Creating Inclusive Websites for Coaches and Creatives

Spring is in the air! After an unseasonably cold winter in the Mid-Atlantic states where I live, the temperature is finally reaching a comfortable 50 degrees Fahrenheit. My daffodils are beginning to sprout, birds are starting to come around the windows, and I’m reminded of the the words of Mary and Dickon from The Secret Garden, which I just read with my daughter: everything is starting to "look wick."

This changing season is a beautiful reminder of nature's resilience and diversity—a perfect metaphor for the importance of inclusivity in our online spaces.

The Beauty of Diversity in Nature and Business

Nature thrives on diversity. Every plant, creature, and ecosystem has a place and a purpose, working in harmony to create a balanced environment. Similarly, businesses, especially those led by coaches and creatives, can cultivate inclusivity to ensure that all individuals feel seen, valued, and supported and help to usher in the future we wish to see.

If you, like me, are concerned about the direction the United States and many other countries around the world are headed in, especially regarding DEI, one way to be part of the resistance is to show your allyship. Not performatively through generic statements or good intentions, but through meaningful and impactful inclusion and accessibility efforts in your business and communicated through your website.

It’s about creating an online space that is genuinely welcoming to all.

How to Build an Inclusive Website

A truly inclusive website goes beyond aesthetics — it ensures that people of all identities, abilities, and backgrounds feel represented and accommodated. Here are a few key steps to make your website more inclusive:

1. Use Diverse and Representative Visuals

• If you use stock photography, consider who is being represented. Are different races, genders, ages, and abilities reflected in your imagery? That said, only feature those populations you actually and/or with whom you’re actually equipped to work. Hypocrisy isn’t inclusive.

• If you feature client photos, ensure that your visuals authentically represent the full array of people you serve.

• Representation matters, not only in showcasing diversity but also in making potential clients feel welcomed and seen.

2. Ensure Accessibility for All Users

• Use descriptive alt text for images so that screen readers can convey visual content to visually impaired users.

• Implement an accessibility widget, like the Userway Accessibility Widget, which allows visitors to adjust font size, contrast, and other settings to enhance readability and usability.

• Ensure your website’s color contrast, typography, and navigation are user-friendly. This helps ALL users!

3. Create Inclusive and Affirming Content

• Use gender-neutral language and avoid assumptions about your audience’s identities unless you serve a specific subset.

• Ensure your messaging reflects your values. If inclusivity is one of them, make sure you’re taking steps to learn about cultural appropriation and micro and macro aggressions and that this is reflected through your language, whether it’s through your services, testimonials, or blog content.

• Audit your website’s copy for unintentionally exclusive language or cultural biases.

4. Let Your True Self Shine

• If you’re a coach or creative or other service provider, how are you representing yourself online? Are you allowing your full, authentic self to be seen?

• Authenticity fosters connection. Consider whether you might be unintentionally hiding behind a polished persona rather than embracing the depth of your unique identity.

Let’s Build a More Inclusive Digital Space

As I continue expanding my knowledge through a course on globally inclusive website design, I am excited to bring these insights to my clients. Whether you’re looking to enhance your current website’s accessibility and inclusivity or create a new brand and website that embodies these principles, I’d love to collaborate with you.

Let’s work together to create a digital world that reflects the diverse, vibrant, and inclusive future we want to see!