Most websites have issues users never mention out loud. And the data backs it up , 96% of pages have at least one accessibility problem, and the average home page carries 50+ errors. Some of these are minor usability gaps, but many are direct WCAG violations, like poor contrast, missing alt text, and unclear labels; they are everyday design decisions that quietly stop people from completing what they came to do.
In this guide, we have shown how to fix common accessibility issues that silently reduce enquiries, demo requests, and purchases. These are quick accessibility fixes for website conversions, not expensive development work.
Most accessibility issues in websites come from routine UI choices: weak button contrast, unclear link labels, and rushed headings. These are everyday accessibility issues caused by bad UI design, not code-level failures.
If you’re a small business owner or a web designer, these are simple accessibility improvements for small businesses that make your site easier to use and easier to act on.
What are the most common accessibility issues on modern websites?
Most common web accessibility issues are not technical failures; they are design decisions that look “fine” on screen but break usability in real actions. These are the accessibility issues in websites that quietly slow down conversions, because people can’t see, understand or operate elements the way the designer assumed they would.
These patterns show up in almost every small business site we review:
- Low contrast text or CTA buttons, users can’t read at a glance
- Images with missing or vague alt text
- Headings used for styling instead of hierarchy
- Generic “click here” link labels with no meaning
- UI elements that only work with a mouse, not keyboard.
These 5 are where most friction lives, and this is exactly where we’ll focus next.
Mistake #1, Low contrast visual elements
If your text or buttons are low contrast, users won’t interact because they literally don’t see the action clearly. This is one of the most common accessibility issues caused by poor UI design, and it usually happens when you choose colours for aesthetics rather than for usability.
On your Figma or XD screen, the colour looks clean.
But, on your user’s screen, with lower brightness or sunlight glare, it becomes invisible.
And this is where your conversions drop without showing as an obvious UX error.
Watch these friction triggers on your own site:
- light grey CTA text on light backgrounds
- pastel buttons with thin fonts
- hero text placed over bright or textured visuals
Stronger contrast is one of the fastest quick accessibility fixes for website conversions. You can fix it today because when users don’t detect your CTA instantly, they don’t click, not because they’re not interested, but because their brain never registered the element as actionable.
Now let’s look at the second mistake that also hides meaning, not visually, but in how your images communicate.
Mistake #2, Missing or unclear alt text
Alt text is not a “technical SEO field”. It’s the explanation of what an image means , especially for screen reader users. When your alt text is missing or vague, users don’t understand the image’s purpose , so the point of the visual is lost.
Imagine you upload a dashboard screenshot to show revenue growth on your homepage. If your alt text simply says “dashboard screenshot”, the user gets zero meaning because they still don’t know what the dashboard is showing.
A better alt would say “dashboard showing monthly revenue trend and top lead sources” , because that describes the business outcome, not the pixels. This is one of the most common accessibility issues in websites because people assume alt text is a label field, when in reality alt text is supposed to provide context.
The advantage here is that this is a non-designer fix , you can update alt text directly inside your CMS without redesign or development, and it has a direct conversion impact because meaning becomes clear instantly.
Mistake #3 – Poor heading structure
Most websites look visually organised on screen, but the moment you switch to assistive tech or quick skim-reading, the structure falls apart. And here’s something most businesses never consider: what happens if your website isn’t accessible for all users?
Sometimes the reason is not contrast or alt text, it’s simply your wrong heading levels. If your page feels “clear” to you visually, but users still abandon it, it’s just a design without clarity.
Where your heading structure usually breaks:
- using H3 because the font weight feels cleaner
- bold text used instead of proper heading tags
- multiple H1s because it “looks” more important
- applying headings to control spacing instead of content hierarchy
If you’re handling or owning a service page, say for example, A “Web Development Services” page jumps from H1 → H3 for “Process” → H4 for “Pricing”. It looks tidy to you. But for your user, that structure says “Pricing belongs inside Process”. That is not the truth, but that becomes the interpretation.
Headings tell the reader “what to look at first” when they visit your site. And, changing headings is one of the easiest non-design fixes you can simply make without any long overhaul.
Mistake #4 — Non-descriptive link labels
Even if your headings guide the reader correctly, your message still gets lost if your link text doesn’t tell the user what action they’re taking next.
At Beanstalk, we audit dozens of websites every year, and one pattern shows up almost everywhere: link labels create unnecessary friction. The button may look modern and clean, but if the meaning isn’t clear, users hesitate , and they don’t click.
Where we see this mistake most:
- pricing blocks with multiple CTAs
- feature comparison tables
- footer resource links.
- internal blog links directing to next steps
A real example we’ve seen:
A SaaS pricing section had a primary CTA labelled “Learn more”. Users assumed it might go to docs or a generic overview page, but ended up filling forms. During our audit, we fixed it by relabelling it to “See pricing plans” and made the user finally understand what they would get after the click.
This improvement wasn’t content rewriting. This is one of those quick accessibility fixes for website conversions that doesn’t need code and can improve your website accessibility inside your CMS.
Mistake #5 — Interactive elements that don’t work without keyboard
In our reviews, we’ve seen many websites look functional visually — yet break completely when someone tries to use the page without a mouse. And this is not a small group. Studies show that approximately. 25%+ of users depend on keyboard navigation (due to motor limitations, temporary physical constraints, or device situations). If your UI only works with cursor actions, those users get blocked instantly.
Where we see this fail repeatedly:
- dropdown menus that only open on hover
- carousels that only slide when dragged
- tab components that ignore the Enter key
- form fields with no visible focus state
In fact, research shows that 71% of users abandon a site immediately when they hit an accessibility barrier, because the user never reaches the conversion stage, and they lose them because of small accessibility mistakes that no one notices.
Conclusion
Accessibility doesn’t always need big changes. Small fixes, like better contrast, clearer link text, can make your website easier to use and more likely to convert.
If you start with just one page, your homepage or pricing page, you’ll already see where users might be dropping off because something wasn’t clear or usable. And as you continue making these small improvements across your site with trusted website accessibility services, you will reduce frustration and make your website work better for more people.