Imagine you’ve just spent three days perfecting a summer promotion for your Brisbane-based retail boutique. You’ve curated the perfect palette of sunset oranges and soft creams, designed a sleek graphic with your latest arrivals, and hit 'send' to your entire database.
Two days later, the results are underwhelming. While you were focused on the aesthetic, you inadvertently locked out a significant portion of your audience. In Australia, approximately 1 in 6 people live with a disability, and many more use assistive technologies or specific settings to navigate their inboxes.
When we talk about email accessibility, we aren’t just talking about being 'nice'—we are talking about ensuring your message actually reaches the person on the other side of the screen. Here are the most common mistakes we see small-to-medium businesses make and how to pivot toward a more inclusive (and profitable) strategy.
1. The 'Image-Only' Death Trap
One of the most frequent errors occurs when a brand sends a single, beautiful image as their entire email. To a screen reader used by someone with visual impairment, that email is a total blank. Even for a customer catching the train from Milton to the CBD with a spotty data connection, that email is just a series of broken image icons.If your 'Shop Now' button is baked into a JPEG, and that image doesn't load or can't be read by software, your conversion rate drops to zero. This is why many savvy marketers are moving back to basics. Sometimes, plain text outperforms HTML because it removes these technical barriers entirely, ensuring your offer is readable by everyone, every time.
2. Low Contrast: The Aesthetic Enemy of Action
We often see Queensland lifestyle brands opting for 'sophisticated' light grey text on white backgrounds or white text over busy lifestyle photography. While it looks great on a high-end designer's monitor in a dimly lit office, it’s a nightmare for a customer trying to read your email on a bright, sunny day at South Bank.The Fix: Use a contrast checker tool to ensure your text-to-background ratio is at least 4.5:1. High contrast isn't just for accessibility; it’s for usability. If your customer has to squint to read your pricing, they’ll simply close the app.
3. The 'Click Here' Mystery
Generic link text is the bane of an accessible inbox. Screen reader users often navigate by tabbing through links. Hearing "Click here, click here, click here" provide zero context about where those links lead.Instead of "Click here to see our menu," use "View our seasonal breakfast menu." It’s descriptive, better for accessibility, and significantly more persuasive. When you focus on clear, descriptive calls to action, you move away from vanity metrics and start focusing on the metrics that drive revenue.
4. Ignoring the 'Fat Finger' Factor
Accessibility isn't just about vision; it's about motor skills and environment. Think about a busy parent in Chermside trying to click a tiny link while holding a toddler. If your links are too close together or your buttons are too small, you’re creating 'accidental click' frustration.Button Height: Aim for at least 44x44 pixels. Spacing: Give your links 'breathing room' so users don't accidentally hit the 'Unsubscribe' link when they meant to 'Buy Now'.
5. Over-complicating the Layout
Multi-column layouts often break or reflow awkwardly on mobile devices. If a user has zoomed in on their screen for better readability, a complex three-column layout becomes an unnavigable mess.By sticking to a single-column, logical flow, you ensure that the reading order remains consistent for screen readers and mobile users alike. This simplified approach is often a side effect of choosing the right tech stack; however, be wary of hidden platform costs that might limit your ability to customise these accessible templates effectively.
Your Accessibility Checklist for the Next Campaign
1. Alt-Text is Mandatory: Every image must have descriptive alt-text (e.g., "Summer Collection Navy Linen Shirt" instead of "IMG_001"). 2. Use Real Text: Never put your main headline or offer inside an image file. 3. Check Your Colours: Ensure your call-to-action buttons pop against the background. 4. Test on Mobile: Open your draft on your phone and try to click every link with your thumb only.Conclusion
Accessibility in email marketing isn't a niche technical requirement; it is a fundamental pillar of good user experience. When you make your emails easier to read for people with permanent disabilities, you also make them easier to read for the busy, the distracted, and the outdoor-dwelling Queenslander.Stop leaving money on the table by making your content hard to consume. Inclusive design is simply good business.
Ready to audit your email strategy? If you’re worried your current templates are blocking your customers from converting, the team at Local Marketing Group can help. Contact us today to build an email engine that works for every single person on your list.