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Choosing the right CMS is essential for creating a website that is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, helping you reach a broader audience and comply with legal requirements in many regions. To help you make the best choice, we’re summarizing the findings from Search Engine Journal’s article, Accessibility Champ: Wix, WordPress, Squarespace, Duda, Or…?. This comparison explores how popular CMS platforms stack up in terms of built-in accessibility features, ease of use, and their ability to support the development of accessible websites.
Our goal is to guide you toward the CMS that offers the most accessibility-friendly tools, helping you create an inclusive and user-friendly online presence.
Accessibility Challenges of Popular CMS Platforms
Not all CMS platforms are created equal when it comes to accessibility. Choosing a CMS with insufficient accessibility features can lead to various pain points for your business and customers, including:
- Lost Opportunities: An inaccessible website means people with disabilities may find it impossible to navigate your site, leading to lost potential customers.
- Compliance Risks: Depending on your business location and target audience, you may be legally obligated to check that your website meets accessibility standards such as WCAG or legal requirements such as those of the ADA. Failure to do so can lead to costly fines and lawsuits.
- User Experience Problems: An accessible CMS makes it easier to optimize user experiences for everyone, including those using assistive technologies. Without proper accessibility features, users may experience barriers like missing alt text, improper heading structures, and navigational difficulties.
Which CMS is Most Accessible?
According to Search Engine Journal's analysis, Wix came out on top as the most accessible CMS.
The reason for this is that Wix offers a wide variety of built-in features to help developers easily create accessible websites, such as automated accessibility checks, tools for alt text management, and support for keyboard navigation. The interface also makes it intuitive for users of all technical levels to apply accessibility best practices without needing extensive web development skills.
Other CMS platforms like WordPress and Squarespace also offer good options but tend to require more manual intervention or third-party plugins to achieve full accessibility. WordPress, for example, is highly customizable and versatile, but accessibility often hinges on the themes or plugins used—which may or may not meet current standards.
Duda also performed reasonably well in accessibility, particularly for users focused on template-driven site development. However, its offerings were less comprehensive compared to Wix, especially regarding integrated accessibility testing tools.
In summary, while Wix leads in offering the most out-of-the-box accessibility solutions, other platforms can still be viable choices with the proper customizations and plugins. However, for businesses seeking a hassle-free approach to building an accessible website, Wix is the clear winner.
How Clym Helps You With Accessibility and Beyond
When considering your website’s accessibility, the platform you choose is crucial—but striving towards continuous compliance and helping provide an accessible experience to users requires more than just the right CMS. This is where Clym comes in. Clym offers an all-in-one solution for businesses that need to manage various regulatory requirements, including accessibility.
Our platform is the ONLY solution on the market that combines website accessibility, data privacy, age gating, geo-restriction & VPN access control, and more, into a single, streamlined tool. Instead of juggling multiple compliance tools, our customizable widget integrates seamlessly into your website, reducing both the cost and complexity of compliance while maintaining optimal performance.
Clym’s accessibility features are designed to enhance user experience and support adherence to standards like WCAG 2.1. We provide six pre-configured accessibility profiles tailored to various user needs.
In addition to these profiles, your users can customize their experience with over 25 display adjustments, such as content scaling, font modifications, and color adjustments, empowering them to tailor the website to their preferences.
Whether you're using WordPress, Wix, Shopify, Magento, or any other platform, Clym seamlessly integrates with your tech stack, making onboarding a breeze and helping provide a more accessible experience for your users.
By choosing Clym, you benefit from simplified compliance management—not just for accessibility but for a wide range of regulatory needs—all managed from a single point, so you can focus on what you do best: growing your business.
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