Every Experience Matters: By Making Apps Inaccessible, Brands Lose Out Big

Today’s Every Experience Matters Stat of the Week is…62% of users of assistive technology experience errors frequently.

Nearly two-thirds of users that depend on assistive tech to accomplish daily tasks are running into errors often and at a higher rate than the general population (38%). Not only is that wide delta leaving a chunk of users behind, but it’s also casting aside some of the more vulnerable of our population because of failing inaccessibility. But aside from altruistic reasons, errors in assistive software impact revenue.

Fifty-seven percent of Americans have a disability, 19.9 million have trouble grasping or lifting, 8.1 million have vision impairment and 7.6 million have a hearing impairment. When their needs are overlooked during experience design, the devices and methods they use to browse encounter serious challenges when browsing. Unfortunately for brands that lack an accessible experience, these users are no more forgiving than the general population. Twenty-four percent of those that rely on assistive tech have abandoned a brand after a negative experience.

Three of the top errors reported in the realm of accessibility-related to screen magnification, screen contrast, or the reliability of a screen reader. These are unforced errors that no brand can afford to make. By making every experience matter for only some, a company is really making it work for nobody.

A parting note on security

We would be remiss if we went this entire series without talking about security vulnerabilities. In fact, the top five reported errors in this study that users had zero tolerance for were interruptions, long load times, app crashes, unreliable bots, and weak security. A staggering 57% of users have no tolerance for weak or outdated security and this ties into their overall perception of the brand. 

Sixty-three percent of users said that a bad experience with a brand can make them feel as though their data is insecure - even if the error a consumer encountered had nothing to do with security. While we are in the neighborhood of logic leaps, I’ll also point out that 40% of users think that a company that provides a negative digital experience, likewise sells a poor quality product.

What have these stats taught us? Clearly, brand reputation is hard to build and easy to lose. What are some steps you can take to build a brand of digital confidence and deliver a quality experience every time? Simply leveraging the testing tools available can catch many of these errors before your users ever see them. In a world that demands both speed and quality, a thorough DevOps testing toolchain is your best bet to deliver the customer experience that your users deserve.