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Something I often hear from heart-centered entrepreneurs is that they want to have a website that feels welcoming and warm.
And that might be something you want too. You want your ideal clients to feel included and safe.
And after listening to a few podcasts that dove into how to create an inclusive business, I felt inspired to create this blog to give you ideas on how to have an inclusive website.
Why does inclusivity even matter on a website?
Because when people feel included, they feel safe enough to take the next step.
Speaking as a black person, when I want to go somewhere new, like a restaurant or a hotel, I look for reviews given by people who look like me, because I don’t want to find myself somewhere where people like me are rejected or discriminated against, which in 2022, is still a thing.
And as a woman, when I enter into a business space that has other women, I feel included. I feel represented.
And this is why inclusivity matters. By making people feel included, you are creating a safe and welcoming environment.
So here are 3 ways you can create an inclusive website:
1. Use photos on your website that express diversity & inclusion
If you use stock photos (or team photos) on your website, include a diverse group of people. Even if you don’t use stock photos or currently have a diverse team, you can portray diversity through your testimonial section.
Because when someone sees another person who looks like them giving a testimonial, it makes them feel like it’s safe enough to reach out and work with you.
2. Add a short statement on your website
Another way to do this, especially if you don’t use stock photos would be to add it on your website as a short statement. You can add it in your footer which is at the bottom of your website or you can add it on your ‘About Me’ page.
Your ‘About Me’ page is where you share what you, as a brand stand for so it’s definitely the perfect page to put it in.
3. Collaborate with people that don’t look like you
You can create an inclusive brand by collaborating with people who don’t look like you. And not only inviting them to your platforms but also giving them the freedom to mention how race has affected their business and personal lives.
If you blog, you can have guest blog posts from people who don’t look like you. You can also invite them to your Facebook or Instagram lives, or use Instagram’s collab post feature so that they can create a post on your Instagram page.
It doesn’t have to start and end with your website, but it can go beyond it.
Should I really do this? It feels sort of weird and performative
It’s okay if it feels weird at first. But I promise you that some of your ideal clients will appreciate it.
Sometimes out of a place of discomfort, people prefer to remain neutral and not do anything that feels performative. But as a black woman, it means the world to me when I see someone being intentional about being diverse, including on their websites. So even though it might feel weird at first, it’s a really awesome thing to do.
When people don’t make inclusion or diversity a part of their business culture and only do it when something horrible happens in the world, is when it can feel performative, which is why doing it out of a place of intention and not reaction matters.
So I hope that this was helpful for you, and if you have any questions, feel free to get into my DMs on Instagram.
If you liked this post, you can check out the podcasts that inspired this post:
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Empathic Business Owners with Emma-Louise Parkes and Annie Gichuru
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