Articles

News about Accessibility

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/ran-ronen">Ran Ronen</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/amit-aggarwal"> </a>is co-founder and CEO at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.equally.ai/">Equally AI</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/storyblok"> </a>and a CMS Critic contributor. <hr /> WordPress powers over <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://wordpress.org/about/features/">43% of the web,</a> making it the most influential platform in shaping how people experience digital content. That scale carries great responsibility because when accessibility is overlooked, millions of users are shut out from the information, services, and communities they rely on. And with the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/disability/union-equality-strategy-rights-persons-disabilities-2021-2030/european-accessibility-act_en">European Accessibility Act (EAA)</a> fully enforced, rising ADA lawsuits, and customer demand for accessible websites by default, the stakes are about to get much higher.Yet too many site owners still rely on “quick fixes” like free plugins, widget overlays, and AI tools that promise instant compliance. These don’t just fail; they often worsen accessibility and put a legal target on your site. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wordpress">WordPress</a> accessibility isn’t a bolt-on feature. It starts with the basics: accessible themes, vetted plugins, and continuous testing. This checklist shows where most WordPress sites fail, and practical steps to make them accessible, compliant, and future-proof.<h3 id="1.-start-with-an-accessible-theme">1. Start with an accessible theme</h3>Your WordPress theme defines not just how your site looks, but how people can use it. A poorly built theme can block screen reader users, break keyboard navigation, and make entire sections of your site inaccessible. Even worse, if you don’t own or control the theme, a single update can undo any accessibility fixes you’ve made.The WordPress repository includes an “Accessibility Ready” tag for themes like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://wordpress.org/themes/twentytwentyfour/">Twenty Twenty-Four</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://wordpress.com/theme/mayland">Mayland</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://wordpress.org/themes/arbutus/">Arbutus</a>, signaling support for basics such as skip links, keyboard navigation, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Accessibility/ARIA/Reference/Roles/landmark_role">ARIA landmarks. </a>But this tag isn’t a guarantee of full accessibility. Many themes still fail with issues like missing focus indicators, skipped or misused headings, non-semantic markup, and custom menus that break keyboard navigation.To avoid these issues:<ul><li>Choose a modern, accessibility-ready theme, but never assume the label equals compliance. Always test it with a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/use-a-screen-reader-to-explore-and-navigate-different-keyboard-and-text-tools-in-windows-50ac2817-f297-4fdc-9880-e1a843b0e1c1">keyboard and a screen reader </a>before launch.</li><li>Keep all accessibility tweaks in a child theme, and document them so they aren’t lost in future updates.</li><li>If your theme isn’t accessible and you can’t replace or control it, I’d highly recommend using an AI-powered accessibility widget to automatically resolve recurring issues after updates.</li></ul><h3 id="2.-choose-accessible-plugins-and-page-builders-wisely">2. Choose accessible plugins and page builders wisely</h3>Plugins and page builders power WordPress’s flexibility, but they’re also a major source of accessibility failures, especially in critical user flows like navigation, forms, and checkouts. Common issues include missing labels or error messages in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/">Contact Form 7,</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/woocommerce">WooCommerce</a> galleries that block keyboard use, cookie banners that trap focus, SEO org gallery plugins that override alt text, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAPTCHA">CAPTCHAs</a> without accessible alternatives.Page builders such as <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/elementor">Elementor,</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.elegantthemes.com/gallery/divi/">Divi,</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://wpbakery.com/">WPBakery</a> add another layer of risk, generating deeply nested, non-semantic code, styling headings visually instead of coding them correctly, exposing decorative icons to screen readers, and shipping sliders or carousels that ignore focus and keyboard controls.Best practices for managing plugins and builders on WordPress include:<ul><li>Auditing plugins and page builders before use, especially those tied to navigation, media, or forms.</li><li>Testing with a keyboard and a screen reader to confirm all interactions work.</li><li>Choosing lightweight, well-maintained plugins over bloated feature packs.</li><li>Re-testing critical flows like signups, checkouts, and bookings after every update.</li></ul><h3 id="3.-structure-content-semantically-">3. Structure content semantically </h3>WordPress’s block editor, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/">Gutenberg,</a> was designed to make content more semantic, but users leverage it more like a design tool – stacking Paragraph blocks instead of using headings, pasting lists as plain text, or using Custom Post Types that output raw divs. The result may look fine visually, but it’s often unreadable to screen readers. This mostly happens in blog posts and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/woocommerce">WooCommerce</a> product descriptions, where non-technical authors ignore the hierarchy tools.To keep content accessible in the WordPress Gutenberg block editor, follow these tips. Some of this might seem basic, but it's always a good refresher:<ul><li>Use one h1 for the page title, then structure sections with h2 and h3 (Gutenberg’s Outline panel makes this easy to check).</li><li>Convert bullet points into List blocks and numbered steps into Ordered List blocks for proper ul and ol markup.</li><li>Don’t use Paragraph blocks in place of headings or lists.</li><li>For <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/">Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)</a> and other Custom Post Types, configure fields to output semantic HTML, and audit with the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://wordpress.com/plugins/wp-accessibility">WP Accessibility plugin.</a></li></ul><h3 id="4.-fix-wordpress-navigation-flaws">4. Fix WordPress navigation flaws</h3>Navigation is a frequent failure point. Out-of-the-box blog archives often generate dozens of identical “Read More” links that screen readers announce in sequence without context, forcing users to guess their destination. Custom menu walkers can also break keyboard navigation, and some themes strip landmarks like main or nav, and inconsistent footers or sidebars often disorient screen reader users. Some helpful tips for addressing navigation in WordPress:<ul><li>Replace “Read More” with descriptive links (e.g., Read more about [Post Title]). The link text should be concise but informative.</li><li>Add skip links in headers so users can jump directly to content.</li><li>Ensure main, nav, and footer landmarks appear in all templates.</li><li>Keep menus, sidebars, and footers consistent across the site.</li><li>Check custom menu walkers for keyboard support and visible focus states.</li></ul><h3 id="5.-test-and-monitor-continuously">5. Test and monitor continuously</h3>Accessibility isn’t a one-and-done task. It’s a continuous process because WordPress sites evolve constantly, and every change carries the risk of introducing new issues. To maintain accessibility over time:<ul><li>Start by running an automated scan using <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/wave-evaluation-tool/jbbplnpkjmmeebjpijfedlgcdilocofh">WAVE </a>(it’s one of the most popular accessibility testing tools). Install the Chrome extension, scan your site’s key pages, fix every flagged error, and aim for a zero-error score as a baseline.</li><li>Go further with manual testing: try navigating your entire site using only a keyboard (no mouse) to confirm all interactive elements work, navigation is logical, and there is a visible focus ring on each element. </li><li>Integrate accessibility into publishing and QA workflows. Re-test after updates, redesigns, and content changes to avoid regression</li></ul><h3 id="looking-ahead">Looking Ahead</h3>The WordPress community continues to advance accessibility, with improvements in Gutenberg and ongoing collaboration through initiatives like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://wpaccessibility.day/">WP Accessibility Day.</a> At the same time, global standards are evolving, with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.w3.org/TR/wcag-3.0/">WCAG 3.0</a> on the horizon and regulators already enforcing stricter expectations through the EAA and ADA.The reality is that accessibility will increasingly be written into client contracts, RFPs, and agency deliverables as a baseline requirement. For WordPress site owners, this means accessibility isn’t just about avoiding lawsuits, it’s about ensuring your site is usable by everyone – and keeping pace with how the web itself is changing. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.61%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/storyblok-joyconf-2025-logo.jpg" /><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Storyblok JoyConf 2025</a></h4>November 4, 2025 – New York, NY November 6, 2025 – Los Angeles, CAJoin us at JoyConf 2025, where the future of content meets the people shaping it. Built for developers, marketers, and digital innovators, this free conference goes way beyond product updates or yet another strategy playbook. It’s where you’ll get inspired, get real, and get connected – to ideas, to the community, and to what’s possible when you build joyfully. Whether you're building lightning-fast frontends or launching cross-channel campaigns, this is where content becomes connection and collaboration becomes second nature. Come for the talks. Stay for the community. Leave with joy. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Save your spot.</a> <img style="width:28.9%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/sitecore-symposium-2025.jpg" /><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2025</a></h4>November 3-5, 2025 – Orlando, FLAt Sitecore Symposium, you’ll learn how to meet your customers where they are – across channels, moments, and touchpoints that didn’t exist a year ago. You’ll hear how the boldest brands in the world are transforming content into outcomes and creating experiences that are fast, relevant, and human. Join 1,500 marketers, digital leaders, and technologists in Orlando to see what’s possible when personalization scales, AI accelerates creativity, and trust becomes your competitive edge. This is the Third Wave of the Internet. And this is your moment to lead in it. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Get your tickets today.</a> <figure class="image image-style-block-align-left image_resized" style="width:28.08%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/10/image-1759840698475.png" /></figure><h4 id="raise:-lifting-content-into-the-future-with-agentic-cms"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://kontent.ai/events-and-webinars/raise/">RAISE: Lifting Content into the Future with Agentic CMS</a></h4>November 11, 2025 – London, UKJoin Kontent.ai at RAISE: Lifting Content into the Future with Agentic CMS, a premier free event for forward-thinking marketing and technology leaders shaping the way today’s most ambitious brands create and deliver content. Expect bold ideas, discover innovative strategies, engage with industry leaders, and gain insights that will lift your content strategy to new heights. At RAISE, you'll learn how to deliver faster, more engaging content experiences while AI does the busywork of audits, compliance, and localization with Agentic CMS, built to give you and your teams more time on creativity that matters. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://kontent.ai/events-and-webinars/raise/">Reserve your seat today.</a> <img style="width:31.44%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/cms-kickoff-2026-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">CMS Kickoff 2026</a></h4>January 13-14, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FLMeet industry leaders at our fourth annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">so secure your tickets today.</a>

The Complete WordPress Accessibility Checklist for 2026

ran-ronen

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/amit-aggarwal">Amit Aggarwal </a>is the founder and principal consultant at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://accessibilitypartners.ca/">Accessibility Partners Canada,</a> and a CMS Critic contributor. <hr /> In today’s digital-first world, a website is far more than a marketing tool—it’s a gateway for customers, clients, and employees. Yet, many brands still overlook a critical component of user experience: web accessibility. While organizations invest heavily in design, functionality, and content, accessibility often remains an afterthought, creating both reputational and financial risks.Accessibility isn’t just about compliance; it’s about ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can fully engage with your brand online. Ignoring it can mean excluding millions of potential users, limiting your reach, and ultimately impacting your bottom line.<h3 id="the-hidden-costs-of-ignoring-accessibility">The Hidden Costs of Ignoring Accessibility</h3>The consequences of overlooking accessibility go beyond simple usability issues. Non-compliance with accessibility standards such as the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ada.gov/">Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA</a>) in the U.S., or the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/05a11">Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in Canada</a>, can lead to legal actions and costly settlements.Beyond legal implications, inaccessible websites create hidden business costs:<ul><li>Lost revenue opportunities: Users who encounter barriers will leave your site and turn to competitors, resulting in missed conversions and sales.</li><li>Reduced search engine visibility: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://searchengineland.com/website-matters-ai-age-458829">Even in the age of AI,</a> SEO fundamentals are critical. Many accessibility practices, like proper use of headings and alt text, also improve SEO. Ignoring these can hurt your organic search rankings.</li><li>Brand reputation damage: Accessibility issues can lead to negative publicity or social media backlash, affecting customer trust and loyalty.</li><li>Increased maintenance costs: Fixing accessibility issues reactively is far more expensive than incorporating accessibility from the beginning of a project.</li></ul>Even seemingly minor oversights—like unlabeled buttons or poor color contrast—can have a large cumulative impact, reducing engagement and frustrating users.<h3 id="common-accessibility-oversights">Common Accessibility Oversights</h3>Brands often underestimate the scope of accessibility, assuming it’s only about “adding alt text” or “making the site navigable with a keyboard.” In reality, accessibility spans a wide range of elements, including visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor accessibility. Some of the most common oversights include:<ul><li>Missing alt text for images: This prevents screen readers from conveying important information to visually impaired users.</li><li>Poor color contrast: Users with low vision or color blindness may find your content difficult to read.</li><li>Non-descriptive link text: Phrases like “click here” or “read more” don’t provide context for users relying on screen readers.</li><li>Inaccessible forms: Forms without labels or clear error messages create barriers for users filling out applications, signing up for newsletters, or making purchases.</li><li>PDFs and multimedia content: Many organizations upload documents or videos without captions, transcripts, or proper tagging, excluding users from accessing critical information.</li></ul>These oversights aren’t always obvious to organizations, which is why proactive planning and testing are essential.<h3 id="real-world-examples">Real-World Examples</h3>Consider a government agency website that publishes essential public health information. If critical updates are embedded in inaccessible PDFs, individuals who rely on screen readers may miss vital information. Similarly, e-commerce platforms that don’t implement accessible checkout processes risk losing a significant portion of potential buyers—millions of users with disabilities who represent a considerable market.Even tech giants have faced lawsuits over accessibility issues. These cases illustrate that no brand, regardless of size, is immune to the risks of neglecting accessibility.<h3 id="the-role-of-expertise">The Role of Expertise</h3>Addressing accessibility effectively requires both technical knowledge and strategic planning. Many organizations partner with<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://accessibilitypartners.ca/"> accessibility consultants</a> to navigate the complex landscape of compliance standards, assistive technology testing, and inclusive design practices.Accessibility consultants help brands:<ul><li>Conduct audits and identify barriers across all digital assets.</li><li>Train teams to implement accessibility best practices.</li><li>Integrate accessibility into content creation, development, and design processes.</li><li>Ensure ongoing compliance through periodic monitoring and updates.</li></ul>By working with experts, organizations can save costs in the long run, improve user experience, and reduce the risk of legal challenges.<h3 id="accessibility-as-a-competitive-advantage">Accessibility as a Competitive Advantage</h3>Beyond compliance, accessibility can drive business growth. Accessible websites:<ul><li>Reach a broader audience, including users with disabilities and older adults.</li><li>Improve overall usability, benefiting all users, not just those with impairments.</li><li>Enhance SEO and mobile experience.</li><li>Strengthen brand reputation and demonstrate corporate responsibility.</li></ul>Brands that integrate accessibility into their digital strategy often find that it complements other business goals, such as improving conversion rates, reducing customer support queries, and fostering loyalty among diverse user groups.<h3 id="steps-brands-can-take-today">Steps Brands Can Take Today</h3>To make accessibility a core part of your digital strategy, organizations can take actionable steps immediately:<ol><li>Conduct an accessibility audit: Evaluate your website and digital content against <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/">WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)</a> standards.  </li><li>Involve users with disabilities in testing: Real feedback highlights practical issues that automated tools may miss.  </li><li>Provide ongoing training: Equip both technical and non-technical teams with knowledge to maintain accessibility standards.  </li><li>Integrate accessibility into project workflows: Treat accessibility as a requirement, not an afterthought, in design and development cycles.  </li><li>Partner with experts: Collaborating with accessibility consultants ensures compliance, efficiency, and a strategic approach to inclusivity.</li></ol><h3 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h3>Web accessibility is no longer optional—it’s a business imperative. Brands that overlook it risk legal issues, lost revenue, and reputational damage. Conversely, those who embrace accessibility gain a competitive advantage, improve user experience, and demonstrate social responsibility.Investing in accessibility today isn’t just about avoiding costs—it’s about creating digital experiences that are inclusive, engaging, and valuable for everyone. By prioritizing accessibility and working with experts when needed, brands can build a stronger, more resilient digital presence that truly welcomes all users.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.61%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/storyblok-joyconf-2025-logo.jpg" /><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Storyblok JoyConf 2025</a></h4>October 14-15, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands November 4, 2025 – New York, NY November 6, 2025 – Los Angeles, CAJoin us at JoyConf 2025, where the future of content meets the people shaping it. Built for developers, marketers, and digital innovators, this free conference goes way beyond product updates or yet another strategy playbook. It’s where you’ll get inspired, get real, and get connected – to ideas, to the community, and to what’s possible when you build joyfully. Whether you're building lightning-fast frontends or launching cross-channel campaigns, this is where content becomes connection and collaboration becomes second nature. Come for the talks. Stay for the community. Leave with joy. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Save your spot.</a> <img style="width:28.9%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/sitecore-symposium-2025.jpg" /><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2025</a></h4>November 3-5, 2025 – Orlando, FLAt Sitecore Symposium, you’ll learn how to meet your customers where they are – across channels, moments, and touchpoints that didn’t exist a year ago. You’ll hear how the boldest brands in the world are transforming content into outcomes and creating experiences that are fast, relevant, and human. Join 1,500 marketers, digital leaders, and technologists in Orlando to see what’s possible when personalization scales, AI accelerates creativity, and trust becomes your competitive edge. This is the Third Wave of the Internet. And this is your moment to lead in it. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Get your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:31.44%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/cms-kickoff-2026-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">CMS Kickoff 2026</a></h4>January 13-14, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FLMeet industry leaders at our fourth annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">so secure your tickets today.</a>

What Brands Overlook About Web Accessibility (and Why It’s Costly)

amit-aggarwal

Siteimprove.ai Redefines Accessibility and Performance with Unified Agentic Content Intelligence Platform

matt-garrepy

Zengenti’s Insytful Offers an Easy, Affordable Solution for Managing Accessibility and Governance

<hr /> <a target="_blank" href="https://accessibility.day/">Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)</a> is an annual event that focuses on access and inclusion. Each year, it draws attention to the vital role of digital accessibility, encouraging communities to think and discuss its impact on the one billion people worldwide with disabilities and impairments. GAAD will take place on May 16th, enshrining this as “Digital Accessibility Month.” Many organizations use this opportunity to promote and reinforce their efforts to support accessibility, so the channels are aflutter with messaging. Heightened awareness is a good thing. It's also a stark reminder that we're still struggling with digital equality. Case in point: In 2020, <a target="_blank" href="https://webaim.org/">WebAIM</a> – a not-for-profit practice within the <a target="_blank" href="https://idrpp.usu.edu/">Institute for Disability Research, Policy &amp; Practice</a> at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usu.edu/">Utah State University</a> – analyzed one million website homepages for accessibility issues. According to its report, over 98% of the scanned sites had at least one failure based on the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) internationally recognized <a target="_blank" href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/">Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).</a>The causes of the compliance errors were broad, but the biggest offenders were low-contrast text and missing ALT tags for images. Very basic issues that could be addressed in a matter of seconds without complex coding or refactoring. And therein lies the problem: developers and content creators still don't fully prioritize the importance of ensuring digital equality – nor are they incentivized to do so. Further, the momentary nature of “compliance” remains a challenge, as web content isn't always persistent. As such, a site can lose its error-free status with the addition of a single blog post. It would be easy to blame the tools, but we have a plethora to choose from and several are exceedingly good. Spotting most (if not all) of the critical errors can be fully automated and reports produced with a predictable cadence. And while humans are required to remediate many of the issues, we wouldn't have as many to correct if we simply took the right steps from the beginning. No, the problem lies with us. The builders. The creators. The practitioners. For too long, we've stoked a culture of disregard for embracing accessibility at a foundational level and de-prioritized education and awareness. We shouldn't be thinking about it on just one day every year; accessibility must be elemental to how we create and care for every experience in our digital ecosystem. The good news is that we're making progress, and not just as a result of <a target="_blank" href="https://accessibe.com/blog/knowledgebase/ada-website-lawsuits">class-action lawsuits</a>. We have better systems and structural processes than ever before. More institutional guidance is emerging, and the WCAG standards are continuing to evolve and expand. The GAAD Foundation (part of Global Accessibility Awareness Day) has also been on a mission to disrupt the culture of technology and digital product development to include accessibility as a core requirement. The policy landscape is shifting, too, as more governance enters the equation. Europe's <a target="_blank" href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/web-accessibility">Web Accessibility Directive</a> has been in force since 2016 but was reviewed in 2022 following the pandemic's unprecedented acceleration of digital commerce. It complements the broader European Accessibility Act, which is similar to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ada.gov/">U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act</a>, but provides deeper monitoring and reporting of websites and digital properties. Of course, there's still confusion. And while some litigation has been “settled” (see: <a target="_blank" href="https://adasoutheast.org/court/robles-v-dominos-pizza-llc/#:~:text=Robles%20sued%20Domino's%20Pizza%2C%20LLC,did%20not%20have%20fair%20notice.">Robles v. Domino's Pizza</a>), private businesses still aren't hitting the mark. There's also the emergence of AI tools, which promise to streamline scanning and automatically generate ALT tags. That's cool – but even in light of these advances, there's still a major gap to backfill.Here's the bottom line: we have an ethical and moral obligation to reinforce accessibility. It's the right thing to do, and will ultimately impact everyone (it's true that with age, a great deal of us will likely develop one or more disabilities or impairments). But as I heard from many attendees at <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/from-accessibility-to-ai-and-beyond-five-key-takeaways-from-acquia-engage-boston">Acquia Engage</a> last fall – just after the DXP announced its acquisition of <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/acquia-tackles-accessibility-and-optimization-as-it-completes-monsido-buy">Monsido</a>, a best-of-breed web accessibility and optimization platform – there's a business imperative as well: people with disabilities are customers, and experiences that aren't accessible will almost certainly drive them to another brand.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.acquia.com/">Acquia</a> made accessibility a core theme of its annual conference in 2023, and it's continuing to provide users with the knowledge and resources to be successful. In fact, they just announced that Monsido now offers support for WCAG 2.2, the latest set of web content accessibility guidelines recommended by the W3C. By using its signature Accessibility Module in Monsido, Acquia customers can automatically scan their websites, obtain an accessibility score, and receive actionable recommendations to help ensure the accessibility of their digital content for individuals with disabilities. By reducing the friction and making it part of the flow, Monsido is helping to ensure accessibility. “WCAG 2.2 stands as the globally recognized benchmark for digital accessibility, and marks a pivotal step toward a more accessible and inclusive digital world,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/acquia-and-the-art-of-the-possible-interview-with-chief-market-officer-jennifer-griffin-smith">Jennifer Griffin Smith</a>, Chief Market Officer at Acquia. “Keeping pace with the latest guidelines as they emerge is a major challenge but a necessary one."Necessary indeed. As Jennifer cited, 51% of consumers are willing to pay more to companies committed to digital accessibility while 41% are willing to pay up to 10% more. “Monsido simplifies this process,” she said, "making it easy to identify and proactively fix accessibility issues, avoid penalties for non-compliance, and most importantly maximize the return on marketing investments by improving the digital experience for all users to ensure wider reach and more audience engagement.” <h3 id="evolving-with-the-wcag-standards">Evolving with the WCAG standards</h3>If you're not familiar with the WCAG, it's worth noting that the guidelines have been developed through the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/w3c-process/">W3C process</a> in cooperation with individuals and organizations around the world. The goal is simple: provide a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally.The WCAG documents explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities, ensuring they are perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (the guidelines get more granular from here). Web “content” generally refers to the information in a web page or web application, including natural information – such as text, images, and sounds – as well as code or markup that defines structure, presentation, and other variables.WCAG 2.1 addressed key accessibility issues for individuals with blindness, deafness, and mobility requirements, improving upon its previous benchmarks. WCAG 2.2 builds on these efforts, adding new criteria to make the web more productive for those with low vision and cognitive disabilities, as well as those using tablets and other mobile devices. New device form factors present challenges for the WCAG; as mobile and IoT continue to evolve, the guidelines must also adapt to how users interface with new kinds of hardware. With so many factors at play – and so much content across channels – brands and organizations are seeking solutions like Monsido to address the scope and scale of managing an accessibility strategy. Having best-of-breed technology that's integrated with their DXP makes the entire process easier and faster, but also more trustworthy. “Customers who see accessibility as a foundation for digital experience want a solution that’s a core part of their DXP provider’s portfolio, not a tool off to the side as an ad-hoc consideration,” Jennifer said, “We’re seeing increased adoption because we’re putting our customers in a position to address digital accessibility proactively as part of a broader effort to create digital experiences that are also frictionless, relevant, and safe – or, as we often say, productive.”The Monsido platform addresses common accessibility issues against these latest WCAG guidelines and enables errors to be filtered by the desired level of compliance (e.g. A, AA, or AAA) for easy prioritization. Comprehensive reports explain how to resolve issues, and the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.acquia.com/products/monsido/features/accessibility">Accessibility Fast Track</a> feature empowers teams to instantly fix repetitive errors across multiple pages. This includes elements such as links, images, and text. It also addresses accessibility issues in bulk – all with the touch of a button.For additional support, teams will also have access to Acquia's <a target="_blank" href="https://help.monsido.com/en/articles/4891170-accessibility-help-center">Accessibility Help Center</a>, which breaks down the more technical WCAG 2.2 checks in plain language. This is key, as accessibility still requires human support to help unpack and remediate certain issues like keyboard tabbing for focusable elements. <h3 id="spotlighting-the-importance-of-digital-accessibility">Spotlighting the importance of digital accessibility</h3>Acquia’s stated mission is to help customers build a better digital future – one that's more inclusive, accessible, and sets new benchmarks for performance and innovation. With GAAD just a few days away, Acquia is using this month to spotlight digital accessibility as a critical element of every organization’s digital practices.  “We’re seeing a real shift in organizations who acknowledge that digital accessibility is a priority, which is wonderful because it never should have been seen as a nice-to-have," Jennifer shared. “Of course, there are varying states of maturity here. For some, increased regulatory pressure is still the forcing function. But more often, we’re seeing more business leaders who want to embed digital accessibility into their marketing programs because they recognize that’s the clearest pathway to maximizing the business benefits. And that’s ultimately what differentiates Monsido.” Throughout May, Acquia will offer opportunities for technology and marketing professionals to learn about the state of digital accessibility and get inspired to make meaningful improvements. This includes a host of webinars on subjects like “The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Digital Accessibility,” “The Digital Accessibility Dilemma,” and "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.acquia.com/events/webinars/achieving-near-perfect-web-accessibility-salvation-army-story">Achieving Near Perfect Web Accessibility</a>, which features a use case with the Salvation Army. Collaborative workshops at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.acquia.com/engage/london-2024">Acquia Engage London</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.acquia.com/engage/paris-2024">Paris</a> – as well as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.acquia.com/drupalcon">DrupalCon Portland</a> – will give attendees the opportunity to learn accessibility fundamentals and how to apply them in website design and development. Acquia is also promoting daily accessibility facts across its social channels and even offering downloadable animated American Sign Language emojis for Slack and social media. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>Simply put: because people matter. Every one of us. We all deserve dignity and respect, and accessing digitally equitable experiences should be a basic, fundamental expectation. By all accounts, brands and organizations are waking up to this, albeit slowly. Governments have been exerting pressure, but not evenly or in all places. There's also the persistent lack of understanding around digital accessibility, and whether customers have choices or options to utilize other channels (vis-à-vis making a call versus using an app). At these moments, we should remind ourselves of the impact that ramps and accessible bathrooms have had on our culture, allowing people with disabilities to know a level of freedom and independence they are entitled to. Should we not demand the same from digital experiences?There are great tools out there, and Monsido is certainly among the top of the list. At the same time, it would be shortsighted to pin all hope and responsibility on the tool. Companies need to instill a culture of accessibility at the foundational level – and for those vendors building websites, we need to think about accessibility first and not treat it like an afterthought. Not only will it deliver better results all around, but it will save money in the long run by avoiding labor-intensive remediation or costly fines.A quick side note: We spend a lot of time talking about website accessibility, but native mobile apps should also meet the same benchmarks as places of public accommodation. Not all tools are capable of crawling and identifying issues within mobile apps, but several options, like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.deque.com/">Deque</a>, offer a blend of AI-powered technologies and professional services for mobile app accessibility testing. What's clear is that Acquia is making good on its own commitment to accessibility. The Monsido acquisition was a sage investment, but the company has influenced its optimization strategy by infusing it with accessibility, which brings a cadre of structural standards that can improve a website's SEO health and performance. Keeping in lockstep with the WCAG's evolving standards is another example of how they are delivering greater confidence for customers. And of course, good accessibility is good business – and making Monsido an easy add-on within its DXP ecosystem helps solve problems faster and more efficiently. Jennifer gave us a clue that more of this interoperability and ease of integration is driving Acquia's future roadmap. “Looking ahead, we’ll soon have other announcements that make Monsido even more connected and easy to use in <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/drupal">Drupal</a> implementations," she said, "as well as integrations that provide customers with more flexibility and extend our compliance with global accessibility guidelines.”Finally, I'll leave you with this: at Acquia Engage Boston, I had the opportunity to see <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/habengirma/">Haben Girma</a> give a presentation called The Univeral Benefits of Inclusive Design. As the first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School, Haben has long been a champion for digital accessibility. During her session, she stood in front of a crowded room and delivered a powerful talk – all without seeing or hearing the audience. This would have been impossible without the physical cache of accessible resources, but equally so without digital assistive capabilities.Using her braille keyboard, she shared how technology has unlocked so much for her, even though most tech is developed with non-disabled users in mind. “Disability sparks innovation,” she said. “It spurs creativity that ends up helping everyone.” So the next time you need to add an ALT description to an image, remember that you're not just doing your part to help one person – you're helping one billion.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

Acquia Enhances Website Accessibility with Monsido, Now Supports WCAG 2.2 Guidelines

<hr /> While attending the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/from-accessibility-to-ai-and-beyond-five-key-takeaways-from-acquia-engage-boston">Acquia Engage Conference</a> in Boston last November, we covered an array of news and announcements from one of the market’s leading DXPs. The most notable was around accessibility, reflecting <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/acquia">Acquia’s</a> clear strategy to expand its DXP capabilities with a cogent solution – one that supports digital equality and improves its competitive posture. That came in the form of an “acquisition of an acquisition,” so to speak: <a target="_blank" href="https://monsido.com/">Monsido</a>. This week, Acquia issued a press release stating that the acquisition of Monsido has been successfully completed, bringing the full breadth of its investment to bear as it focuses on growth and competitive differentiation in 2024.A leading SaaS-based website accessibility and optimization solution, Monsido has a decade-long legacy of helping customers of all sizes – and across industries – to monitor and improve website accessibility. Monsido’s best-of-breed features also provide resources for maintaining content quality and governance, enhancing search engine optimization (SEO), improving data privacy, and impacting overall website performance.<h3 id="from-civicplus-to-acquia-dxp">From CivicPlus to Acquia DXP</h3>Founded in 2014, Monsido was most recently the domain of <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/civicplus">CivicPlus</a>, an integrated technology solutions platform focused on the public sector.The new deal structured with Acquia allows CivicPlus to retain and serve U.S. local government customers as a Monsido reseller. Meanwhile, Monsido’s team members in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Denmark – including its two co-founders – have also joined Acquia, bringing focused talent and experience to the DXP’s ranks.“Making accessibility and compliance core to Acquia DXP supports our mission of building an inclusive digital future, and enables our customers to provide web experiences that serve all of their users,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-reny-0a2a0a163/">Steve Reny</a>, President and CEO of Acquia. “We are delighted to welcome the Monsido team to Acquia and look forward to bringing the Monsido platform and its capabilities to more organizations globally.”<h3 id="available-as-an-integrated-or-standalone-offering">Available as an integrated or standalone offering</h3>The Monsido acquisition – initially announced on the first day of Engage Boston – expands the capabilities of Acquia’s digital experience platform, positioning it as the only leading DXP that offers a complete solution with Monsido’s full suite of features. The addition of these tools will enable users to build and manage websites and digital experiences that are more accessible – a strategic ambition that Acquia made abundantly clear during its keynote sessions at the Engage conference. From a go-to-market perspective, Monsido is available as part of the Acquia DXP or as a standalone offering. Acquia is touting Monsido’s composable extensibility, reinforcing that the technology continues to work with any <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management system (CMS),</a> including <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/drupal">Drupal</a> – the open source CMS that provides the foundation of the Acquia DXP. <h3 id="accessibility:-the-new-imperative-for-open-dxps">Accessibility: the new imperative for open DXPs</h3>Accessibility has been a rapidly evolving initiative for governments and businesses for decades. While some tenants of physical accessibility have achieved widespread adoption, digital accessibility has struggled, relying on loosely legislated requirements. While the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/">Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) procured by the W3C</a> have provided a foundation, many websites still fall woefully short of delivering digitally equitable experiences to users. According to an IDC report, fewer than 10% of websites are fully accessible across visual, auditory, and cognitive disabilities. (1)Legislation such as the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ada.gov/">Americans with Disabilities Act</a> and the upcoming <a target="_blank" href="https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1202">European Accessibility Act</a> are now mandating that vendors address digital accessibility. At the same time, marketers are realizing the potential of accessibility to increase conversions, drive revenue, and broaden customer reach. In today’s connected world, digital experiences must exceed consumer expectations for accessibility. This can help enhance brands, build customer loyalty, and ultimately deliver competitive differentiation in a noisy, fragmented world of marketing messages. This is one of the key reasons why accessibility is a strategic imperative for Acquia. As the company noted in its press release, accessibility is also a prerequisite for open DXPs to deliver exceptional digital experiences for all customers. With the acquisition of Monsido, Acquia now offers a complete solution for building, managing, and delivering fully optimized websites to meet modern standards and digital content guidelines – and comply with WCAG and web accessibility legislation. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>For SaaS companies, being purchased once is a big deal. But three times? Lightning in a bottle. While this phenomenon might raise eyebrows for some, Monsido has repeatedly proven itself to be a best-of-breed technology platform and a trustworthy brand. The continued interest and pursuit of its technology also speaks volumes about the efficacy of its software, the value of its intellectual capital, and the addressable market for accessibility and digital experience optimization. Acquia’s purchase of Monsido also reflects how DXPs are getting creative with their expansion strategies. Now armed with core functionality around DAM, CDP, and marketing automation – all now juiced with AI – optimization is becoming a pinnacle initiative for growth and a competitive differentiator within a tight enterprise market. While somewhat unorthodox, Monsido’s textured journey to the Acquia ecosystem may have been worthwhile. The platform’s tenancy under the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/civicplus-completes-acquisition-of-optimere-301565466.html">Optimere</a> umbrella (the parent company of ArchiveSocial and NextRequest) likely injected additional innovation into its roadmap and team culture. As an organization, Monsido no doubt “learned” from its stint at CivicPlus, which purchased all three Optimere solutions in 2021 as part of an integrated, frictionless vision for public sector customers – a marketplace where accessibility is of paramount concern. Government agencies have been swarmed by an onslaught of accessibility lawsuits and evolving compliance requirements for the last decade, and tools like Monsido have become indispensable.  All this experience likely positioned Monsido as a new piece to Acquia’s DXP puzzle. As we covered last November, the company seems genuinely committed to accessibility as a strategic imperative, embracing digital equality at a cultural level and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.acquia.com/blog/acquia-accessibility">vocalizing its path to building accessible software</a>. The investment in an accessibility platform with this clout and staying power is a testament to Acquia’s aggressive growth strategy – and a reinforcement of its commitment to delivering digital equality.(1) IDC, “Web Accessibility: Preparing for Compliance in 2025 Brings an Intersection of DEI and Customer Experience” by Marci Maddox, May 2023 (IDC #US48610922). <hr /><figure class="image"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/cms-kickoff-2024-banner.jpg" /></figure><h3 id="join-us-at-cms-kickoff-2024-next-week!">Join us at CMS Kickoff 2024 next week!</h3>CMS Critic is a proud conference partner at this second annual edition of the prestigious international Boye &amp; Co conference, dedicated to the global CMS community. This event will bring together top-notch speakers, Boye &amp; Company's renowned learning format, and engaging social events.Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move forward in 2024. Hear from leading voices across the industry on a wide range of topics, including:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/andrew-kumar">Andrew Kumar</a>, GVP at Uniform</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/becky-brown">Becky Brown</a>, Content Strategy Lead at Johnson &amp; Johnson</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/marli-mesibov">Marli Mesibov</a>, Content Strategy at Verily</li></ul><h4 id="-"> </h4><img style="width:39.13%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/don-cesar-hotel.jpg" /><h4 id="the-don-cesar:-a-world-class-venue">The Don CeSar: a world-class venue</h4>Is there a better location for a winter kickoff than Florida's beautiful, sugary sand beaches? CMS Kickoff 2024 will be held at the iconic Don CeSar, just steps from the Gulf of Mexico. Dubbed the “Pink Palace,” this majestic hotel and resort provides a stunning backdrop to the conference, along with access to the local food and culture of St. Petersburg Beach.  <h4 id="get-your-tickets-today">Get your tickets today</h4>CMS Kickoff offers an intimate, highly focused experience. Space is limited, and only a few seats remain. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity!<a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff24/tickets">Purchase tickets now &gt;</a>

Acquia Tackles Accessibility and Optimization as it Completes Monsido Buy

cms-critic-staff

<h4>Snapshot:</h4><ul><li>Acquia announced today that it will acquire Monsido from CivicPlus.</li><li>The acquisition will bring enhanced accessibility and optimization capabilities to Acquia DXP.</li><li>Acquia is also partnering with Conductor and VWO to enhance organic marketing and experimentation.</li><li>The announcements were made at the opening of Acquia Engage Boston 2023</li></ul><hr /> Acquia wasted no time engaging the DX world this morning. Just before the official start of its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.acquia.com/engage/boston">flagship conference in Boston</a>, the industry-leading DXP made two splashy announcements – each reinforcing a more complete vision for digital experience optimization.Let's break down the news.<h3>Acquia to acquire Monsido from CivicPlus</h3>Topping the headlines is Acquia’s announcement that it will purchase <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/civicplus">Monsido</a>, a leading SaaS platform for monitoring and managing website accessibility, content quality, and SEO. Acquia will acquire Monsido from <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/civicplus">CivicPlus</a>, an integrated technology solutions platform focused on the public sector. CivicPlus inherited Monsido as part of its broader <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/civicplus-enters-into-agreement-to-acquire-optimere">Optimere acquisition</a> in 2022, a trifecta that also included <a target="_blank" href="https://archivesocial.com/">ArchiveSocial</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nextrequest.com/">NextRequest</a>.At the time, the move seemed a logical growth strategy for CivicPlus, which had built a strong portfolio of government and municipal agencies looking to track, remediate, and secure their ADA accessibility as part of an integrated and inclusive digital strategy. Monsido continued to maintain its brand under the CivicPlus umbrella, a testament to the trust it has built in the marketplace as a go-to solution for accessibility.Now, Acquia is adding the accessibility gem to its crown, further evolving its charter as a digital optimization platform – and helping to scale adoption for Monsido’s bench of solutions. According to the company’s press release, the acquisition not only expands the capabilities of its open <a target="_blank" href="https://www.acquia.com/products">Acquia DXP</a>, but also supports its mission to “help build a better digital future” that’s more inclusive, accessible, and sets new benchmarks for performance and innovation. “Acquia’s vision is to deliver the most open DXP to enable our customers to improve their businesses by creating superior experiences,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-reny-0a2a0a163/">Steve Reny</a>, President and CEO of Acquia. “Monsido empowers digital marketers and website owners with an all-in-one suite of capabilities for website optimization and compliance. Used with any website or as part of Acquia DXP, Monsido helps make digital experiences more optimized, accessible, and inclusive, so organizations can fulfill legal and regulatory requirements, uphold social responsibility, and expand market reach.”From a product, market, and channel perspective, both companies will maintain interests in Monsido through a strategic partnership. Following the close of the acquisition, CivicPlus will retain and continue to support U.S. local government customers using the Monsido platform and become a reseller of Monsido to the U.S. local government territory and market. U.S. state and federal government – and all other Monsido customers – will become Acquia customers. It’s also worth noting that Monsido will be available as part of Acquia DXP or as a standalone offering. “As the leading provider of accessibility solutions in the U.S., CivicPlus remains deeply committed to bringing accessible and inclusive technology to local governments,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-rempe-765bb01/">Brian Rempe</a>, CEO of CivicPlus. “Through this partnership with Acquia, we will continue to make the Monsido solution and its accessibility, quality assurance, and web governance capabilities available to U.S. communities. At the same time, we recognize that accessible digital experiences are critically important for every interaction with every digital property, and we're pleased to know that Acquia's leadership of the Monsido solution will bring this powerful tool to more entities in more markets around the world. By forming this partnership, CivicPlus and Acquia will lead and empower greater adoption of accessible technology that creates positive digital interactions for all technology users.”The transaction is expected to close in early Q1 2024. <h3>What’s driving Acquia’s purchase of Monsido</h3>At the center of the push for digital optimization is consumer expectations. Users demand fast, intuitive, more productive online experiences and interactions – and brands that deliver on these expectations will have a decidedly competitive edge in a crowded, fragmented market. With the acquisition of Monsido, Acquia is now positioned to deliver a complete solution for building, managing, and delivering digital experiences that are fully optimized to meet modern website standards and digital content guidelines. This includes the vital role of accessibility, helping organizations ensure that they comply with the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/">W3C's WCAG</a> standards and web accessibility legislation such as the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ada.gov/">Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)</a>.Thousands of organizations worldwide use Monsido for website optimization, including national and local governments, financial institutions, non-profits, culture and arts organizations, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, utilities, and transportation services. Along with this embedded customer base, Acquia now has a key component to offer customers when managing their accessibility and digital optimization strategies – and a means to do it all at scale. <h3>Enhancing content accessibility for everyone</h3>The addition of Monsido will help Acquia customers achieve even better business outcomes by helping every user – regardless of their abilities – to navigate the web more freely. In addition to enhancing website content accessibility and compliance, Monsido helps organizations improve performance by identifying and fixing website quality issues. This includes common errors like broken links and slow load times. It also supports brand reputation by ensuring website content meets specific brand guidelines. One other advantage is Monsido’s user consent capabilities. The platform enables organizations to manage user consent for cookies and other tracking technologies, supporting compliance with privacy regulations like <a target="_blank" href="https://gdpr-info.eu/">GDPR</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa">CCPA</a>.Monsido is also designed to work with any <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management system (CMS),</a> including <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/drupal">Drupal</a>, the open source CMS that provides the foundation of Acquia DXP. When combined, users can navigate from a flagged issue in Monsido directly to the flagged page in their CMS with a click – or use the Monsido Browser Extension while browsing their website to highlight issues directly on the page. <h3>Expanding digital optimization with Conductor and VWO</h3>Today, Acquia also announced strategic partnerships with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.conductor.com/?utm_medium=press&amp;utm_source=external&amp;utm_campaign=2023_q4_acquia_press_release">Conductor</a>, the leading organic marketing platform, and <a target="_blank" href="https://vwo.com/">VWO</a>, the leading experimentation and conversion optimization platform. Along with the acquisition of Monsido, these partnerships create one of the most complete solutions for digital experience optimization.According to the company’s press release, combining these tools now addresses all facets of optimizing an organization’s online presence, which most modern DXPs can’t fully deliver. By enhancing digital presence, organizations can directly influence user satisfaction and engagement, brand perception, and business success – translating into growth. “Today's DXPs fall short in providing a comprehensive offering for digital experience optimization,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/buytaert/">Dries Buytaert</a>, Creator and Project Lead of the Drupal content management system and Co-founder, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Strategy Officer at Acquia. “Acquia already provides the best platform for building and operating digital experiences. With the acquisition of Monsido and strategic partnerships with VWO and Conductor, we now offer the industry’s best platform for creating inclusive and optimized experiences.”The Conductor partnership will support SEO and content marketing through its comprehensive organic marketing platform that increases organic web traffic from search engines. Leveraging cutting-edge AI, Conductor helps brands identify new keyword opportunities, develop and execute content strategy, optimize content and technical site health, and report on organic search performance.VWO will expand Acquia's capacity to enhance every aspect of the digital experience, introducing a range of advanced functionalities for both Drupal and non-Drupal sites. This includes running A/B tests or creating personalization campaigns using an inline WYSIWYG editor, generating AI-driven content testing ideas, and more. VWO's comprehensive toolkit, including multi-platform testing and personalization capabilities, server-side testing, surveys, session recording, heatmaps, feature experimentation and rollouts, unlocks new avenues for Acquia DXP customers to optimize every facet of the digital journey.<h3>Why it matters</h3>Acquia has long established itself as one of the leading DXPs on the market. Its open source heritage has been a source for innovation – and as platforms pursue digital optimization as the next frontier, that innovation will be key to Acquia’s success.The acquisition of Monsido addresses several gaps in the completeness of vision, and Acquia appears to be taking a more composable route with this feature set. As noted, the product will be available not only as part of Acquia DXP, but as a standalone solution that will continue to serve the CivicPlus ecosystem and the broader market. Accessibility is central to creating inclusive digital experiences. Acquia’s core acquisition of Monsido underscores its roadmap around the importance of digital equality and its confidence in scaling commercial adoption. The additional partnerships also demonstrate the commitment to enhancing optimization with more advanced, AI-powered testing capabilities that give users greater choice as they expand their optimization practices.  Competition at the top of the enterprise DXP market is fierce, and Acquia remains one of the leading platforms vying for dominance on the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.acquia.com/blog/acquia-named-leader-2023-gartner-magic-quadrant-digital-experience-platforms">Gartner Magic Quadrant</a>. While rivals like Adobe and Optimizely have been doubling down on digital optimization, Acquia is gaining ground with these moves – enhancing its competitive posture and giving the market more of the tools it needs.

Acquia to Acquire Monsido, Expands Partnerships to Offer Complete Digital Experience Optimization

<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/siteimprove-seo-provides-all-in-one-capabilities-for-enhancing-search-performance/">Siteimprove</a>, the enterprise SaaS company with solutions for improving website governance and performance, <a href="https://siteimprove.com/en-us/company/press/siteimprove-s-enterprise-platform-delivers-275-return-on-investment/" target="_blank">announced</a> the findings of a new Forrester TEI study – demonstrating that their platform delivered a 275 percent return on investment (ROI) over three years for a composite organization. 
The study also suggests that the Siteimprove investment could be paid back in less than six months – an impressive ROI by any measure and a testament to the accessibility leader's value across the digital stack. 
Despite being known for their best-of-breed <a href="https://siteimprove.com/en-us/accessibility/" target="_blank">accessibility scanning and monitoring solutions</a>, Siteimprove also offers a robust <a href="https://siteimprove.com/en-us/seo/" target="_blank">SEO platform</a> with a range of powerful enterprise features, including enhanced search capabilities. 
Siteimprove has also added two new tools to their ecosystem – <a href="https://siteimprove.com/en-us/ads/" target="_blank">Siteimprove Ads</a> and <a href="https://siteimprove.com/en-us/performance/" target="_blank">Siteimprove Performance</a> – which help simplify Google Ad management and make website performance data more understandable and actionable. This <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/siteimprove-seo-provides-all-in-one-capabilities-for-enhancing-search-performance/" target="_blank">combined suite</a> provides marketers with greater control and insight across their martech stack. 
"Siteimprove's performance-with-a-purpose optimization allows marketers to spend more time on efficient, effective content creation that truly impacts revenue," said Shane Paladin, CEO of Siteimprove. "The Forrester [TEI] analysis validates our core mission: helping marketing teams consistently deliver the most accessible, inclusive, relevant, discoverable and usable content."
<h2>Making sense of TEI and ROI</h2>
TEI, short for Total Economic Impact, is a methodology developed by <a href="https://www.forrester.com/policies/tei/" target="_blank">Forrester Research</a> that's been used by technology consumers and businesses for over 20 years. TEI provides business value justification analysis to help organizations understand the financial impact of a technology investment. It consists of four components for evaluating the impact of an investment: cost, benefits, flexibility, and risk. 
The Siteimprove TEI study included clients from across North America and Europe that are focused on providing a more consistent and elevated digital experience for their customers. Based on the findings, prior to using Siteimprove, the interviewees noted how their organizations lacked the necessary capabilities to deliver cohesive, high-quality digital experiences across their websites. 
By using Siteimprove to identify errors and performance issues within their digital experiences, participants in the study were able to:
<ul>
<li>Refine their site design and UX, leading to nearly $415,000 in savings: With Siteimprove, users were able to methodically apply an insights-driven approach to page redesigns, content creation, and marketing campaign spending. This led to an increase in site visits, higher registrations, and a reduction in marketing spending.</li>
<li>Improve accessibility, resulting in almost $179,000 in savings: By addressing key accessibility concerns such as readability and inclusivity, companies enabled website visitors with disabilities to interact with their brand more effectively. In addition, customers were able to expand their audiences by offering a more seamless experience to a broader base of users. </li>
<li>Automate monitoring and workflow capabilities, leading to more than $75,000 in savings: By leveraging Siteimproves's automated tools and resources, organizations were able to reduce the average time spent on error detection and content monitoring by 90%.</li>
<li>Bolster traffic from SEO, leading to nearly $110,000 in savings: Through web content optimization – primarily the identification and remediation of technical, content, user experience (UX), and mobile issues – Siteimprove users were able to enhance their website content, improve search engine rankings, and drive more traffic. </li>
</ul>
<h2>What customers had to say in the Forrester TEI study</h2>
TEI has become an invaluable resource for many organizations – and with the Forrester name behind it, the quality goes well beyond other independent research sources.
Still, there's no better indicator of success than the voice of the customer. To that end, the study also featured comments from interviewees that codified the benefits of Siteimprove. Here's one from the head of web marketing for an information technology company:
"We have multiple in-country based [sic] websites, all with different teams. I needed a solution that could help us centrally understand the quality of these sites and provide them with easy-to-understand actions to rectify the identified problems."
And another from a marketing analyst in the education field:
“I spend more time now planning optimizations and providing insights to the business. Previously, I was spending a lot of time collecting and manipulating data and not as much time learning from the data. Siteimprove definitely helps with that.”
There's more to glean from the full TEI study. Siteimprove provides a <a href="https://siteimprove.com/en-us/tei-of-siteimprove/" target="_blank">free copy</a> on their website.
<h2>About the Forrester TEI Study</h2>
Total Economic Impact ™ (TEI) is a methodology developed by Forrester Research that enhances a company's technology decision-making processes and assists vendors in communicating the value proposition of their products and services to clients. The TEI methodology helps companies demonstrate, justify, and realize IT initiatives' tangible value to senior management and other key business stakeholders.
<h2>About Siteimprove</h2>
Siteimprove's enterprise platform transforms content into the foundation of winning customer experiences that drive revenue. Marketing teams using Siteimprove's data-driven approach to consistently deliver content that meets strict digital accessibility requirements and is optimized for SEO, and marketing campaigns. Siteimprove works alongside DXPs, giving marketing and web teams end-to-end visibility throughout the content lifecycle. By automating time-consuming tasks, Siteimprove empowers marketers to deliver highly optimized content faster. Over 7,500 companies use Siteimprove to transform their content into revenue and is regularly recognized as a G2 leader across the board.

New Forrester TEI Study: Siteimprove Enterprise Platform Delivers 275% ROI

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Image of Siteimprove logo with graphic showing ROI and payback of less than 6 months

In yet another active week for technology movers and shakers, Nordic Capital has signed a deal to become the majority shareholder in Danish-based <a href="/siteimprove-seo-provides-all-in-one-capabilities-for-enhancing-search-performance/">Siteimprove</a> – an enterprise SaaS company with solutions for improving website governance and performance.
Founded in 2003, Siteimprove has been focused on web usability, providing an all-in-one, cloud-based Digital Presence Optimization (DPO) platform. Their suite of tools and services help organizations enhance their digital accessibility, data privacy, compliance management (such as <a href="https://gdpr-info.eu/">GDPR</a>), content quality and search engine optimization.
<h3 id="leaders-in-website-accessibility">Leaders in Website Accessibility</h3>
Siteimprove has built a strong reputation around their industry-leading accessibility solutions, helping websites deliver an equitable digital experience to people with disabilities. 
One key to Siteimprove’s growth has been an elevated demand for accessibility scanning and monitoring, as websites in places like the U.S. have been under fire for <a href="https://www.natlawreview.com/article/ada-website-litigation-likely-to-increase">ADA compliance litigation</a> – particularly in the public sector. As accessibility awareness has grown, Siteimprove has also matured its training and partner programs, and developed integrations with content management systems (CMS) to help accelerate adoption.
Additionally, Siteimprove’s SEO and analytics tools are powering digital marketing programs and helping brands to enhance their overall website performance. As more businesses pivot to digital transformation in a COVID-19 world, the value of search and website health are becoming more critical than ever.
<h3 id="why-did-nordic-capital-decide-to-invest-in-siteimprove">Why did Nordic Capital Decide to Invest in Siteimprove?</h3>
Nordic Capital stated that Siteimprove has significant long-term growth potential, driven by increasing market penetration, expansion in key customer segments, and past investments in product development and platform solutions. Their goal is to fund Siteimprove’s continued innovation and expansion while elevating awareness for their social mission.
“We have long admired Siteimprove as one of the top SaaS companies globally, with great potential for further growth due to its world-class product offering, strong customer base, and expanding market coverage,” said Fredrik Näslund, Partner and Head of Technology &amp; Payments, <a href="https://www.nordiccapital.com/">Nordic Capital Advisors</a>.
“Nordic Capital will draw upon its significant experience and success in developing technology companies, working closely with the management team to continue Siteimprove’s journey as a strong and sustainable company. We are impressed by the Company and how its products reduce inequality in society by helping people with disabilities gain access to a digitalized world and drive growth across essential digital disciplines.”
<h3 id="more-acquisitions-and-outside-investment">More Acquisitions and Outside Investment</h3>
The last few years have certainly seen a “buying spree” across the digital experience and eCommerce landscape, with Adobe <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2018/Adobe-Completes-Acquisition-of-Marketo/default.aspx">acquiring Marketo</a> <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2018/Adobe-Completes-Acquisition-of-Magento-Commerce/default.aspx">and Magento</a>, Acquia <a href="/acquia-launches-new-open-digital-experience-platform/">receiving a major investment from Vista Equity Partners</a>, and Episerver recently <a href="/episerver-to-acquire-optimizely-the-worlds-leading-experience-optimization-platform/">announcing</a> its plans to acquire Optimizely. 
In a fierce race to acquire customers and compete against commoditization, leading platforms are relying on M&amp;A and outside equity to grow their market value. Leading enterprise platforms – from CRM to email marketing – also appear to be consolidating, offering more all-in-one solutions in a monolithic manner. MailChimp, ConstantContact, and <a href="https://www.salesforce.com/">Salesforce</a> are just a few platforms that are now offering digital marketing, CMS, and other capabilities all in one place.
With this recent announcement, it appears Siteimprove is the latest player to enter the investment game in a world gone digital.
<h3 id="about">About</h3>
<a href="https://siteimprove.com/">Siteimprove</a> offers the world's most comprehensive cloud-based Digital Presence Optimization (DPO) software. The Siteimprove Intelligence Platform provides eye-opening insights that empower more than 7,500 teams to create higher quality content, drive better traffic, measure digital performance, and work towards regulatory compliance – all from one place. They also offer best-in-class technical support, academy courses, services, and technology integrations.

Nordic Capital Invests In Siteimprove, Plans International Expansion and Development

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