Monsido Review
Taking the Guesswork Out of Accessibility and UX
What is Monsido?
Monsido is a reputable software company specializing in website optimization and accessibility, offering a comprehensive set of tools to support and advance your path toward website accessibility compliance. Their toolkit includes an innovative Accessibility Module, extensive training resources, automated and bulk fixes, a time-saving fast track tool with prioritization features, the Monsido website accessibility widget, the Monsido plugin or browser extension for Chrome, PDF remediation capabilities in partnership with CommonLook, a convenient Help Center, and various other valuable features to assist you in your journey. The platform aims to enhance website functionality, compliance, and user experience.
Pros
Easy to install
Compatible with various CMS
Extensive accessibility features
Cons
Learning curve: not easy to use
Requires JavaScript to be enabled
Capabilities
Contrast adjustment
Font type & size customizations
Highlighting
Animation control
Cursor adjustment
Color Adjustment
Simplified Layout
IntegrationAutomatic Updates
CSS toggle
Est. 2014
Founded in 2014, Monsido has emerged as a proponent of digital inclusivity, serving an expanding user community over nearly two decades. With a wealth of experience in navigating the complex realm of digital accessibility, Monsido has established its reputation as a knowledgeable player in the industry.
Accessibility Standards
Monsido recommends aiming for a website performance score between 90 and 100, but many universities scored an average of 48 in a 2023 study based in the Netherlands. Issues include large images, excessive widgets or plugins, and poor coding standards. Bottom line: organizations and businesses need a big step up before they are truly accessible.
$16.9 Million
In 2020, Monsido secured a notable $16.9M USD in Series A funding, fueling a product suite expansion and entry into new markets, including the establishment of a UK office. In 2021, Monsido partnered with ArchiveSocial, which led to the creation of Optimere. Monsido and Optimere then joined the CivicPlus family in 2022, further solidifying their position in the industry.
Over 2,100 users
Over 2,100 companies use Monsido, many in the United States in governmental administration. Often used in what’s considered mid-market, Monsido user companies tend to have between 50 and 200 employees and revenues between 10-50 million USD.
4.5/5 on G2
On the respected G2 review site, Monsido has 4.5 stars and several recent awards such as “High Performer Summer ‘23”. “Momentum Leader Summer ‘23”, “High Performer Enterprise Summer ‘23”, “High Performer Mid-Market Summer ‘23”, “High Performer Asia Pacific Summer ‘23”, and “Mid-Market High Performer Americas Summer ‘23”
Monsido history
Monsido, a software company founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2014, has steadily grown to become a prominent player in the accessibility space, rapidly expanding its global presence with offices in the US and Australia, with a strong reputation built by providing effective solutions for website accessibility and optimization. Their journey received a significant boost in 2018 with a seed investment from Vækstfonden, the Danish state investment fund, enabling further development of their platform.
Monsido's goals and performance
Monsido strives to create an inclusive digital ecosystem, evident in its wide range of products. Two notable offerings are the Monsido toolbar widget and the user-friendly Monsido browser plugin. These products are meticulously designed to promote seamless interaction with digital content for users with a range of disabilities.
How does the Monsido toolbar widget work?
The Monsido toolbar widget is a dynamic tool that allows for a multitude of adjustments to enhance website accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Its features are as varied as its user base, created to meet a broad spectrum of requirements. According to a testimonial from a Monsido user, the widget has had a profound impact, simplifying and enhancing web navigation, often a challenging task.
Monsido by the Numbers
Established in 2014, Monsido has been providing its services to users for almost twenty years. By 2023, Monsido has garnered a global user base, showcasing steady growth year after year. It has also received an impressive average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on various review platforms.
To sum up, the review of the Monsido accessibility widget indicates that it is an outstanding tool for achieving online accessibility. As the digital realm continues to progress, Monsido's unwavering dedication to inclusivity and accessibility remains its core value.
Monsido User reactions
Customer testimonials include mentions of a user-friendly interface, positive feedback from users, and fully improved accessibility. Heartfelt testimonials such as these underscore the impact of AccessiBe's mission.
Easy to Setup
This was a standout point
mentioned multiple
times by reviewers
Ease of use
Monsido has been
noted as
being easy to use by multiple reviewers
What does the Monsido toolbar widget do?
The Monsido PageAssist™ toolbar widget provides an array of comprehensive features aimed at delivering an enriched user experience. It is a flexible tool that exemplifies customization, offering an unmatched level of adaptability that caters to the unique needs of every user. Each feature has been thoughtfully incorporated with a specific intent, transforming the widget into a multi-faceted platform that addresses the diverse requirements of individuals navigating the digital realm.
PageAssist dynamically adjusts your website to enhance usability and visual accessibility. Users have the ability to personalize various aspects such as colors, fonts, font size, cursor size, text spacing, default contrast, and formatting. These modifications enable individuals to consume your website's content according to their specific requirements, tailoring its appearance to suit their needs. Additionally, visitors can easily identify and navigate through menu items, simplifying the browsing experience.
Font Selection & Size
The Monsido widget provides a range of customizable text options, enhancing readability and usability based on individual preferences and requirements. For example, users can choose from various font types, which proves particularly advantageous for those with dyslexia or visual impairments. This feature empowers them to select the font type that maximizes legibility and comprehension according to their specific needs and preferences. Additionally, it improves overall readability, creating a more user-friendly experience for anyone navigating the digital realm.
Users can easily adjust the font size to a level that offers optimal comfort. This functionality is essential for individuals with visual impairments, enabling them to access digital content without straining their eyes. And, it significantly enhances the reading experience for users facing temporary visual difficulties, such as tired eyes or environments with poor lighting conditions.
Text Spacing Adjustment
The Monsido widget also permits users to customize the spacing between lines and characters of text, resulting in a smoother reading flow and improved comprehension for individuals with dyslexia or attention deficit disorders.
Content Highlighting
Users have the choice to emphasize links, headers, or even hover effects, facilitating easier website navigation.
Animation Control
The Monsido widget allows users to disable animations on websites, reducing distractions and potential triggers for seizures or nausea. This feature is of utmost importance for individuals with conditions such as epilepsy or ADHD.
Cursor Customization
The widget offers users the option to modify the size or shape of their cursor, enhancing visibility.
Additional Features
The Monsido widget encompasses numerous other features that aim to enhance user experience, including color adjustments and simplification of page layouts.
Monsido Toolbar Widget Interface and Usability
The Monsido toolbar widget interface has been meticulously crafted to offer an intuitive and user-friendly experience. Despite encompassing a broad range of advanced features, its design ensures that users can effortlessly find and implement the necessary adjustments they need, streamlining their interaction with the digital environment.
Installation and integration
How to Easily Install the Monsido Widget
installing the Monsido widget is quite simple. The process involves incorporating a JavaScript code snippet into the HTML framework of your website. To make things even easier, Monsido offers detailed step-by-step instructions, complete with screenshots, which can be conveniently accessed on their website.
What are Monsido Plug-In Integration Options?
Contemporary content management systems (CMS) typically offer user-friendly options for incorporating custom scripts into web pages. To learn how to install custom scripts on all pages, consult the CMS manual or seek guidance from the CMS vendor. If a guide is available for installing the Google Analytics™ script within the CMS, that guide can be utilized for installing the Monsido script as well. It is also possible to use the Monsido API to integrate the platform as a development tool in your applications, with options to create custom plugins and workflows.
Prerequisites for the Monsido Widget
For the Monsido widget to function optimally, it is essential for users to ensure that JavaScript is enabled in their internet browsers. In addition to this requirement, the widget has been meticulously configured to work seamlessly on a wide range of platforms and devices, thereby enhancing its accessibility.
Although not strictly a prerequisite, the Monsido Chrome Extension can prove highly beneficial in aiding your team to detect and rectify website content issues.
Maintaining Monsido Widget Effectiveness
The Monsido widget periodically auto-updates, ensuring its efficiency and up-to-date performance with minimal effort required from the user..
What Does the Monsido Platform Do?
Monsido offers a range of tools beyond the Monsido widget. These tools include content and quality assurance, web governance, SEO optimization, and more. The Monsido plugin integrates smoothly with various content management systems (CMS) to simplify accessibility management.
Here is a breakdown of what Monsido's platform tools can help you achieve:
Web Accessibility – Make your website more accessible and inclusive for all, while adhering to WCAG 2.1 standards.
Quality Assurance – Prevent a negative user experience by addressing issues like broken links, misspellings, and inaccurate content.
Statistics – Receive detailed and easy-to-understand analytics to inform your decision-making process.
Policies – Maintain brand consistency by identifying violations of style guidelines and outdated content.
Management – Effectively manage your domains and delegate tasks within your team, all on a unified platform.
Prioritized Content – Identify critical errors on your website and allocate resources efficiently by addressing the most important issues first.
SEO – Boost your search engine rankings by identifying and optimizing SEO errors on each web page.
Heartbeat – Continuously monitor your website's performance in real time, promptly addressing slow response times or downtime.
Compliance Shield – Access a comprehensive set of tools to swiftly build an inclusive and compliant web experience.
Browser Extension – Save time while browsing your website with in-context indicators for web governance and accessibility.
Heatmaps – Enhance your website's user experience by gaining insights into visitor interactions and behaviors on your pages.
Consent Manager – Take charge of user and cookie consent on your website, providing visitors with an accessible, trustworthy, and user-friendly experience.
Judgment Time: Is Monsido Beneficial?
For Users with Disabilities
After thoroughly evaluating the Monsido accessibility widget, we strongly believe that this tool significantly transforms the online experience for individuals with disabilities. It grants them the freedom to customize their web browsing experience to a remarkable degree, allowing for enhanced independence. By offering personalized navigation based on individual needs and preferences, it promotes inclusivity and bridges the historical digital divide that has hindered accessibility.
For Business Owners
The Monsido widget offers a comprehensive solution for businesses to ensure website accessibility and compliance with legal requirements. It is particularly popular among mid-sized organizations. By using this tool, businesses can expand their customer base by catering to users with diverse accessibility needs. In addition to boosting traffic and potential revenues, implementing the Monsido widget enhances brand image, positioning the business as inclusive and progressive. This fosters stronger connections with users and improves the business's reputation in the marketplace.
