Making Websites Accessible: The Popchips Success Story

In a recent article, we discussed at length the series of guidelines that exist to standardize the design of web sites and mobile content. We carefully outlined the consequences of disregarding these design standards and why eCommerce sites can no longer afford to do so. The latter is something the legal team at Popchips understood early in the company’s growth. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the work behind the brand and how their need for ADA compliance formed a longstanding relationship with Resolve Digital. 

The Story behind the brand. 

On a mission to find a healthier way to snack on the same tasty potato chips Keith Belling and Patrick Turpin pursued the creation of Popchips. Their creative minds came together for a year testing different uses of potato and corn products cooked at high pressures and temperatures until finally, they created a new popped chip. They founded the company in 2007, by 2011 it has been voted amongst the top 20 most promising American companies  and today they represent a brand of popped potato and corn products worldwide. 

What makes the brand stand-out? 

Besides their original formula, the brand has utilized groundbreaking eCommerce tactics to reach its consumers at a rapid pace. The company strives to create a unique image for their product across digital platforms, including their site and an amazon store. Their unique value proposition of their product has carried weight among celebrities as well, which has catapulte the reputation of the brand and their eCommerce. Popchips has been able to build a sustainable business and a unique product with high demand. Moreover, they remain true to the colorful creative minds of their founders, particularly on their site. 

What sparked the collaboration with Resolve Digital? 

In 2018 the DOJ stated that even though sites are not explicitly mentioned in ADA Title III, they would still be considered to be public accommodations. At that time Popchips came to realize that their current website has not considered a large number of Americans with disabilities to have real access to the site, given they had not implemented the recommended practices for web accessibility. It was at this time that Popchips’ legal team reached out to Resolve Digital for help in making their site ADA compliant, ensuring access to everyone. 

What was the experience with Resolve Digital like? 

In accordance with the  Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), defined by the W3C, Resolve Digital carefully audited the existing Popchips.com website and made an extensive list of changes that would need to be made to ensure the site was complying with WCAG 2.1 and defined changes required for level A, AA and AAA compliance.  In the end, the company opted for a level AA compliance, so as to make the appropriate changes but not affecting the company in any legal conflict from then on.

It took a total of 4 weeks for our team to implement and audit every change to align with the WCAG 2.1 level guidelines and AA compliance. Resolve Digital also delivered a list of these guidelines so that internal teams like Marketing, which would later edit the website, could confidently do so to continue improving on ADA compliance. 

“From understanding the features required to be compliant and setting best practices in order to be compliant going forward, Resolve Digital was extremely diligent and reliable”

— Olga Lopez,  Digital Marketing Manager at Popchips

With the swift results that Resolve Digital delivered, Popchips received peace of mind for the legal team, confidence for their marketing team, and accessibility to every user on their site.  They would be able to avoid customer complaints and potential lawsuits from eCommerce users. They could continuously and confidently build out new campaigns and content for their site properly. But, most importantly, they increased their opportunities to reach customers with their unique products by transforming the site into a platform accessible for EVERYONE.