How To Make Your Website Accessible: Simple Fixes for Small Businesses (With Rachel Mess)

Amanda Hughes
Oct 20
3 min read

If your website or socials are hard to read, you’re losing customers, and you might not even know it.

In this episode of Small Business Growth Addicts, I’m joined by accessible web & brand designer Rachel Mess, who specialises in helping small-business owners make their websites and content more inclusive.

We’re breaking down what “accessible design” really means (without the jargon) and how a few simple tweaks can make a big difference for your audience, and your sales!

Grab a cuppa (and a biscuit ☕🍪) you’ll want a notebook for this one.

🎧 Listen Now

Tune in to hear the full conversation with Rachel via your preferred podcast platform above.👆🏼

Why Accessibility Matters for Small Business Owners

When your website is hard to read, navigate, or understand, you’re unintentionally turning potential customers away.

Accessibility isn’t just for large corporations, it’s essential for any business that wants to be inclusive, easy to use, and trusted by all visitors.

Rachel explains that inclusive design benefits everyone: from people using screen readers or with visual impairments, to older users who aren’t tech-savvy, or anyone browsing on small screens.

white female wearing white t shirt denim jacket and black hat looking up from laptop at the camera

The 3 Biggest Accessibility Barriers on Small Business Websites

1️⃣ Low Colour Contrast

If your text colour and background colour don’t have enough contrast, many people simply can’t read your content.💡 Try the Colour Contrast Checker to test your brand colours and see if they pass accessibility standards.

2️⃣ Tiny Text

Still using 12 px font? Time to upgrade. Rachel recommends a minimum of 16 px for all website text to make it easier on the eyes, especially for mobile users.

3️⃣ Missing Alt Text on Images

Alt text describes your images for screen readers and helps with SEO too. If you’re a service-based business (like a florist, designer, or coach), make sure every image says what’s actually there not just “image123.jpg.”

If it’s purely decorative, it can be skipped, but testimonials, infographics, or product photos always need alt text.

More Simple Fixes You Can Do Today

✅ Use labels above form fields (avoid placeholder text that disappears when you start typing)
✅ Avoid “click here” links instead use descriptive text like “Download the free checklist”
✅ Stick to left-aligned text to make reading easier
✅ Ditch script fonts that are hard to read especially on mobile
✅ Test your website with a screen reader (you can activate one from your device’s accessibility settings)

Free Tools to Check Your Website’s Accessibility

🧠 Rachel kindly shared some of her go-to tools during our chat, perfect if you’d like to test your own website today:

Colour Contrast Checker: https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/
Accessibility Scanner: https://www.accessibilitychecker.org/
WAVE Browser Extension: https://wave.webaim.org/extension/ – labels issues directly on your page so you can see exactly where to improve.

From Websites to Social Media, Make Your Whole Brand Inclusive

Accessibility doesn’t stop at your website.

Your brand colours, fonts, and layouts affect how easy your content is to read on social media, too.

If your graphics use light text on light backgrounds, or overly decorative fonts, you might be alienating followers without realising.

Rachel’s rule of thumb?

“If people have to work to read it, they won’t.”

Make your brand inclusive from the ground up and your engagement will thank you.

Work With Rachel Mess

Want an expert to audit your website for accessibility?👉 Visit The Inclusive Design Company Connect with Rachel on Instagram or LinkedIn

Listen Now

Tune in to hear the full conversation with Rachel via the links at the top of this page!

Sponsor Spotlight: KM Tax Returns

A huge thank-you to this month’s sponsor, KM Tax Returns.

If you’re tired of only hearing from your accountant once a year, you’ll love their monthly check-ins helping you always know your numbers, stay on top of tax, and avoid end-of-year panic. No surprises, just peace of mind. Find out more at kmtaxreturns.co.uk