This years Pride Month marks 51 years since the first pride march was held in New York City, making a pivotal moment in the Gay liberation Movement, the Stonewall demonstrations. At JACK RYAN we believe that inclusivity should be centre stage in every part of website design - not only during Pride Month, but every single day.
Here's some tips that our team have put together to ensure your website and online brand is more LGBTQ+ friendly.
Making an inclusive experience for LGBTQ+ Users is crucial.
Creating an inclusive site really starts with the user experience; when we start to consider the visual elements that make your site look good, and the functional elements that will ensure a good user experience. However, we need to realise that actually there are elements that go beyond the normal form and function; think of the images, language, colours and even the data you use that has an impact on the emotion of your visitors.
For online business, emotional engagement with a brands' digital content is incredibly powerful that can nurture customer loyalty. When it comes to being inclusive we need to think beyond the normal boundaries and understand our end customers to ensure they never feel excluded or even worse, discriminated against.
Jon Hill, Neuromarketing Specialist at JACK RYAN
Things we can do to make a more LGBTQ+ friendly website
Why not try using more diverse images of LGBTQ+ individuals in balance, there are plenty of royalty free images online and sites such as Shutterstock, Adobe Stock and Envato - these visuals are not only just representative, but they also shape the style and tone of your brand and the perception to user of what you stand for.
Incorporating general neutral terms into your site's content and copy is crucial, removing any questions about gender from the conversation. You need to consider inclusive language by applying general natural syntax throughout your website's copy. You may opt for instance to use neutral occupations such as 'Cabin Crew' rather than 'Air Hostess' or 'Steward', or using 'they' rather than 'he' or 'she' where relevant.
When considering security practices and questions, consider inclusivity at this crucial final barrier to sale and the relationship you have emerging with your customer. Think of a relatively widely used security question of 'What is your mother's maiden name?' - what if the end user doesn't have a mother, but two fathers instead?
Finally remember to not only talk about inclusivity, but show it. Many brands fall short by changing logo's and some branding, but not considering actions speak louder than words. You need to consider your activity and content in a deliberate, thoughtful, and inclusive way.
While there's nothing really wrong with small or big gestures playing a positive role in promoting LGBTQ+ culture, as marketers, brand owners and advocates we can make a big impact by concentrating on the people we interact with every single day.
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