Practical guidance from 507 Web Pros: this article explains the important decisions, common mistakes, and checks that help small businesses build websites people can actually use.
Test complete visitor tasks first
Identify what a person must do on the website: locate a service, open navigation, complete a form, find contact details, or finish a purchase. Try these workflows with different inputs rather than reviewing isolated screenshots.
A visually attractive page can still contain a menu that cannot be operated with a keyboard. A technical checker can detect some code problems without recognizing confusing instructions. Combining automated checks and practical testing provides a more realistic view.
Check headings and document structure
Use a meaningful main heading that describes each page. Major sections should use second-level headings; subordinate sections can use third-level headings. Do not select heading levels only because they have a particular default font size.
Check whether the WordPress template already displays the post title as an H1 before inserting another in the body. A logical heading structure helps readers scan the content and gives screen reader users predictable navigation.
Verify readable contrast and link styling
Text must be distinguishable from its background, including text placed on photos or colored panels. Common WCAG AA contrast guidance calls for at least 4.5:1 for normal text, with different rules for large text and non-text components.
Do not rely solely on color to convey meaning. Links should look interactive, focus indicators should be visible, and form errors should explain the problem in words instead of identifying only a red border.
Navigate using only a keyboard
Use Tab and Shift+Tab through menus, links, buttons, and forms. Check whether focus moves in a sensible order and remains visible. Try Enter and Space where appropriate. A dropdown that works only on mouse hover can block keyboard users.
Look for traps in dialogs, carousels, sticky headers, and mobile navigation. A visitor should be able to enter, operate, and leave a component without a mouse. Retest navigation after theme or plugin changes.
Write helpful image alternatives
For meaningful images, write concise alt text that communicates the information the picture provides. Decorative images often need empty alt attributes instead. Avoid repeating a long description already written directly beside the image.
Use real image dimensions or layout space to prevent movement as pictures load. Responsive images should preserve their proportions. For mobile-specific layout checks, see our mobile-friendly design guide.
Make every form understandable
Give inputs persistent labels and make required fields clear. Placeholder text alone can disappear as someone types. Explain validation failures near the relevant field and retain correct entries rather than making people start over.
Submit the form during testing and verify the result. A success message should be perceivable and clear, and the submission must reach its intended destination. Include keyboard tests and screen reader checks when possible.
Review narrow screens and enlarged text
Check mobile widths and zoomed layouts for clipped headings, horizontal scrolling, squeezed columns, and controls that are difficult to press. The reading order should remain sensible when columns stack vertically.
Avoid fixed elements that conceal content or lock scrolling. Mobile readability and accessibility often reinforce one another, but passing a device emulator does not replace real interaction tests.
Treat audits as ongoing work
Automated tools can reveal certain missing labels, contrast issues, and invalid markup, but they cannot certify complete usability. Review important workflows manually and consider a qualified specialist for complex or legally sensitive experiences.
Record what failed, the pages affected, the fix applied, and the retest result. Revisit important templates after new plugins, forms, menus, or design changes. This checklist supports practical improvement, not a legal certification.
Make instructions understandable without a visual cue
Avoid directions that depend on position alone, such as ‘click the green box on the right.’ A page can reflow on smaller screens, and some readers cannot perceive the color or layout. Use the control’s name or describe its purpose instead.
When there are several similar actions, provide enough context to distinguish them. A button labeled ‘View details’ can work when it is clearly associated with a named service; otherwise a more descriptive label is easier to understand.
Check text resizing and responsive reading order
Increase browser zoom and inspect whether content remains usable. Text should not overlap fixed elements or disappear offscreen. Mobile cards that stack should preserve a sensible sequence so visitors receive information in the intended order.
Do not solve overflow by hiding page-wide scrolling or clipping important content. Find the element causing the problem and correct its sizing. Some complex data tables need a carefully designed horizontal scrolling region, but ordinary paragraphs should not require side-to-side movement.
Evaluate downloads and external services
A customer workflow may continue into a PDF, booking platform, or payment processor. Test those experiences too. An accessible homepage cannot compensate for an unusable intake document or a checkout that cannot be operated with a keyboard.
Ask third-party vendors what accessibility support they provide and test the specific embedded experience. Avoid assuming that a vendor badge or a plugin description guarantees compatibility with all assistive technologies.
Prioritize and verify accessibility fixes
Start with barriers that prevent people from completing essential tasks: inaccessible menus, missing form labels, invisible keyboard focus, or content concealed behind overlays. Keep a list of affected templates to avoid fixing the same defect in dozens of individual pages.
After each correction, repeat the action that originally failed. Automated tools are helpful for recurring checks, but manual review remains necessary. Where legal or specialized requirements apply, use professional advice and appropriate standards rather than treating a simple checklist as certification.
Create an accessibility review record
A simple spreadsheet can document page address, date checked, tested browser or device, problem, severity, person responsible, and the result after correction. Record whether the issue blocks a task or merely makes it more difficult. Include screenshots or precise steps when they help reproduce the problem.
Review the same template across different content types. If the navigation is inaccessible on one service page, it may be inaccessible everywhere. Fixing the shared component can be more effective than editing individual articles. Conversely, a missing label in one specialized form may require a local change.
Accessibility is easier to improve when checks are repeated and ownership is clear. Read more about the organization behind this resource on the 507 Web Pros About page.