At German Repair Shop Marketing, we focus all our time and energy on helping our clients succeed in your industry. From SEO to online marketing, we are here for you. One of the ways we have been helping clients recently is by keeping you apprised of the growing risks of ADA compliance lawsuits and providing an answer in our ADA compliance software.
Here, we will more closely examine ADA web design compliance, what you need to know, and what it could cost you if your site gets caught unawares.
What is ADA Compliance?
Before we get into the rules and regulations of ADA compliance in web design and SEO, we should explain what ADA is. ADA stands for Americans with Disabilities Act, and it is an act put in place to protect differently-abled Americans by enforcing equality in business. What does this mean for your German repair shop? Mainly, it means that you need to provide the same standards and accessibility of business to all your customers no matter their needs. On the internet, this gets tricky, because it means your customers need to be able to access the same information, even if it needs to be delivered in a new way.
Of course, accessibility is important in all industries, but how do you know what is expected of your online presence? Having an online marketing company you can trust in your back pocket will help you more clearly define this.
Scams are on the Rise
The online marketplace has created a variety of new and exciting opportunities for business owners. Unfortunately, it has also created an entirely new landscape for scam artists and fortune hunters. Currently, there are a lot of businesses facing trouble with ADA compliance due to law firms that are targeting web design and online marketing which is not accessible to all users. If your business becomes the target of these efforts, it could mean a hefty fine.
The trouble many companies are facing is the “gray area” where ADA law is concerned. There is no set script for web design for Americans with disabilities. However, there is a list of precedents that have already made it through the courts to guide your online marketing company in future web design.
The Bigger Your Company the More You Could Lose
Companies that have yet to alter web design to comply with the ADA are facing large fines from $1,000 to $3,000 and beyond. Unfortunately, the larger your business, the bigger the fine could be, especially as these specialized law firms continue to hone in on the value of ADA compliance law, which is relatively new in the digital hemisphere.
While large companies are at a greater risk of financial turbulence, these law firms are also targeting small and mid-sized businesses.
There are A Lot of Moving Pieces to Consider
ADA compliance often involves small changes for the deaf and hard of hearing, as well as the visually impaired, and those with mobility issues. Some such features which may need to be added to your website are:
- Closed captioning for the hearing impaired
- Coding to relay the subtitles to captioning devices
- Audio descriptions for blind and visually impaired internet users
- Dropdown menus and other changes to benefit those who use a keyboard or mouse
Adding these features, among the others required for compliance, is costly and time-consuming. It helps to have specialized software that audits your current site and helps make it ADA compliant for you. German Repair Shop Marketing can help with this.
Contact German Repair Shop Marketing Today
If you are concerned that your current web design could be at risk of a lawsuit due to ADA compliance issues, we can help you. German Repair Shop Marketing strives to provide our customers with the information and support you need to best the competition, increase web traffic, and avoid unnecessary legal issues.
We are offering our clients our ADA compliance software for $50 a month – a small price to pay for the protection of peace of mind. To learn more, we invite you to contact us at 888-678-8423.
