The Importance of Email Accessibility for Everyone
Accessibility has become an increasingly important topic in recent years, particularly in the tech and digital marketing realms. From websites and digital products to emails and more, industry experts have been emphasising the significance and necessity of accessibility. But what exactly is it, and why should email marketers like us care about it?
Email accessibility involves creating emails that are user-friendly for as many people as possible, including those with visual or hearing impairments, cognitive or learning disabilities, or mobility challenges. Accessibility encompasses various aspects, from the content and design to the underlying code, aiming to ensure that emails are easy to comprehend and engage with.
If you haven't been giving much thought to accessibility, you might have some misconceptions about what it entails, its significance, and whether it's worth the effort.
Today, we aim to dispel common misconceptions to empower you to make accessibility an integral part of your email marketing strategy and design process.
Myth: Accessibility will make our emails dull
We understand the concern that rules might stifle creativity and make emails feel formulaic. However, accessibility standards serve as guidelines to make emails more accessible to a broader audience, which may necessitate design systems and layouts that appear more conventional.
This is not necessarily a drawback. In the digital realm, like email, following a logical and consistent format can enhance the user experience, reducing the risk of user friction that could affect engagement.
After establishing an accessibility framework, there remains ample room for creativity. Working within a structure can encourage your teams to be more intentional and strategic in their campaign production.
Myth: Accessibility is a complex and time-consuming endeavor
Overhauling your entire email strategy for accessibility may seem overwhelming, but it doesn't have to disrupt your operations. If you have the resources, you can incorporate accessibility efforts alongside your regular processes. For smaller teams, integrating accessibility standards into your strategy and design can be a gradual process.
Maintaining an accessibility mindset when creating new email campaigns is an organic way to evolve your emails and strategy toward compliance and inclusivity. Utilizing this framework to update existing campaigns can also make the process more manageable.
Myth: Accessibility benefits only those with disabilities
While accessible emails benefit individuals with disabilities, their advantages extend to everyone, regardless of their needs. Intuitive emails with straightforward content and support for assistive technologies open up your brand to a wider audience.
In essence, if your emails are difficult to understand and engage with, your customers may face obstacles in taking the desired actions, potentially influencing their future engagement with your brand.
Myth: Accessibility is a one-time effort
Conducting an audit to assess your current campaigns and templates is a crucial first step in identifying gaps in your accessibility approach. This may lead to template redesigns, establishing new accessibility standards for your email templates.
However, ensuring ongoing adherence to accessibility standards is an ongoing process. The industry evolves, best practices change, and your business needs shift, requiring your emails to evolve accordingly.
Myth: Accessibility can be fully automated
Numerous online tools are available to assess your HTML emails against accessibility checklists, which can be helpful, especially for those new to email accessibility. While AI technologies have advanced, relying solely on automation isn't recommended.
Incorporating accessibility into the design process is vital for genuine relationship marketing and true inclusivity efforts. Tools should serve as aids but not replace the human element in marketing and inclusivity.
Hot tip: Know the rules to break them
Understanding accessibility is essential for ensuring that your emails comply with standards. It can also be helpful when strategically deviating from these standards to add creativity to your emails.
Interactive emails, while not strictly accessible, can inject new life into your email campaigns and are worth experimenting with.
Real-time personalization using images or videos can significantly enhance engagement opportunities.
Animated GIFs can add visual impact and positively affect engagement.
When employing these design tactics, aim to make your emails as accessible as possible by providing alternative text and fallback scenarios.
Accessibility: A Vital Step Towards Equity and Inclusivity
Designing accessible email campaigns communicates to your customers and prospects that you value inclusivity and want everyone to engage with your brand. It demonstrates your commitment to accommodating the diverse ways people consume digital information today.
If you require assistance with your accessibility efforts, our Marigold Design Team is here to help. From audits to template designs and coding, we possess the expertise and knowledge to make your brand accessible to everyone.
