Technology is very different today than it was 10 years ago. Advances since the release of the first iPhone in 2007 have brought the web to the palm of our hands. Fast forward to 2019, when we are in a world where media consumption through mobile internet has increased 504%, changing the way we access information. Technology has propelled open enrollment into a digital era, one that operates very differently from traditional print communication. Consider two important topics to bring your information into the digital space: web accessibility and user experience (UX).

Open Enrollment and Web Accessibility

At PartnerComm, we provide a lot of solutions for your open enrollment, including giving employees access to their benefit information online. PartnerComm can help you make certain that all your employees can access their benefit information equally online!

When you provide employee communication on the web, it’s important to ensure your website is WCAG compliant. Being WCAG compliant is highly beneficial. Users have a better experience, navigating and using your site without issue, and it makes you look good! If you are looking for online solutions for benefit-related information, you can count on us to do it right. Web accessibility matters in a world connected digitally 24/7.

Gregg Vanderheiden, a technology-access expert, published the first web accessibility guideline in 1995, and it would inspire more variations from different authors and organizations. WCAG is now on 2.1, published in 2018. Web accessibility is constantly evolving and improving as technology changes, so it is important to stay informed and work with a vendor who can help you follow these guidelines.

Keep an Eye on UX During Open Enrollment

When it comes to user experience with web solutions, there are a lot of variables to consider to provide users with a great experience, especially during open enrollment, the most important time during the benefits year. An important variable is what types of devices are being used to access your site, such as a desktop or laptop and tablet or mobile.

It’s also important to consider the ultimate goal of the site. Are there certain features or ways to demonstrate the information that allow users to get the information they need easily? When open enrollment comes around, it’s important that your benefits website provides an optimal experience for your employees. That’s where PartnerComm steps in!

Now that we have solved the problem of making websites work across all devices with responsive web design, providing a seamless experience regardless of device, it’s time to take a step back and figure out how to make the internet a better place to browse for everyone.

When we build website solutions, we keep all the variables in mind to ensure we deliver employee communication in the most effective way possible. A bad experience can lead to users being frustrated, or even worse, not using the site at all.

“What works is better than what looks good. The ‘looks good’ can change, but what works, works.” — Ray Eames, artist

PartnerComm’s developers and designers keep up with rapidly evolving tools and trends and picked up the latest on good web practice at the FEDC (Front-End Design Conference) in St. Petersburg, Fla. One of our favorite takeaways was to design for the needs of the user, not the layout. That’s great advice in today’s world of web design and development.

So, where are we going with employee benefits communication? This is a great question in a world where the online landscape is ever-changing. A common theme of all the presentations at FEDC was user experience. We know that innovation in technology continues, new generations are growing up, and the challenges we face mean we need to adapt so our products are focused around a good user experience. Yes, we have responsive web design now, but that is just the beginning to adapt to an ever-changing landscape. Design to be accessible. Design for reach.

“The web is everywhere, it can be accessed anywhere, and it can be on any size screen. We have no control over any kinds of other use in our work.” —Ethan Marcotte, author of “Responsive Web Design”