Saskatoon Business Website Accessibility Checklist

If your website is hard to read on a bright Saskatchewan winter morning or impossible to use without a mouse, visitors leave fast. For Saskatoon businesses, that means potential customers never reach your contact form, your products, or your booking calendar.

This website accessibility checklist shows you the fastest ways to make your site welcoming to everyone—and why it matters for search visibility, conversions, and trust. These are the same steps our website development team uses when we launch or refresh sites for local clients.

One in five Canadians identifies as having a disability. If your site is not accessible, you are shutting the door on thousands of Saskatoon neighbours and customers.

What Website Accessibility Really Means

Website accessibility means people can use your site regardless of ability, device, or how they navigate. It follows guidelines like WCAG so everyone can read text, fill forms, buy products, and get support without barriers.

For Saskatoon businesses, accessibility is not just compliance—it is good business. Accessible sites load faster, work better on mobile, and often rank higher because search engines reward clean structure. If you want to appear for local searches, combining accessibility with basic SEO best practices is a winning move.

• Better customer experience: Clear navigation and readable text help every visitor, not just those with disabilities.
• Lower bounce rates: People stay when the site is easy to use, which boosts conversions and local rankings.
• Future-proofing: Accessibility improvements align with privacy, mobile, and performance standards that keep changing.

Quick Accessibility Check You Can Do Today

You do not need special tools to spot the biggest problems. Spend 15 minutes on these checks using your current site.

1. Unplug the mouse: Try to tab through your homepage and service pages. If you cannot reach menus, buttons, or forms, keyboard users cannot either.
2. Zoom to 200%: Hit Ctrl/Cmd + Plus twice. Text and buttons should stay readable without forcing side-to-side scrolling.
3. Run a quick contrast check: Use a free contrast checker on your hero text and buttons. Light gray on white fails, especially against bright prairie sunlight.
4. Check image alt text: Right-click an image and see if it has a meaningful alt description. "IMG_2030" tells screen reader users nothing.
5. Test your forms: Try submitting with an empty field. Helpful error messages should appear next to the problem, not in tiny red text hidden at the top.

If you find issues, make a short list and tackle the ones that block people from reading, clicking, or submitting forms. Pair this with a quick review of your website maintenance routine to make sure old plugins or themes are not breaking accessibility.

Fix High-Impact Issues First

The biggest accessibility wins are usually fast to implement. Focus on these before chasing smaller polish items.

• Contrast and font size: Aim for at least 16px body text and clear contrast between text and background. Avoid text baked into images.
• Headings that make sense: Use one H1 per page, then H2 and H3 to break up sections. This helps both readers and search engines understand your content structure.
• Accessible buttons and links: Buttons should look clickable and have descriptive labels like "Book a consult" instead of "Submit." Keep links clear inside paragraphs—avoid "click here."
• Keyboard-friendly menus: Drop-down menus should open via keyboard focus and close cleanly. If your current theme cannot handle this, our website development service can rebuild the navigation so it works for everyone.
• Form labels and errors: Every field needs a visible label. Error messages should say what went wrong and how to fix it, such as "Enter a 10-digit local phone number."
• Motion and pop-ups: Avoid auto-playing video or sudden pop-ups without a clear close button. Offer a pause or stop control when animations are present.

After these fixes, retest with the quick checks above. Small improvements compound—an accessible menu plus clear headings can reduce confusion for every visitor, not just those using assistive tech.

Make Content and Media Easy to Use

Accessibility is also about how you write and present information. The simpler and clearer your content, the more likely visitors will stick around and contact you.

• Plain, direct language: Keep sentences short and avoid jargon. If you must use technical terms, add a quick explanation.
• Descriptive alt text: Explain the purpose of an image, not just what is in it: "Saskatoon storefront with accessible ramp" is better than "store."
• Captions and transcripts: Add captions to videos and transcripts to audio clips. This also helps people who mute sound while working.
• Logical link text: Use descriptive anchors like "see our common web design mistakes guide" so readers know what they will get.
• Readable layouts: Break up walls of text with short paragraphs, bullet lists, and clear subheadings. White space is your friend.
• Consistent buttons: Keep button styles uniform across pages. Inconsistent colors or shapes make it harder for visitors to know what is clickable.

If you update your content seasonally, build accessibility into the edit process. A quick checklist next to your content calendar keeps new posts, like your must-have website features, consistent and easy to use.

Build Accessibility Into Your Website Process

Accessibility sticks when it becomes part of your routine. Treat it like safety or bookkeeping—small, regular actions keep you out of trouble and improve results.

• Document your standards: Create a simple style guide that lists font sizes, contrast ratios, button styles, and form rules. Share it with anyone who edits the site.
• Test after updates: When you change themes, add plugins, or adjust navigation, rerun your keyboard and zoom tests. If a plugin breaks your forms, our software support team can help troubleshoot conflicts.
• Include accessibility in web projects: Whether you are redesigning or adding a landing page, ask for WCAG-informed builds. Our Saskatoon web development service includes accessibility in sitemaps, design, and QA.
• Train your team: Show staff how to add alt text, choose descriptive link text, and avoid uploading text-heavy images. Five minutes of training prevents dozens of fixes later.
• Schedule audits: A quarterly review catches regressions. Combine it with your maintenance checklist so accessibility never slides.

Accessibility is an ongoing practice. The reward is a site that loads fast, works on every device, and feels trustworthy to local customers who want to do business with you.

Get Professional Help in Saskatoon

If you want to be sure your site meets accessibility basics without burning hours on testing, TechYXE is here to help. Our website development service builds accessible, SEO-ready sites for Saskatoon businesses starting at just $199.

Every accessibility-focused build includes:

• Accessible navigation with keyboard-friendly menus and clear focus states
• Readable design featuring solid contrast, legible typography, and mobile responsiveness
• Structured content with proper headings, descriptive links, and optimized meta data
• Form best practices including labels, error handling, and local phone/address formats
• Performance and SEO tuning so accessibility improvements also boost rankings

Want us to review your existing site? We can audit, fix quick issues, and map a phased upgrade so you are not overwhelmed. Contact us today to schedule a friendly walkthrough and next steps that fit your budget.

Related Articles

• Common Web Design Mistakes That Hurt Your Business - Avoid layout and content errors that push visitors away
• Why Your Website Must Be Mobile-Friendly - Make sure every Saskatoon visitor has a smooth experience
• SEO Basics: Getting Your Saskatoon Business Found Online - Pair accessibility with local SEO to reach more customers
• Website Maintenance Guide for Saskatoon Businesses - Keep plugins, security, and accessibility in shape all year