Five ways to enhance your website in 2025
Website design and development continues to evolve rapidly. Websites built today to serve users for years ahead must meet higher and more complex requirements than those developed even a few years ago.
1. Prioritise accessibility and digital inclusion
Accessibility has been a consideration for almost 30 years, but the broader concept of digital inclusion has only recently moved to the forefront. Digital inclusion means designing for the widest possible range of users, including those with disabilities, those using assistive technologies, and those accessing your site in challenging conditions such as low bandwidth or older devices.
We design inclusively at every stage of a project: planning, strategy and specification, design, development, user acceptance testing, launch, and ongoing content management. This approach ensures your website is accessible, welcoming, and usable for all visitors.
Inclusive design considerations include:
- Support for screen readers, high-contrast modes, and keyboard navigation.
- Clear, predictable navigation for neurodiverse users.
- Lightweight pages for slow or unreliable connections.
- Accessible video content with captions or transcripts.
- Compatibility with older devices and varied environmental conditions.
- Readable text through appropriate font choice, spacing, and contrast.
Accessibility in practice
Web accessibility improves online experiences for people with permanent disabilities as well as those with temporary or situational needs. Benefits extend to anyone – from a commuter using a phone in bright sunlight to a user with limited connectivity.
A fully accessible website incorporates:
- Code optimised for text-to-speech and text-to-Braille devices.
- Closed captions or sign language for video content.
- Responsive layouts that adapt to any screen size.
- Colour schemes meeting recognised contrast standards.
Compliance and auditing
Under UK law, you can be held liable for an inaccessible website. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define international standards for accessible design and development, with three compliance levels. We ensure every website we build meets WCAG AA – the benchmark for most organisations – and help you maintain compliance.
We partner with Equalize Digital, a global accessibility specialist for WordPress, to provide advanced auditing. Our Accessibility Checker scans your site, generates detailed reports, and supports the creation of an accessibility statement reflecting your current status and goals.
Additional accessibility tools
In some cases, we recommend supplementary tools such as the ReachDeck Toolbar from Texthelp. This floating on-page toolbar provides features including text-to-speech, translation, text magnification, screen masking, simplified view, MP3 download, and custom display settings. These features enhance usability for people with visual impairments, learning difficulties, or limited literacy skills, while improving comprehension for all users. ReachDeck offers significant discounts for charities and not-for-profits.
2. Implement high-quality multi-language support
Multi-language capability can be a legal requirement for some organisations, and it also enables wider engagement by making services accessible to non-English speakers.
We offer two proven approaches for multi-language WordPress websites:
Neural Machine Translation (NMT)
NMT uses artificial neural networks to translate words in the context of the full sentence, preserving tone, pace, and flow. Delivered via GTranslate, an independent provider using Google’s Neural Translation Engine, this approach is:
- Reliable and natural-sounding.
- Fast to deploy.
- Affordable for large-scale rollouts.
With over 100 languages available immediately, you can speak to your customers in their own language.
WordPress Multilingual Plugin (WPML)
WPML duplicates every page in your chosen languages, with full editing capability for territory-specific content and layout. This method is ideal for organisations with established international audiences or regional teams. We can work with your translators or connect you with our vetted network of professionals to ensure cultural accuracy and quality.
3. Use a robust consent management platform
Data privacy must be integral to your website’s design and function. A consent management platform (CMP) ensures GDPR compliance by detecting and managing all cookies and trackers, enabling informed consent from every visitor.
Most cookies are embedded within other trackers, and some change on each visit. Without a CMP, it is difficult to provide full transparency.
We recommend Cookiebot – a platform-independent solution that works with any website. Our implementation process includes:
- Running a full site scan to identify cookies and trackers.
- Generating a clear, accurate cookie banner and declaration.
- Giving visitors the tools to manage their consent choices.
Benefits beyond compliance:
- Avoiding fines for non-compliance.
- Meeting the data privacy requirements of many funding bodies.
- Building trust through transparent data handling.
4. Add structured data (schema) to your website
Schema is a type of structured data, following the Schema.org standard, that helps search engines, AI tools, and voice assistants understand and present your content more effectively.
Why schema matters:
- Enhances visibility in search results through rich listings.
- Increases click-through rates by providing key information in search results.
- Supports AI-driven search and voice interfaces.
For example, event pages with schema can display dates, locations, and ticket availability directly in Google results, while job listings can show titles, employers, and application deadlines.
5. Optimise for mobile page speed
Website performance, particularly mobile page speed, is a major search ranking factor and a key element of user experience. Faster sites improve engagement, reduce bounce rates, and boost conversions.
We measure and optimise key speed metrics including:
- First Contentful Paint (FCP): Time until the first visible element appears.
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Time until the main content loads.
- Time to Interactive (TTI): Time until the page is fully usable.
- Total Blocking Time (TBT): Time scripts prevent interactivity.
Optimisation methods include efficient coding, image compression, content delivery networks (CDNs), and streamlined design. We ensure repeat visitors are not re-downloading unnecessary files, keeping the site fast and responsive across devices.
In summary
A high-performing, accessible, and future-ready website is essential for reaching your audience, maintaining visibility in search results, and building trust online. By focusing on accessibility and inclusion, multi-language support, data privacy, structured data, and mobile performance, you ensure your website delivers the best possible experience for all users and remains competitive in a demanding digital landscape.
