How to Build a Safe and Accessible Business Website

Your goal in creating a business website is to attract customers to your company. You will spend much time and effort strategizing the content and designing the site's layout. However, it would be best if you also thought about how to make your website secure and accessible so that you don't drive customers away from it instead. VIP World Services encourages you to follow these steps to save you from potential costly problems from cyberattacks.

Start with a Secure Host

There are several web hosting companies ready to provide a space on the internet for your site. Don't get fooled into automatically choosing the one with the lowest price. Your host is important because you need one that will regularly monitor and update the technical back end of your site.

Look for one that offers the following safeguards:

●  Web application firewall

●  Denial-of-service

●  Structured query language

●  Cross-site scripting

●  Secure sockets layer certificate

Choose a Robust Content System

The customer-facing front end of your website is built in a content management system. Look for a CMS provider who updates its security measures regularly and keeps the system running smoothly. WordPress is a popular program that is easy to use and maintain.

You can take the time to build your business website in WordPress yourself, but it is wiser to hire an experienced web developer to do it for you. He or she will know the measures to put into place to protect your pages and your customers from a cyberattack. To find a talented freelancer, ask other business associates for a recommendation or do an online search. Be sure to check out the freelancer's website, online reviews, delivery time, and how much he or she charges before making your final decision on who to hire.

Build an Accessible Website

You want to ensure all customers can interact with your site, so it is important to build it as accessible to those with disabilities. You can accomplish this by following the four principles of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Your CMS provider or web developer can help you meet the WCAG requirements and avoid the most common accessibility problems.

Create Strong Passwords

To prevent a data breach on your website, cybersecurity experts advise you to create strong computer-generated passwords with two-factor authentication for anyone you authorize to update content or make changes to your site.

Get Malware Protection

Recent statistics show that 43 percent of cyberattacks happen to small businesses, and 60 percent of those go out of business as a result. It is important to take steps to prevent malware from infecting your business website.

These steps include:

●  Keeping IT security patches current

●  Using a firewall

●  Installing antivirus software

●  Restricting the use of USB drives

Educate Your Employees

Internal employees can cause nearly half of the data loss for small businesses by giving cybercriminals access to your website's network. This can result from clicking on a link in a phishing email, sharing their password, or losing their laptop. Hold regular cybersecurity training sessions for all your employees to educate them on protecting your company's website.

Following all of these recommended tips will guide you in creating and maintaining a safe and accessible small business website for your customers. Building your website with these safeguards before you launch it to the public will help protect your company from becoming the victim of a harmful cyberattack.