Forms:
Why it’s great: A great free way to create feedback forms and collect data from your customers.
How it helps: Create payment forms or surveys to engage with your users.
2. Elementor:
Why it’s great: A powerful page builder.
How it helps: Create custom phone number displays using its drag-and-drop interface. You can style the numbers, add icons, and integrate them with your website’s design.
3. WP Telephone Number:
Why it’s great: A dedicated plugin for displaying phone numbers.
How it helps: Offers various display options, including clickable links, pop-up modals, and integration with Google Maps.
4. JetElements:
Why it’s great: An addon for Elementor.
How it helps: Provides additional phone number widgets and customization options, such as different formats and styles.
These plugins can help you present your phone numbers in a clear, attractive, and user-friendly way, making it easier for visitors to contact your business.
Conclusion
Let’s be real, your contact page is like your business’s front desk.
If it’s a total flop, people are gonna bounce away. But if it’s eye-catching, they’ll be hitting that contact button. So, give your contact page a glow up. ?
We’re a generation that’s all about convenience. We want things fast, easy, and aesthetically pleasing. A contact page that’s a total eye-sore or hard to navigate is a major turn-off.
But a page that’s simple, modern, and user-friendly? That’s what we’re talking about! So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and design your contact page. Trust me, your audience will appreciate it.
Studies report that 98% of all website traffic comes from anonymous visitors. Sure, you can use tools like cookies, but their usefulness is limited and on borrowed time.
Thanks to remote work and smart devices, identifying who is visiting your company website is only becoming more confusing. The same user visits your site from different devices, locations, and web browsers.
Every anonymous visitor represents a lost opportunity. Read this article to learn how to track and identify anonymous website visitors.
Who Are Anonymous Website Visitors?
Anonymous website visitors are the unidentified users of your site. They arrive from various marketing channels, including organic search and social media campaigns. Visitors then exit your site without providing any identifying information.
Typically, all website visitors are anonymous, except those who log into or sign up for a user account. In most cases, these will be the only unique visitors that you can easily track. However, there are other ways to track unique visitors, such as browser cookies and tracking pixels.
Why Are Anonymous Visitors Significant?
Internet users are on the rise, having reached 5.4 billion users in 2023. Every anonymous visitor is a lost opportunity. Hundreds or thousands of anonymous visitors interact with your website daily.
Image sourced from statista.com
Can you afford to miss out on hundreds or thousands of potential customers? Even at conversion rates of 1-3%, that still represents significant revenue.
What Are the Benefits of Tracking Anonymous Visitors?
Website visitor identification is rewarding for those who put in the time and effort. We list some of its benefits below.
Better Audience Segmentation
Odds are that nearly all of your current website traffic is anonymous. Tracking anonymous user data helps paint a more vivid picture of your audience. The more information you collect, the better you can segment marketing.
Identify High-Value Prospects
Some users visit your home page, scroll down, and exit your site. Others may add a product to their shopping cart and abandon the purchase at the last second. Prospects who are ready to buy are more valuable than those who are only browsing.
You can send high-value prospects straight to the bottom of the funnel. For example, you can reach out with closing offers and marketing content that addresses the most common objections.
Personalize the User Experience
Customers don’t just want personalized experiences, they expect them. A McKinsey report found that 76% of consumers get frustrated when they don’t find personalization. Two-thirds of respondents want relevant product recommendations and tailored messaging.
Image sourced from mckinsey.com
Create Relevant Content
Identifying who visits your website lets you focus on your marketing strategy. For instance, let’s say you discover much more healthcare than financial organizations are visiting your website. You then feature more case studies and white papers that cater to a healthcare audience.
What Are Challenges to Website User Tracking?
Tracking anonymous users has its benefits. However, there are plenty of obstacles you must overcome to implement anonymous visitor tracking
Inaccurate or Low-Quality Data
A study from Segment found that 43% of businesses found getting accurate, real-time customer data to be the biggest challenge to personalization. Not all data is created equal.
Tracking cookies may not be able to store data long enough for slower sales cycles.
Image sourced from gopages.segment.com
Third-party enrichment data may not be up to date. With some services for B2B, you may get the company name but not any other information such as contact emails for decision-makers at the company.
You want the most accurate data for tailored experiences with higher conversion rates.
Selecting the Right Tools and Techniques
There isn’t one way to monitor and identify anonymous users. You have a range of methods and solutions to choose from when deciding how best to track website visitors. Swimming in a sea of options leads you to drown from information overload and indecision.
Start by creating a plan and defining the objectives of your website visitor tracking strategy. Then, research and prioritize what capabilities and user information are vital for your business.
Data Protection and Privacy
When tracking user data, you must stay compliant with legal requirements. Laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) stipulate how data can be collected, stored, and used.
Under regulations like the EU’s Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you need user consent to use basic tracking tools like browser cookies.
How to Identify Anonymous Website Visitors?
Alright, so now you’re convinced that tracking unique visitors is worth the payoff. How do you identify anonymous users?
Customer Accounts and Form Fills
We’ll start with the obvious, customer account creation. Use landing pages and banners to entice users to sign up. Make sure you sell the benefits, such as a one-time discount code or customer loyalty program.
You can track website activity as long as visitors are logged into their accounts. Use that information to personalize their experience. Integrate with your CRM or website personalization platforms to curate the user experience.
You can even cut right to the chase and ask anonymous users questions with website form builders such as Jotform. Offer value to users with promo codes, whitepapers, or ebooks in exchange for filling out a form.
Use CTA buttons, sidebars, and popup ads to engage visitors with forms. Form fills streamline the process of identifying visitors and give your team some data about who they are or what company they represent.
Image sourced from ruleranalytics.com
Unfortunately, the average form fill rate across all industries is only 1.7% (meaning you’d miss out on more than 98% of anonymous website visitors). Online form conversion rates vary from 0.6% to 2.8% across 14 industries.
Cookies
Tracking cookies is a proven method for user tracking. Visitors arrive at your site, and their browser downloads a simple file. Your web servers recognize the cookie file and use it to identify and monitor the visitor each time they come to your site.
There are two main types of cookies:
Session cookies: they track a single session and remember anonymous visitors when they return.
Persistent cookies: these stay in the browser cache and remember preferences and user behavior.
Cookies add a layer of personalization and prevent and enable you to identify return visitors. However, cookies are vulnerable to cyberattacks, leaking user information. Also, many regulations require user consent to download and install browser cookies.
There is also the issue of cookie deprecation. Many platforms such as Google Chrome are phasing out third-party cookies soon.
Tracking Pixel
Tracking pixels is an alternative to the browser cookie. The most well-known is the Facebook Pixel. How it works is that the pixel contains a small code. You can place this pixel on your website, ads, and emails. They are commonly used in B2B display advertising software for marketing attribution.
The tracking pixel identifies information and tracks user behavior such as page views and clicks. It’s a simple but effective way to monitor users and speed up your pipeline velocity.
For example, a user clicks on a demo but leaves the landing page. Your sales team is notified of this prospect’s interest. They can now either reach out to the potential customer or tailor a demo CTA specifically for the user when they return.
IP Address
Every device connected to the internet has a unique IP address. So why not use this information to catalog and identify every unique visitor?
An IP address alone will not tell you much about the person or company visiting your website. Tracking tools can identify other user characteristics, such as geographical location.
Some IP lookup solutions cater to B2B, cross-referencing data against an IP address database. They tell you what company is visiting your site. You can then look them up to learn more about their needs and challenges.
Browser Fingerprinting
Browser fingerprinting provides a cookieless method to identify and track anonymous users. A fingerprinting tool gathers information and signals from a website visitor. Browser fingerprinting pieces unique information together to identify anonymous website visitors.
User data collected may include:
Operating system
Browser type and version
Screen resolution and aspect ratio
User-agent string
Timezone
Installed plugins
CPU
GPU
IP address and network type
Since digital fingerprinting doesn’t require cookies, it doesn’t necessarily need user consent. However, for ethical reasons, it’s best to let every website user know what data is being recorded and how it’s used.
Third-party enrichment
Third-party enrichment tools further identify anonymous users and provide more detailed information. Some services append tracking solutions like cookies and IP trackers by recording user behavioral and technical data. These services can be integrated with other marketing and website tools.
Others come as visitor identification platforms that gather unique visitor information and cross-reference connected databases.
Third-party enrichment is especially useful in B2B. Besides identifying the company, you also get relevant information such as budget, market position, infrastructure, and what individuals to contact. Third-party enrichment solutions empower your team to tailor marketing campaigns and better nurture interested buyers.
Website Analytics Tools
You’re probably already using website analytics tools to monitor website performance. Services such as Google Analytics use tracking pixels to record user behavior. You can monitor traffic sources and metrics such as dwell time, bounce rate, and conversions.
Tools like Hotjar let you record user actions during a session and create activity heat maps.
On their own, website analytics can provide data such as location or operation systems.
However, you can integrate data to enrich website visitor identification tools.
Identify Anonymous Website Users and Grow Your Business
Anonymous web browsers aren’t going anywhere. More users work remotely and from multiple devices, making traditional tracking methods less fruitful.
It takes more than having faith for your website visitors to convert to user accounts. The vast majority of anonymous visitors won’t create an account or fill out forms before exiting your ecommerce store.
Start identifying anonymous visitors today. You’ll learn more about your prospects and be able to give them the content and experiences they desire.
In today’s fast-paced healthcare environment, technology has played a critical role in transforming how patients interact with healthcare providers. One of the most groundbreaking advancements has been the rise of wearable devices. These tools have revolutionized the way patients monitor their health in real-time, offering a wealth of benefits for individuals and healthcare systems alike. With the ability to track vital signs, activity levels, and other important health metrics, wearable devices are empowering patients to take a more proactive approach to their own healthcare management.
While the benefits of wearable devices span across multiple medical fields, their integration with Ambulatory EMR systems, Oncology EHR platforms, and their role in reputation management for doctors are particularly noteworthy. This article will explore how wearable technology is shaping patient care, enhancing doctor-patient relationships, and boosting healthcare outcomes.
The Rise of Wearable Technology in Healthcare
Wearable devices, such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, and biosensors, have become integral to how individuals monitor their health. These devices collect real-time data on heart rate, physical activity, sleep patterns, and even blood oxygen levels, making them a valuable tool for both patients and doctors.
The health data collected by these devices are typically synced with smartphone apps or healthcare systems, allowing patients to have immediate access to their health information. This kind of accessibility has proven especially useful for patients with chronic conditions, as it helps them track their health on a daily basis. Whether it’s managing diabetes, monitoring blood pressure, or keeping tabs on physical activity, wearable devices enable patients to stay informed and engaged with their health.
Moreover, the integration of wearables with Ambulatory EMR systems means that doctors have easier access to a patient’s continuous health data. This seamless flow of information provides healthcare providers with the tools they need to make more informed, data-driven decisions. For patients undergoing treatment for serious conditions, such as cancer, the ability to share real-time health metrics with their oncologists using Oncology EHR systems ensures that treatments can be fine-tuned and personalized, improving overall patient outcomes.
Wearable Devices and Chronic Disease Management
One of the most significant advantages of wearable technology lies in its potential for chronic disease management. Patients with heart disease, diabetes, or hypertension can benefit tremendously from continuous health monitoring. For instance, individuals suffering from heart disease can use wearables that monitor their heart rate and detect irregularities, allowing them to seek medical assistance before a problem escalates. Diabetic patients, on the other hand, can rely on glucose-monitoring wearables that track their blood sugar levels in real time, eliminating the need for frequent finger pricks.
By integrating the data from wearable devices into Ambulatory EMR systems, healthcare providers are better equipped to monitor patients remotely, reducing the need for frequent office visits. This continuous stream of real-time data allows doctors to catch early warning signs of a potential issue and intervene promptly. For patients, it offers peace of mind, knowing that their health is being monitored even when they aren’t physically present in the clinic.
The ability to share this data with healthcare providers, especially when connected to Oncology EHR systems, is critical for patients undergoing cancer treatment. For example, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy can experience a range of side effects, such as fatigue, irregular heartbeats, and sleep disturbances. Wearable devices can capture these metrics in real-time and provide oncologists with a clearer picture of how patients are responding to treatment. This helps doctors make adjustments to the treatment plan as necessary and ensures that patients are receiving the most effective care possible.
Integration with Ambulatory EMR and Oncology EHR Systems
The integration of wearable devices with Ambulatory EHR and Oncology EHR systems marks a significant step forward in modern healthcare. Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems, specifically designed for ambulatory care, help doctors manage patient records, prescribe medication, and track treatment plans. When combined with the continuous data provided by wearable devices, Ambulatory EMR systems can offer a more comprehensive view of a patient’s health over time.
For example, a patient with hypertension might wear a device that tracks their blood pressure continuously throughout the day. This data is then synced with their Ambulatory EMR, allowing their physician to analyze the trends and adjust treatment as needed. This creates a more dynamic, real-time approach to managing chronic conditions, as opposed to relying solely on in-office blood pressure readings.
Similarly, Oncology EHR systems are designed to help oncologists manage the complex nature of cancer treatment. By integrating data from wearables, oncologists can better understand how their patients are responding to treatments, monitor vital signs, and track activity levels—all of which are critical in managing a disease as multifaceted as cancer. Wearable devices, in combination with Oncology EHR platforms, allow for more personalized and precise treatment plans, increasing the likelihood of successful outcomes.
Enhancing Patient Engagement and Compliance
One of the most profound impacts of wearable devices is their ability to increase patient engagement and compliance with treatment plans. By providing individuals with real-time feedback on their health metrics, wearables encourage patients to take ownership of their health and make positive lifestyle changes. Patients who actively engage with their health data are more likely to adhere to prescribed treatments, medications, and lifestyle modifications.
For instance, a patient recovering from heart surgery might use a wearable device to track their daily step count, heart rate, and sleep patterns. Seeing this data can serve as a motivational tool, encouraging them to walk more, rest adequately, and keep an eye on their heart health. By syncing this data with Ambulatory EMR systems, physicians can monitor the patient’s recovery remotely and provide tailored advice based on the metrics collected.
Wearable devices also offer reminders for patients to take their medication or perform certain activities, helping to improve overall compliance. This is particularly useful for patients managing multiple conditions or those on complex medication regimens. The ability to share this data with healthcare providers ensures that doctors have a clearer understanding of the patient’s adherence to treatment plans.
Impact on Reputation Management for Doctors
As wearable devices continue to reshape patient care, they are also playing a role in reputation management for doctors. In the digital age, reputation is more important than ever, and the ability to provide personalized, high-quality care can significantly impact how a healthcare provider is perceived by their patients.
Patients who feel empowered and informed by the use of wearable technology are more likely to have positive experiences with their healthcare providers. They appreciate the fact that their doctors can monitor their health in real-time and make adjustments to their treatment plans without requiring an in-office visit. This level of personalized care not only improves patient outcomes but also leads to higher patient satisfaction, which can directly influence a doctor’s reputation.
In the age of online reviews and social media, patients who have positive experiences with wearable technology are likely to share their experiences, contributing to better reputation management for doctors. On the flip side, healthcare providers who are slow to adopt these technologies may face criticism for not staying up-to-date with modern healthcare trends, potentially impacting their reputation.
By incorporating wearables into their practice and using data from Ambulatory EMR and Oncology EHR systems to enhance patient care, healthcare providers can build a reputation for being innovative, responsive, and patient-centric. This, in turn, can attract more patients and strengthen the doctor-patient relationship.
Future Prospects: AI and Wearable Devices
As wearable devices continue to evolve, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) presents exciting new possibilities for healthcare. AI-powered wearable devices can not only track health metrics but also analyze data and provide predictive insights. For example, AI algorithms can analyze heart rate data over time and alert users to potential irregularities before they become serious issues. In the context of Oncology EHR systems, AI can help oncologists predict patient outcomes and suggest adjustments to treatment plans based on real-time data.
The combination of wearable technology and AI also paves the way for more effective remote patient monitoring. With AI-driven analysis, wearable devices can detect trends and anomalies in health data that might otherwise go unnoticed. This can lead to earlier interventions and better long-term health outcomes, especially for patients managing chronic conditions.
Conclusion
Wearable devices have undoubtedly changed the landscape of healthcare, offering real-time health monitoring that empowers patients and enhances the quality of care provided by healthcare professionals. Through seamless integration with Ambulatory EMR and Oncology EHR systems, wearables allow for a more comprehensive approach to patient management. This technology not only improves patient outcomes but also plays a vital role in reputation management for doctors, as patients increasingly value personalized, responsive care.
Websites open a world of opportunities for information and services in today’s digital world. However, for users with dyslexia—a learning difference that affects reading and understanding of text—web navigation is quite different. Dyslexia users are almost 10-20% of the population, so millions of users are likely to struggle when accessing content that others might breeze through.
In this article we will outline some concrete and actionable steps to create websites accessible for dyslexic users, improving your site’s overall accessibility. Doest matter whether you’re a web developer, designer, or business owner, these practices can benefit all, ensuring the website is usable to everyone, regardless of their reading abilities.
So, what is Dyslexia?
Before getting into the details, it is important to understand what exactly dyslexia. Dyslexia is a neurological problem that primarily affects reading, spelling, and writing. People with dyslexia may experience:
Difficulty in word identification or recognizing the words.
Difficulty distinguishing between letters or words that look very similar.
Difficulty in reading fluently because dense material can be overwhelming.
By keeping these challenges in mind when designing, you can reduce cognitive loads and help dyslexic users navigate your website more easily.
Achieving Website Accessibility with Assistive Technology
Creating a dyslexia-friendly website is a step forward toward making the web experience more inclusive for your users. But if not so, assistive tools can make this process easier for non-accessible websites. You can use an All in One Accessibility tool to simplify accessibility for users with dyslexia and other disabilities. This user-friendly widget is easy to install and allows visitors to customize their experience, adjusting things like fonts and contrast, so they can navigate the website more easily. By integrating tools like these, you can break down barriers and make your site truly accessible.
Here are the steps to Design a website to make it easier for Dyslexia users:
1. Use easy to read Fonts
Font size is one of the most important factors when designing a website that is friendly to people with dyslexia. Some fonts are easier to read for dyslexic users because they reduce confusion between letters. Consider these recommendations:
Sans-serif fonts: Fonts like Arial, Verdana, and Helvetica are preferred because they lack decorative strokes, making them cleaner and easier to read.
Avoid decorative fonts: Cursive or intricate fonts increase cognitive load.
Dyslexia-friendly fonts: Fonts like Open Dyslexic help dyslexic readers by showing weight differentiation between letters.
Also, ensure text is well spaced and not too condensed, as tight spacing can make it harder for dyslexic users to read.
2. Use Clear Text Formatting
Even with a readable font, text needs to be well formatted. Clear, uncluttered text is helpful for users with dyslexia. Remember:
Line Spacing: Use ample line spacing (1.5x or 2x) so lines of text don’t merge together.
Short paragraphs: Breaking up information into smaller paragraphs prevents large blocks of intimidating text.
Avoid justification: Left-align your text and don’t fully justify it—it introduces uneven spaces between words, which can cause visual distortion.
Bold for emphasis: Bold text is more legible for dyslexic users than italicized or underlined text—both latter text treatments create a shape that’s harder to recognize.
Clear formatting benefits all users but is crucial for those with dyslexia.
3. Use Color and Contrast Strategically
Color can be a help or a hindrance for dyslexic users. Good contrast between text and background is key to readability:
High contrast: Ensure good contrast between text and background, like dark text on a light background (or opposite).
Avoid bright, neon colors: These cause visual discomfort and strain. Stick to muted tones.
No busy backgrounds: Avoid patterned backgrounds behind text, which can distract and hinder reading.
Provide a dyslexia-friendly mode that lets users adjust contrast and color to their preference, such as light-yellow backgrounds, which reduce glare.
4. Use simple and Concise language
Be Clear and Straightforward Complex, jargon-laden language can overwhelm dyslexic users. Simplifying content makes it more accessible:
Use Simple sentences: Break down ideas into easily digestible chunks.
Avoid jargon: Stick to plain language, and if necessary, provide definitions.
Use bullet points: Make key points stand out with bullet points or numbered lists and use them to head sections.
Make these changes and more for the dyslexic user, but everyone else will find these practices useful too.
5. Offer Alternative Content Formats
Not everyone processes information best through text. Offering alternative formats ensures dyslexic users can engage with your content:
Text-to-speech: Allow users to listen to content, especially helpful for long-form articles, blogs, or guides.
Captioned videos: Always include captions in video content to make it accessible to everyone.
Offering various formats helps all types of learners engage with your website.
6. Enhance Website Navigation
There are a few rules that should be followed: Keeping this in mind, dyslexic users need a clear and easy navigation system. Multilayered menus and numerous links will only confuse them:
Descriptive labels: Use descriptive text for links and buttons. For example, “Contact Us” rather than “Click Here.”
Logical organization: Material arranged logically into groupings, with clear headings and subheadings apparent to the reader.
Consistent navigation: Keep consistent navigation on your website so that users will not be confused by their movements.
This helps reduce cognitive effort, benefiting both dyslexic and non-dyslexic users.
7. Let Users Customize Their Experience
There are no one-size-fits-all solutions in web design, and certainly not for users with a specific need like dyslexia. Customization options will enable users to tailor the site according to their preferences:
Resizable text: Allow users to increase or decrease the size of text.
Dyslexia-friendly mode: Similar to high-contrast modes for low-vision users, offer a dyslexia-friendly mode with adjustable fonts, colors, and spacing.
Reader mode: Assist in distraction-free reading, avoiding ads and pop-ups.
Allowing users control over their web experience is key to inclusive design.
8. Test with Dyslexic Users
Best practices are great to follow, but the only way to ensure that your site is dyslexia-friendly is by testing it on people with dyslexia. Coupling platforms with special services for accessibility testing can realize real feedback from users in such a way as to make sure any design decision made counts and has the proper impact.
Conclusion: Web accessibility as a universal design feature
In essence, to make a website dyslexia-friendly means making the digital environment not only accessible through added functions but also inclusive and friendly to all users. Following these principles of dyslexia-friendly design, you can enhance the experience for a very large portion of your audience and improve the usability, engagement, and reach of your site.
Inclusivity is a journey. Always be open to feedback, stay abreast of best practices, and relentlessly enhance your website for all kinds of user needs. Accessible websites are better websites for everybody.