# Understanding ADA Compliance for Websites

If you are a webmaster, you might be wondering about the necessity of ADA compliance for your website. Legally, this is a complex matter characterized by ambiguity and ongoing legal disputes. Nevertheless, aside from the evolving legal landscape, there are practical advantages to ensuring your website aligns with web accessibility standards. These benefits go beyond mere compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and encompass principles of user-friendliness and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In this article, we delve into the history of ADA compliance for websites, its requirements, and the advantages it can offer.

## A Brief History of ADA and Its Application to Websites

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) aimed to prevent discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Initially, it primarily addressed physical accommodations, such as wheelchair ramps. However, as the internet became integral to daily life, the ADA's scope extended to websites. The ADA's language itself has not been updated to include explicit references to websites and online applications. While federal, state, and local governments are obligated to make their websites accessible under Section 508 of the ADA, the situation is less clear for private websites. In the United States and the United Kingdom, non-governmental websites fall under the category of public sector entities and may face lawsuits from disabled individuals under Title III of the ADA if they are inaccessible. Nevertheless, the Department of Justice has stated:

> “Absent the adoption of specific technical requirements for websites through rulemaking, public accommodations have flexibility in how to comply with the ADA’s general requirements of nondiscrimination and effective communication. Accordingly, noncompliance with a voluntary technical standard for website accessibility does not necessarily indicate noncompliance with the ADA.”

In essence, businesses have the liberty to choose which accessibility guidelines to follow due to the lack of enforceable legal standards within the ADA.

## Consequences of Non-compliance with the ADA

While the absence of federal requirements for website accessibility may provide flexibility, it does not absolve businesses from ADA obligations. Some states have set legal precedents requiring compliance with specific standards. Notably, the 2017 case of Gil v. Winn-Dixie in Florida compelled Winn-Dixie to pay $250,000 for website updates to align with Web Consortium Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The European Union also imposes strict accessibility standards on member states for public sector websites and applications, threatening fines and legal penalties for non-compliance. In jurisdictions without clear legal precedent, a guideline has emerged: if a physical store must meet accessibility requirements, its website version should do the same.

## Benefits of Website Accessibility

Even in areas with lax accessibility regulations, ensuring website accessibility offers numerous advantages. Firstly, it serves as a safeguard against potential lawsuits. Legal interpretations concerning ADA and websites are evolving, with active cases awaiting resolution. By adhering to accessibility standards now, businesses can avoid unexpected legal ramifications. Secondly, it makes sound business sense. Inaccessible websites alienate potential customers. With around 53 million American adults with disabilities, half of whom use the Internet regularly, neglecting accessibility means overlooking a substantial market. Compliance also reflects social responsibility, fostering positive public perception. Additionally, website accessibility can indirectly benefit SEO, as many accessibility measures align with search engine recommendations.

## Understanding Web Accessibility

Although there is no federal definition of accessibility, many refer to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) by the Web Accessibility Initiative. These guidelines comprise four key principles for accessible websites: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.

- **Perceivable:** Content must be presented in a way that all users can perceive, regardless of disabilities. This involves providing alt text for images, alternative CAPTCHA options, and subtitles, transcripts, and captions for media content.
- **Operable:** User interface components should be usable by all, regardless of disability. This requires keyboard navigation and avoidance of time-based constraints.
- **Understandable:** Information and user interface operation should be clear to users with disabilities. This entails consistent navigation, clear instructions for user input fields, and transaction confirmation options.
- **Robust:** Content must be compatible with various user agents and assistive technologies. This involves proper HTML tags and allowing users to determine the name and role of user interface elements programmatically.

## Tips for Getting Started with Accessibility

Here are some practical tips aligned with WCAG principles:

1. Avoid autoplay media, as it can interfere with assistive technology.
2. Refrain from using automatically advancing carousels and slideshows.
3. Ensure dynamic content informs assistive tools of changes, using ARIA landmarks.
4. Consider various disabilities, including colorblindness and photosensitive epilepsy. Maintain sufficient contrast between text and background colors, and avoid flashing images.

## Conclusion

Websites, as public sector entities, must comply with ADA requirements for accommodating individuals with disabilities. In the absence of federal guidelines, businesses must determine their own approach to accessibility. Nevertheless, following established guidelines like WCAG is a prudent choice. This not only shields your business from potential legal consequences but also expands your customer base, enhances your company's image, and can positively impact SEO.

To assess your ADA compliance, you can conduct an **[ADA Compliance Scan](#)**.

**References**
- [10 Ways to Make Your Website Accessible](https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/make-your-website-accessible/) by Ellice. DreamHost Blog. July 24, 2018.
- [Give Your SEO a Boost With These 12 Accessibility Improvements](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-web-accessibility/199500/) by Tamar Weinberg. Search Engine Journal. June 26, 2017.
- [Website Accessibility & the Law: Why Your Website Must Be Compliant](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/website-accessibility-law/285199/) by Kim Krause Berg. Search Engine Journal. January 9, 2019.
- [Your Overview to ADA Compliance for Websites in 2018](https://www.quantumdynamix.net/blog/overview-ada-compliance-websites-2018/) by Craig Kazda. Quantum Dynamix. December 6, 2017.


Understand the nuances of ADA compliance for websites, how it enhances SEO, and ways to implement accessibility features. Dive deep into the WCAG principles for an inclusive web experience.

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A Comprehensive Guide to ADA Compliance & Website Accessibility

# Having Trouble Letting Go? Why Experts Should Handle Your Website Management

Whether you’re creating a new website or you’re maintaining a site you’ve used for years, website management is a vital, ongoing responsibility for the health of your business. Ensuring that you use best practices when it comes to quality SEO, security, updating your site, and staying current on content is a lot to handle, especially when other aspects of your business demand your attention. But website management doesn’t have to fall on your shoulders - trusted professionals can maintain and improve your website, with your oversight, so you can focus on growing your business. If that sounds scary to you, you’re not alone! Letting go of your website management is a big step, but with the right team, your site can soar to new heights. If you’re still not convinced, read 5 key reasons why having experts handle your website management is in your business’s best interest.

## You’ll Get a 360° View of Your Website
Even when you buy a new car, you still have to work on it and maintain it to keep it in good condition. Your website is no different! Fruition’s professionals always start by “looking under the hood” to learn the ins and outs of your website - from coding, to UX design, loading times, and more. This 360° view gives you a complete understanding of your website and its needs that you may not realize on your own.

## You’ll Avoid Losing Content or Site Connectivity
Even seemingly simple changes, if not performed correctly, can do serious damage to your site. Many clients have come to us after making changes that caused their site to go down or accidentally deleting content and not being able to recover it. When you hand off your website management, our professionals ensure all changes are done correctly using a comprehensive QA process.

## You’ll Stay Up to Date Effortlessly
Updating your site can be a hassle - outdated plugins can cause headaches and even small code changes can conflict with existing content. Plus, keeping up-to-date with best practices, such as striving for ADA website compliance, can be challenging.  Our website management team does everything from small changes in code to adding entirely new features and everything in between. Since you can trust we’ll update the site in a safe environment, you can focus on growing your business - we’ll make sure your site adapts and grows with you.

## You Can Choose Your Level of Commitment
Every business has different needs, so Fruition offers a variety of options for website maintenance.  If you’re not sold on completely letting go of your website management, you can buy blocks of time in 10, 20, and 40 hour increments. Our team will address your site’s needs using the given time and when the block is spent, you’re not committed to buying another.

## Learn Best Practices
Your time is valuable, and we want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to ensure your website is growing, not just staying stagnant. If you request a straightforward item that’s relatively easy to execute, our team offers step-by-step instructions with screenshots so you can complete the task in the future. This approach allows you to save your block of time for bigger updates that you can’t complete yourself.  Of course, if you don’t want to do this kind of work on your site, we’re happy to complete each and every update. It can be hard to keep your website growing alongside your business. When you let the experts handle your ongoing website maintenance, you can fully focus on growing your business while the Fruition team continuously develops and maintains your site.  Our team truly cares about the quality of our work and we want to do whatever it takes to help your site thrive. So, are you ready to let go?

**Put the advantage of website management to work for your organization**
                                                   Get in Touch
 



Take advantage of outsourced professional website management for superior SEO, updates, and maintenance. Learn how this could transform your business growth. Explore the potential of your site with Fruition and see the difference today.

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Drive Growth with Expert Website Management Services: See the Benefits

# The Importance Of Website Updates And Why You Should Keep Up With Them

As important as it is to set up a new website correctly, it’s equally important to make sure it continues to perform as expected. Just as you complete regular maintenance on your car to keep it in tip-top shape, updates keep your website functioning as it should. Today, we’re discussing why updates are important and answering some common questions our clients have asked us about website updates. 

## What Updates Does My Site Need? 
Website frameworks provide updates for various reasons, like fixing bugs, adding new features, and optimizing performance. While all these types of updates are important and should be completed in a timely manner, one type of update should take priority: security patches.  When security flaws are identified in WordPress, Drupal, or other software, maintainers work to address them through established processes, especially when vulnerabilities are responsibly reported by open-source community members. Once they’ve identified a fix, they release the update, usually on a predetermined schedule. Since platforms tell the public about the security issue when they release an update, bad actors can determine who hasn’t completed an update and take advantage of the opportunity. By delaying security updates for too long, your site becomes vulnerable to malicious attacks. You don’t need to be specifically targeted, either; depending on the vulnerability, automated scripts can run against thousands of sites in hopes of exploiting those which have not been patched.

## What Happens If I Don’t Update My Site? 
If your site falls behind on updates, it not only becomes vulnerable to security attacks - it can also quickly become outdated and obsolete. When you delay multiple updates in a row, it can be much more difficult to bring your site up to date.  To understand why, consider a staircase that’s being built. When your site’s platform updates, a new stair is added to the top of the staircase. By updating right away, you climb the new step and reach the top of the staircase. Climbing one step is relatively easy, but imagine you’ve waited until 3 stairs have been added. Instead of being able to climb each step individually, you must now jump from your current step to the top of the staircase. Just as it’s difficult to jump 3, 4, or 5 stairs at a time, it's much more difficult for your site to update itself if it needs to jump several versions ahead.  

## Will The Latest Drupal Or WordPress Update Negatively Affect My Site? 
Since most security updates are released in such a way to specifically avoid unrelated changes, chances are your site won’t experience any negative effects from the update. This is especially true if you have an experienced web maintenance team that can review the patches before they are applied. By partnering with the expert developers at Fruition, we can perform the latest updates while ensuring your site doesn’t miss a beat. 

## How Do I Limit The Changes Of Regression When Upgrading?
Open-source frameworks like Drupal and WordPress release security updates to core software as self-contained updates. That way, applying a security patch right away should carry very little risk of regression since it’s only the affected code that’s updated. When new releases to framework code or contributed modules/plugins are made, there may be backwards-incompatible changes to functionality, especially when upgrading to a new “major version” (for example, moving from version 5.1.2 to 6.0). These kinds of updates introduce more changes than others, which increases the likelihood that something in your site could “break,” or just look different than what you were expecting. To prevent any surprises when upgrading, consider the following best practices:
- Always backup your site before performing any updates
- After performing an update to your code, do a thorough review on a local or staging environment to review changes

## How Can I Stay Up To Date On Updates And Run My Business? 
Keeping track of site updates, performing them, and resolving potential conflicts can feel like a full-time job, especially if you have a complex site. Fruition’s Service Desk is a great solution for busy businesses who need help keeping their sites up to date. When you host your site with Fruition, our Service Desk team will help maintain your site, which includes performing updates. As your partner, we’re dedicated to implementing updates and making any necessary changes to ensure your site continues to function as efficiently as possible.  Are you interested in learning more about how Fruition’s Hosting and Service Desk teams can help keep your site up to date? 
Contact the experts today!

Learn why you should perform website updates regularly. Then, read experts’ responses to frequently asked questions regarding site updates.

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The Importance Of Website Updates And Why You Should Keep Up With Them

# Does Your Site’s Imagery Reflect Your Brand Identity?

As the old adage goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Considering the average site visitor bounces from your website in less than 15 seconds, the imagery you use must demand attention, tell your brand story, and encourage engagement. By exploring different types of imagery and understanding the visual impact your choices have on users, you can create a more interesting, inviting experience for site users – which can result in increased trust, loyalty, and conversions. Read More: How To Choose A Color Palette For Your Brand’s Website

## Types Of Website Imagery
Your site can visually tell your business’ story in many different ways. The most common types of site imagery include:
- **Photography: The go-to for most sites, photography is always a good option, especially for sites that want to show a human connection. Try to avoid overly “stocky” images – original photography always conveys more authenticity and trustworthiness.** 
- **Illustrations:** If you want to visualize how humans interact with and use digital products, illustrations are a good solution. Many SaaS companies, like Hootsuite or Mailchimp, use illustrations in addition to screenshots to add visual interest to their site.
- **3D Renders:** 3D renders are great for visualizing physical products. Flat artwork can also be mapped to 3D renderings to create 3D product images, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming product photoshoots. You can create photo-realistic designs and interesting 3D “backdrops” for product imagery using tools like Adobe Dimension.
- **Icons:** Icons are simple representations of concepts and can be used in a variety of applications. Icons are available in a large number of styles, including solid, lined, color, and 3D.

## How do you Determine Your Site’s Imagery?
Your site’s imagery should be closely related to your color palette and logo design, especially if you’re a newer brand. Typically, larger, more established brands can take bigger risks when it comes to imagery and color. For example, Dropbox and MailChimp have recently rolled out some daring color palettes and visual imagery. As established brands, these companies can afford to take bigger risks when it comes to visual identity.  If you’re still developing your brand’s visual aesthetic, create a mood board with your brand’s logo, color scheme, and several examples of imagery. By examining each visual aspect side-by-side, you can begin to create a cohesive visual story.

## Why Is Site Imagery Important?
Effective use of imagery has many benefits:
- Conveys a sense of trustworthiness
- Creates a strong connection to the brand
- Adds visual interest to the design
- Creates a memorable experience

Conversely, ineffective imagery can create a lack of trust, creates a weak connection to the brand, and makes your site boring and forgettable to users.

## Examples Of Great Brand Imagery
To inspire your project, we’ve compiled a few sites that use imagery exceptionally well:
- Fisher-Price: Fisher-Price’s site is bright, playful, and fun – just like the brand. Authentic photography, whimsical icons, patterns, and animations come together to create a visual identity perfect for children’s toys.
- Formula1: The site showcases the brand’s bold fonts and colors. Combined with high-quality photos, lines and patterns, and memorable track illustrations, the site perfectly captures the adventurous spirit of the sport.
- Chobani: With contemporary photography and typography, and playful icons and illustrations, Chobani’s site visually positions the brand as a fresh, fun, and nutritious option.

With just 15 seconds to capture users’ attention, perfecting your site’s imagery is crucial. By aligning your site’s visual story with your brand identity, you’ll gain trust, build a connection with visitors, and create a positive and memorable site experience.

Uncover various website imagery types to boost your brand's connection with users. Draw inspiration from brands that deploy visuals resourcefully.

a group of people standing next to a laptop

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Enhance Your Website Imagery For Stronger Brand Bonding

# How Fruition Stays On The Cutting Edge Of Web Development

Fruition’s award-winning development team relies on open-source platforms like WordPress and Drupal. In addition to using, contributing to, and supporting open-source platforms, Fruition recently hired two open-source leaders to strengthen our team’s knowledge and skillset. 

## Open-source Leadership 
Fruition recently welcomed two leaders in the open-source community to our team: Benji Fisher and Ian Belanger. As leaders in the Drupal and WordPress communities, respectively, Benji and Ian use their expertise and insight to help the team create innovative and intuitive websites. Benji Fisher joined the Fruition team as a Senior Drupal Developer. As a co-maintainer of the migration system in Drupal core, Benji runs weekly Drupal meetings with the migration subsystem team, documents each session, engages with the community, and reviews patches for suggested code changes. His scrutiny and evaluation help the team update Drupal quickly and efficiently without sacrificing quality.  Ian Belanger is Fruition’s Senior WordPress Developer. As a component maintainer for bundled themes in WordPress, Ian tracks theme updates, fixes theme bugs, submits new code, and reviews patches from the community. His work to improve WordPress’s themes has given him an intimate understanding of the platform, which helps give Fruition direction on WordPress site builds. 

## Expert Web Development 
Benji and Ian’s extensive experience in their respective platforms helps guide Fruition’s development team, troubleshoot issues, and help us anticipate changes or updates. Thanks to their knowledge, the development team continues to streamline efforts to deliver client sites in a timely manner. For example, when the development team encounters an error message or issue, Benji and Ian investigate the platform’s open issues and update queue. This allows Fruition to better understand when an issue will be fixed through an update or if our team should write unique code to address the issue. 

## Creating Better Websites With Open-source Software 
Open-source communities are just that - a community of passionate developers who want to help others create better sites. When asked why people should get involved with the open-source community, both Benji and Ian celebrated the strength of the community:  “The WordPress community is very open to helping with issues. If you’ve never asked the community questions before, don’t be nervous - everyone who’s answering has been in your shoes. I encourage everyone who wants to know more about the platform to get involved.” - Ian Belanger  “Karma is real! If you’re actively helping people who need it, people will be more likely to help you when you have a question. This can be a real benefit if you’re working through an issue you don’t know the answer to.” - Benji Fisher  Ian and Benji’s backgrounds help strengthen the Fruition team and enable us to build better websites every day. If you’re interested in creating cutting-edge sites using open-source platforms, we’d love to speak with you. View our open positions today!   

Delve into Fruition's commitment to advanced open-source web development. Find out how industry experts Benji Fisher and Ian Belanger steer the team towards creating innovative, cutting-edge sites.

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Open-source Web Development with Experts Fisher, Belanger At Fruition

# How do I make my Drupal or WordPress site PCI compliant?

## What Is PCI Compliance?
“PCI Compliance” generally refers to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), a set of regulations created to ensure companies safely process, transmit, and store credit card information. PCI security standards were launched in 2006 and have become an integral part of developing a successful website.

## Do PCI DDS Requirements Apply To Me?
Data security standards apply to any organization that accepts, stores, or transmits cardholder data, regardless of size or number of transactions. However, there are varying levels of standards depending on where and how you use or store cardholder data.

## How Do I Know What PCI DSS Requirements Apply To My Site?
E-commerce website owners must determine the “self-assessment questionnaire” (SAQ) level that applies and then successfully implement the applicable PCI-DSS requirements for that level. Depending on your card processor/gateway, they may utilize a third-party approved scanning vendor (ASV) to guide you through this process. Even if your processor does not require this, it does not mean you are exempt from compliance. Completing the appropriate SAQ demonstrates you’re taking the security measures necessary to keep cardholders data safe. The vast majority of e-commerce sites should make it a goal to qualify for SAQ A or SAQ A-EP. These designations mean that part or all of cardholder data functions are outsourced. While your business will still have to work through some security issues to be compliant, they’re not as comprehensive as other SAQs. On the other hand, if your business falls into SAQ D, you’ll need to implement and maintain a much more onerous set of measures. Modern payment gateways all offer A/A-EP compatible card processing options to help you avoid SAQ D. If it’s been years since you implemented your payment solution or your site “sees” raw card numbers at any point, you should make it a goal to upgrade to a more secure process. We can help.

## How do I make a Wordpress woocommerce site PCI Compliant?
Ensuring you have your payment gateway is setup properly and you are not storing credit cards in your ordPress woocommerce database is a good start. If you are capturing or storing credit cards you are certainly not PCI compliant. At Fruition we can provide WordPress woocommerce support to get you PCI compliant.

## How do I make my Drupal site PCI Compliant?
The same PCI standards apply to a Drupal site as other types of commerce sites. At Fruition we can assist with a Drupal support package to get your Drupal site PCI compliant.

## Why Is It Important To Be PCI Compliant?
In addition to meeting security standards and regulations, maintaining PCI compliance provides various benefits, including:
- Customers will trust you with their sensitive information, which leads to customer confidence and repeat purchases
- Improves your reputation with payment brands
- Can contribute to improving your IT infrastructure

PCI non-compliance can lead to lawsuits, canceled accounts, insurance claims, government fines, and erode the trust that customers and partners place in your business.

## My Site Is Served With TLS/SSL (a lock in the URL bar); Isn’t This Enough?
Employing encryption is important (and most modern web browsers will warn users if you’re not) but serving your web site with TLS (often called “SSL”) encryption is not sufficient in and of itself to satisfy the PCI DSS standard at any SAQ level. Another common misconception is that receiving but not storing card data excludes a site from the more stringent SAQ D requirements. If your web application ever sees a full card number - even if immediately sent to a third party without storage - this exposes you to significant risk and compliance requirements. Understanding your SAQ level is crucial for mitigating risk and helping your business succeed. If you’re not sure what SAQ level applies to your business, or need help assessing your PCI Compliance, contact us today.

Dive deep into PCI compliance for Drupal and WordPress to secure cardholder data. Explore varied PCI-DSS standards and the importance of being PCI compliant.

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Tips to Render Drupal & WordPress Sites PCI Compliant - Safeguarding Cardholder Data

# 4 Ways To Improve Your Page Speed

## Why Is Page Speed Important? 
People want answers faster than ever and many aren’t willing to wait. In fact, a Google report discovered that for every one-second delay in mobile page speed, conversions can fall by 20%. In addition to affecting consumer behavior, your page speed can also impact your website’s rankings in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). Google now uses mobile page speed in its ranking algorithm, making it even more important that your mobile site loads as quickly as possible. 

## How Do I Check My Site Speed? 
You need to know how fast Google thinks your site is by using their Page Speed Insights or Test My Site tools, or using a third-party test like PingDom or GT Metrix. If these tools report that you have below-average site speed, be realistic about what will improve your site speed. It’s easy to get caught up in improving your grade a certain amount, which can quickly consume your time and budget. Be practical in your approach and don’t pay an arm and a leg to fix something that will only bring your score up a few points. Instead, use the score to point developers in the right direction and give them a good starting point on what changes would have the greatest impact. 

## How To Improve Your Site Speed
### 1. Optimize Your Images 
Optimizing your images is one of the easiest ways to improve your site speed. Your team should always resize and compress images before uploading them to ensure pages stay below 1 megabyte. Don’t rely on your site’s CMS to resize or compress your images. Some systems only change the image size instead of compressing the photo, while other sites use a preset compression size that may still weigh down your page. 
### 2. Leverage Browser Caching
Browser caching allows static content to be served to a returning visitor faster since the browser doesn’t need to re-download every static asset on subsequent page load (instead they’re stored on your computer and reused). You can customize how long this information is cached depending on how frequently your site is updated or changed, but Google recommends selecting a year-long time frame for static assets. 
### 3. Minify CSS, HTML, & JavaScript
Minification of CSS, HTML & Javascript reduces the markup and code on your web pages to remove unnecessary information without affecting functionality or other visual elements. When developers create code, they may include spaces, line breaks, or comments to make the code more readable to themselves or other back-end team members. Minification removes this extra data from the files that are served to the end users, making for smaller files that they have to download when rendering your website. Minification is a complex process and should be handled by a developer. 
### 4. Use Lazy Loader Functionality 
Lazy loading loads only the required content first, and the remaining content is loaded as the user needs it. This allows the page to load faster since it doesn’t have to wait for the entire page’s content to load. This method is popular with image-heavy sites, and even Google uses it to decrease page speed. For example, when you type a search query into an image search, google loads images for the first few lines, and then uses placeholders for the rest. When you scroll down, the placeholders are replaced with real images.  Improving page speed is an essential part of creating a successful website. Not only will fast page speed help you rank higher, but you’ll also create a better user experience. Not sure where to start when it comes to improving site speed? Contact Fruition today! 

Contact the experts today!

Unlock higher rankings and better conversions with proven speed enhancement tactics. Discover how to optimize images, utilize caching, minimize code, and leverage lazy loading to better your user experience.

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Speed Up Your Site: Techniques for Image Optimization, Caching, Code Minification, and Lazy Loading

# Developer Tips: Testing A Drupal 8 Module On Drupal 9

Support for Drupal 8 ends in a few months, so the push is on to update Drupal modules to be compatible with Drupal 9. There are tools and documentation onporting modules to Drupal 9, but this note addresses one point that has been neglected until now. One simple but important step in making a module compatible with Drupal 9 is to declare that compatibility by adding a line to the module’s .info.yml file. For some modules, that is the only step needed. Once the module has been updated, it’s easy to install it on a Drupal 9 site. But there is a chicken-and-egg problem if some helpful contributor has proposed a change to the module, but the maintainer has not yet adopted it. Perhaps you maintain a Drupal 9 site and want to add that module, or perhaps you are one of the helpful contributors who plans to test the change. Since the module does not declare compatibility with Drupal 9, the usual way of installing the module (and applying the change) does not work. This seems to be the easiest way to install a module with Drupal 9, if the module is in that in-between stage where the necessary changes have been proposed but not yet adopted. This assumes that you manage Drupal with Composer. Using Composer is the recommended method for Drupal 8/9, and it is required for some modules.

## How To Install A Module With A Merge Request
For example, look at the Views URL alias module. There is already an issue to update the module, with the standard issue title: Automated Drupal 9 compatibility fixes. The Project Update Bot opened this issue and proposed changes by uploading a patch. Luckily, a helpful contributor already created a merge request from that patch. This method requires the merge request. The helpful contributor also made further improvements, starting with the changes proposed by the Bot.

1. Scroll down the page to find the Issue fork section, as shown in this screenshot:
![issue-fork-views.png](https://s3.us-east-1.wasabisys.com/cdn.fruition.net/issue_fork_views_f385fe80ca.png)

2. Copy the URL of the issue fork: for this issue, the URL is https://git.drupalcode.org/issue/views_url_alias-3142138. The last part of the URL is the link text: views_url_alias-3142138.

3. While you are here, you might want to open About issue forks in another browser tab, so that you can read it later.

4. You will also need the branch name. To get this, trigger the link labeled “Show commands”. In the third text area, you should see something like this:
git checkout -b '3142138-automated-drupal-9' --track views_url_alias-3142138/'3142138-automated-drupal-9'
The part in quotes after git checkout -b is the branch name.

5. Now that you have the Issue fork URL and the branch name, edit composer.json for your Drupal project. Add a section to the top-level repositories key like this:

>"repositories": [
        {
            "type": "vcs",
            "url": "https://git.drupalcode.org/issue/views_url_alias-3142138"
        },
    ...
    ]
    
For the url key, use the Issue fork URL.

6.. The last step is to require the correct branch of the project, in the form drupal/PROJECT:dev-BRANCH. Continuing with the same example, open a shell and run this command:
composer require drupal/views_url_alias:dev-3142138-automated-drupal-9

If all goes well, then Composer will update composer.json and download the module with all of its requirements. Enable the module and see whether it works with Drupal 9. Remember to close the loop. You are benefiting from all the helpful contributors, and the way to show your appreciation is by posting a comment to the issue. Did it work? Were there any problems? Either way, give details!


Uncover insights to seamlessly transition Drupal 8 modules to Drupal 9. Achieve module compatibility and successful implementation with Composer.

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Upgrade & Test Drupal 8 Modules for Latest Drupal 9 Compatibility

# What Does The Fruition Service Desk Team Do?
At Fruition, we are here to help our clients succeed, not only through the services we provide, but also through education and customized help on a whole range of issues. We know that no matter how good your marketing strategy is, how compelling your content, and how engaging your social media presence is, if your business’s website isn’t working the way it is supposed to or isn’t driving conversions, your business is in trouble. Our in-house team of developers is here to help build out your website, but odds are good that the Fruition team helping keep your website running day-to-day is our amazing Service Desk team. If you’ve never worked with our Service Desk team, or if you need a refresher, here’s what our fantastic website pit crew can do for you and your business. Read more: How Fruition Stays on the Cutting Edge of Web Development

## Comprehensive Support for Your Website
Our Full-service Marketing Service Desk team is dedicated first and foremost to helping solve your site problems, big and small.

### Troubleshooting Plug-ins and Broken Forms
Core and plugin updates are common tasks performed by the Service Desk team because the tools for websites are always evolving, so site maintenance is a constant need. It's important, though, for updates to be completed under the watchful eye of someone who understands the code and can remediate if there are code conflicts. Forms break for similar reasons, or for reasons which are completely singular. Having our Service Desk team on your side means that we can take these headaches off of your plate, figure them out for you, then talk it through with you after we’ve fixed it. 

### Training Your Team on WordPress and Drupal Site Processes
In the same way, the Full-service Marketing Service Desk team at Fruition will work with your team to train them on-site processes for WordPress or Drupal, whichever system your site runs on. We want to gain a greater understanding of how our clients are going to use their site on a daily basis—whether that means they are posting blogs, creating pages, or otherwise. Once our Service Desk team has an understanding there, we work to tailor a WordPress or Drupal training course for you. These training services can range from helping your internal team develop a basic understanding of your website’s platform, or focus on building a decent proficiency in navigating that program. It all is up to you, and depending on your company’s specific digital marketing needs, our Service Desk will make a recommendation on training.  These training sessions can be a great way to supplement other service desk services your company takes advantage of on a daily basis. We build a website because it’s a tool for our clients to use as a business. Having your team build a pretty good understanding of this tool is helpful to your business.

### Riding Out Update Snags
Whenever new core or plugin updates are identified, it is never clear how things on the site will interact with each other. For instance, depending on the platform’s update, something that worked just fine on WordPress two years ago might not work in this version. As any developer will tell you, remediating conflicting code can be a tricky business, but it’s something that our Service Desk team at Fruition excels at. The Service Desk also works to identify which updates help resolve security issues on the platform, and which updates are less crucial, so that your site is less likely to be affected by nonessential updates. When the operating system (OS) makes a larger jump in updates, not all plugins are going to have been tested on the new OS for the platform, which sometimes causes internal breakdown of how the two systems understand each other. In these situations, our Service Desk team helps these two programs understand each other. This reduces downtime on your site and ensures all systems are working, so you can continue building your business.
**Related:** The Importance of Website Updates and Why You Should Keep Up With Them
### Building Out “Mini-Projects”
In some cases, your website might need a tune-up that involves more than just a little work. That’s wonderful! For times when you want a more robust update (like adding a page for hosting video content, for example) the Service Desk team has the capability to work on what we call a “mini-project.” In these cases, the team will build out custom content for you per your specifications and needs. These mini-projects tend to be tasks that might take over eight hours to complete and tasks that require a much more dedicated focus. Of course, if the mini-project evolves into a larger project over the course of discovery, the Service Desk will pass the project along to a dedicated project manager with a more defined scope of work and budget. If it does stay a mini-project, though, you can rest assured that the Service Desk team knows the ins and outs of your site, will address any conflicting codes with recent updates, and can work with you to anticipate future modifications. As you look into the new year, consider whether you need to add any functionality to your website, and don’t be afraid to ask us for help! These mini-projects are some of our Service Desk team’s most rewarding marketing services.  To learn what our Fruition Service Desk can do for you and your business, drop us a line today. We take immense pride in our digital marketing work, and we know that our website support team is ready to help your business succeed in 2022 and for years to come. 





The Fruition Service Desk helps our clients by building out WordPress pages, navigating updates, and more. Here's how Fruition's Service Desk can help you.

What Does The Fruition Service Desk Team Do?

# What is a WYSIWYG?

If you’re not a web developer, adding content to your site or editing existing content may seem daunting. Luckily, WYSIWYG editors make it easier for you and your team to make changes to your site without diving into lines of code. Read on to learn what WYSIWYG editors are, the pros and cons of using them, and tips on how to perform error-free updates using this type of interface.

## What Is WYSIWYG?
WYSIWYG stands for “what you see is what you get.” WYSIWYG interfaces allow you to edit content in a convenient way, even if you don’t know any code. Microsoft Word is a good example of a WYSIWYG interface. Word gives you a blank page with tools that allow you to add and format words, images, tables, and more. What you see on the screen is exactly what you’ll see when you print the document out – hence the name, “what you see is what you get.”

## How do you pronounce WYSIWYG?
You pronounce WYSIWYG like “wizz e wig”.

## Advantages Of Using WYSIWYG To Edit Your Site
There are many advantages to using a WYSIWYG editor. Some of the top benefits include:

- Usability: WYSIWYG editors are relatively intuitive. The interface allows users to add, remove, or reformat text, images, videos, and more without having a background in web development or programming. This can be especially advantageous if you want to make small updates to your site quickly, or you have non-developers adding content to your site.
- Error-proofing: It can be hard to catch a mistake in a block of code, and even harder to correct it. WYSIWYG editors make it easier to catch and resolve errors quickly.
- Templates: Many WYSIWYG editors have templates you can choose from. By using a template, you can speed up the development process and focus on the content you’re creating for your site.

## Disadvantages Of Using WYSIWYG To Edit Your Site
Of course, there are some drawbacks to using WYSIWYG editors, including:
- **You don’t always see what you’ll get:** Websites can be viewed on tablets, phones, and desktops of all sizes, which can make it more difficult to ensure your site looks great on all devices. Some WYSIWYG editors don’t offer responsive designs, which can make your site more difficult to navigate for mobile or tablet users.
- **Limited functionality:** Templates and drag-and-drop interfaces can only take you so far. Depending on your needs, you may need a web developer to create new code or edit the WYSIWYG templates to give you the result you’re looking for.
- **Bloated code:** Some editors generate excessive code. While this won’t make a difference in the final appearance of your site, excess code can increase the loading time of your site.

## Tips For Using A WYSIWYG Editor
WYSIWYG editors can make it easy and convenient for your team to update your site, but there are some tips and tricks to make using a WYSIWYG editor as easy as possible:

- **Paste as plain text:** If you write content in another application, like a word document, don’t directly copy and paste your work into the WYSIWYG editor. Word processors often add hidden characters and formatting that make your content look great on that platform, but can create formatting issues in a WYSIWYG editor. To avoid this issue, Instead, paste your copy in as plain text to remove characters and formatting.
- **Remove Excessive &nbsp:** In HTML, &nbsp indicates a line break. These can pile up in a WYSIWYG editor, especially if you’re editing in the application itself. It can be difficult to spot &nbsp indicators since they can only be seen in the code of the website. To see the code, look for the “Text” button on WordPress Sites or a “Source” button on other platforms. If you’re seeing a lot of huge spaces on your page, check the code and remove instances of  &nbsp as needed.
- **Simplify the slug/URL Alias:** The part of the URL that describes the page’s content is called a “slug” in WordPress and a “URL Alias” in Drupal. For example, this page’s slug or URL Alias is /what-is-wysiwyg. WYSIWYG editors automatically assign new pages a slug, but they may be too long, not descriptive enough, or missing valuable keywords. Check the slug to make sure it follows best practice before the page goes live. If you change the slug after the page has launched, you’ll create a 404 error that will need to be addressed.
- **Use headings appropriately:** Many WYSIWYG editors have heading options. Headings provide a stylistic break in the content, but most importantly, they provide SEO value. Search engines like Google crawl your site and scan titles, H1s (Heading 1) and H2s (Heading 2) to understand the content and serve it up to users. Each page should only include one H1, but you may use several H2s per page. To gain more traffic, be sure to use H1s and H2s to capture keywords and crawlable content, rather than using them as a stylistic choice.
- **Use Preview:** When you’re editing content in a WYSIWYG editor that has a preview feature, it’s good practice to preview your work before you update it. Previewing allows you to view any new work before you fully commit to the update. If you notice something you don’t like about the new work, you can always click the back button to start over or make changes.

Do you need help editing or adding content to your website? Let us know! Our website developers are here to help with your Wordpress support and Drupal support requirements.

Dive deep into the world of WYSIWYG editors. Learn how to effectively use them, their advantages, alongside some useful tips for a seamless editing experience.

Fru-Blog-WYSIWYG-New.png

WYSIWYG Editors Explained: Usages, Advantages and Useful Tips

# Responding to an Unruh Civil Rights Act Violation Notice Pertaining to Your Website: A Guide for Business Owners

Receiving a notice of an alleged violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act related to your website can be concerning. However, it's important to approach this situation calmly and systematically. At Fruition, we have lawyers on staff that work with our web development teams and your in-house or outside console to address Unruh letters. The following information can act as a guide on how to respond to a letter you receive from an attorney threatening a law suit for an alleged Unruh Civil Rights Act violation. 

## What is the Unruh Civil Rights Act?

The Unruh Civil Rights Act is a California legislation that outlaws discrimination based on sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, or sexual orientation [^1^]. The Act applies to all California businesses, and includes provisions for web accessibility under the broader umbrella of discrimination [^2^].

## Steps to Take after Receiving an Unruh Act Violation Notice for Your Website

1. **Don't Panic:** It's normal to feel worried, but remember that this notice is the start of a conversation, not the end of your business.

2. **Understand the Demand Letter or Complaint:** The notice should outline the specific elements of your website alleged to be discriminatory. This could range from inaccessible content to lack of alternative text for images. You may get a demand letter first. This often indicates the law firm is looking for a quick settlement. Before you do anything check in on step 3 and step 4. 

3. **Consult an Attorney:** Seek legal advice from an attorney experienced in California civil rights law and web accessibility guidelines.

4. **Preserve Relevant Evidence:** Keep a record of all the documents and communications related to your website design and accessibility. 
- Download your website in its current state. Use a program like HTTrack to copy a version for offline use and to ensure you save the state that the site was in. 

5. **Audit Your Website:** Examine your website for potential accessibility issues. 
- Use the WAVE tool to see what accessibility issues pop up. There's a chance you can fix them yourself. 

6. **Respond to the Notice:** With the guidance of your attorney, draft and send your response to the notice. Ensure to adhere to any deadlines mentioned in the notice.

## Moving Forward

Going forward, take proactive steps to ensure that your website is accessible and complies with established guidelines like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) [^3^]. Train your team on the importance of web accessibility and the requirements of the Unruh Civil Rights Act.

Also, consider getting liability insurance that covers legal defense and potential settlements related to discrimination lawsuits.

## Conclusion

Receiving an Unruh Act violation notice related to your website can be a turning point for your business, allowing you to ensure your digital presence is accessible and inclusive. While it is essential to take such a notice seriously, remember that it's an opportunity to enhance your business and customer experience.

Remember, professional legal counsel is critical when dealing with these matters. While this article was reviewed by an attorney the circumstances of every demand letter, every alleged violation, and every response are different. At Fruition, we do welcome working with your inhouse or outside counsel to ensure you're as protected as possible. 

[^1^]: [California Legislative Information - Unruh Civil Rights Act](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&division=2.&title=2.&part=2.75.&chapter=&article=)
[^2^]: [W3C - Accessibility, Usability, and Inclusion](https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-usability-inclusion/)
[^3^]: [W3C - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview](https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/)


Unravel the Unruh Civil Rights Act violation notice for your website. Reinforce your web accessibility & handle alleged discrimination efficiently with this guide. Stay compliant and promote inclusivity in your business.

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Strategy & Research

Digital Marketing

Web Development

Creative

AI Data & Analytics

Tony Diaz

Service Desk Lead

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