Receive a $5000 Tax Credit by Improving Your Tourism Website’s Accessibility

Why You Should Make Your Tourism Website More Accessible

Did you know that approximately 15% of the world’s population lives with either a visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, or neurological disability? Many websites, possibly even your own, aren’t built with people with disabilities in mind and are oftentimes difficult for these groups to navigate. "When a website is designed and developed with accessibility in mind, it allows all individuals the power to access the site," says Mark Shapiro, President of the Bureau of Internet Accessibility.

So what does this mean for you as a business owner? It means there’s an estimated 1 billion people in the world that your tourism business is potentially missing out on simply because of how your site is built.

What You Can Do to Improve Your Tourism Website’s Accessibility

There are many ways to improve the accessibility of your site, including alt text, heading tags, consistent information structuring, captions, and more, but are you missing anything? Here are a few simple, yet oftentimes overlooked ways to make your website more inclusive:

Utilize keyboard shortcuts as much as possible for motor-impaired users.
Avoid Flash, and adopt HTTPS.
Test your design with screen readers to ensure that your content is easy to navigate when read aloud.
Select text colors that are more legible for colorbind or visually impaired users.
Avoid strobing/flashing images, as these can trigger seizures in some people.

These are quick fixes you can start implementing into your site any time, but if web building is new to you, reach out to a trusted tourism website development team for help. Our skilled and knowledgeable team here at AAMP Agency can build you a website that’s not only compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but can also passively perform a variety of tasks for your tourism business – including capturing leads, communicating your company’s values, relaying important updates and announcements, and ultimately widening your exposure.

Accessibility and Tax Credits

Better yet, ADA compliant websites are eligible to receive an added perk not many businesses know about. The Bureau of Internet Accessibility states that small businesses may be eligible for up to $5,000 in tax credits simply by increasing the accessibility of their websites as well as making other minor accommodations to persons with disabilities.

According to the IRS, this credit can be subtracted from a business' tax liability. Guidelines for the tax credit assert that all efforts to improve website accessibility are eligible for a 50 percent credit for any expenditures over $250, not to exceed $10,250, for a maximum benefit of $5,000.

You can download the IRS form here.

Next Steps to Take

Reach out to us to learn more about your options, and let us help you build a more accessible website today. Here at AAMP Agency, we offer two incredible website building options. Our AAMPsite Template Website is available for only $750 down, with a $199/mo managed service subscription. Or for more complex sites, our AAMPsite+ Custom Website is available for $2500 down, with a $299/mo managed service subscription – an incredible deal with a great value. We provide everything you’ll need online for your tourism business – from high speed hosting and daily backups to plugin/database updates and malware threat detection. If there’s a vision you have in mind, we can bring it to life.

Don’t miss out on creating a new and improved website that not only works for your current audience, but for everyone – and receive a tax credit for your purchase at the same time. Schedule a call with us, and learn more about improving your site’s accessibility and reaching thousands of new clients today!