Blog Contributor Randy Bacon
The realm of digital store fronts can be complex and there are some examples of small businesses getting into hot water when it relates to copyright infringement and ADA Compliance. My firm, OSIYO, provides SEO consulting support for businesses in the Oklahoma/Arkansas region and I routinely work with my clients to help them be aware of these potential missteps.
For overzealous litigators, copyright infringement and ADA compliance could be costly to small business owners.
While there’s a lot of emphasis and desire to use strong visuals and impactful imagery when communicating about your brand, there’s a downside if not handled properly.
The danger, however, is that sometimes googling an image to use may seem quicker and easier. But, it comes with a great deal of risk and liability to you and your business. Simply put, it’s not legal. You don’t own it. And, be warned. There are larger organizations who have the staff and resources to sift through countless sites and posts to flag their content and, when discovered, can and often, do, take legal action.
The better solution is to take time to create your own collection of photographs, video and other visuals. But, if you don’t have the time or the talent to do that yourself, you may need to consider for-purchase subscriptions.
We like this infographic created by Visme that serves as a helpful guide on correct image usage.
Further, I recommend checking with your website developer to ensure all images used on your site are in compliance. Note that if they used images that were licensed to them, this may not be accepted to be used on your website.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) extends to the digital realm, too. And, for small business owners, that means expanding web content access to all users. For small business owners, especially those that are ADA Title I or ADA Title III, the first step to consider is your website. Some first steps could include focus on aspects of the site that provide for text transcripts, alternate text tags, easy and organized layout. There are some plugins that help to address most of these issues. One that I have started using is a WordPress plugin Want to learn more? Click for a great overview on the topic or give me a call.
Randy Bacon Founder | Osiyo Digital Marketing & SEO
