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Link Copied. Video is changing how people shop Once upon a time, shoppers relied solely on ads, professional reviewers, and word of mouth to evaluate a product.

Download Share Share Share this page Close. Think with Google Source: YouTube Internal Data, U. People want to hear the good and the bad To get a full view of a product, people are actively seeking out frank reviews.

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Perspective Looking to win the battle for consumer attention? Take the blindfold off. Learn about the types of information needed as early in the process as possible to ensure that technology products and services brought into your organization will work for people with disabilities.

This section of the Accessible Technology Procurement Toolkit offers some areas to explore with vendors about the technology you are purchasing.

Accessible Procurement Questions is a new resource from the Procure Access Initiative that contains detailed questions to help suppliers and purchasers dig deep into product and service accessibility.

Suppliers can answer these questions in advance to demonstrate proactively their commitment to accessibility. Visit the Accessible Procurement Questions resource on the Disability:IN website.

The Sample Documents section of this Accessible Technology Procurement Toolkit includes examples from Disability:IN partners. Vendor responses should be recorded and shared with the vendor for confirmation to ensure accuracy. Most technology today is multi-functional.

A video player plays videos and also allows users to adjust volume, search for content and move within content. Training modules convey information, collect responses, and evaluate knowledge gained. Potential suppliers of workplace technology should be asked at the outset whether they believe an entire product is accessible, or just certain aspects.

Having a detailed list of what features and functionality are claimed to be accessible, with reference to particular types of disabilities, is a good starting point for meeting overall accessibility goals.

A potential supplier claiming all or part of a product is accessible should be asked to share documentation about how that conclusion was reached. Accessibility testing, also known as accessibility evaluation, can take several forms and all should be explored with potential vendors.

Ask suppliers and potential suppliers to share testing results to help your organization verify the accuracy of the information provided. If accessibility is verified through a third party, ask to meet with that vendor and ask detailed questions. What if potential suppliers recognize that all or parts of the technology they offer are not accessible?

This is an opportunity for follow-up questions about the lack of accessibility and plans for remediation. Questions should be as specific as possible, and supplier answers must be considered carefully. The following questions and others can help turn potentially inaccessible technology into tools that work for everyone.

On this page: One great place to start your accessible procurement journey is by adopting accessible procurement policies. Learn what those policies include and the technology they should apply to.

On this page: Involving people with disabilities is key to the success of an accessible procurement program. Learn how to engage Employee Resource Groups and other disabled employees.

On this page: A culture of accessibility supports accessible procurement. Learn strategies to build that culture in your organization.

On this page: Accessible products start with defining requirements. Learn how to define purchasing requirements in terms of accessibility standards and laws and the needs of people with disabilities. On this page: Have a VPAT? It can help with accessible procurement, but only if you ask hard questions.

Learn more about evaluating VPATs here. On this page: Accessibility is in the details. Learn how to carefully and effectively evaluate bids for accessibility.

Learn how to make sure your delivered product meets contract accessibility requirements, and best practices to keep accessibility on track after the product is in use. Before You Buy: Investigate Accessibility. Accessible Procurement Questions. Disability:INclusive Workplaces Accessible Technology Procurement Toolkit.

Table of Contents Introduction Quick Reference for Common Questions Who is this Toolkit For? How to Use this Toolkit A Note on Language We Value Your Feedback Get Started Part One: Policies Develop an Accessible Procurement Policy for Workplace Tools Why Policy Matters and How it Fits in with a Broader Accessibility Program What Technology Should the Accessible Procurement Policy Apply To?

Find Out Exactly What Features and Functions are or are not Accessible Most technology today is multi-functional. Gather Information about Accessibility Testing and Verification A potential supplier claiming all or part of a product is accessible should be asked to share documentation about how that conclusion was reached.

If tested by an automated tool , ask for the name of the testing tool, the tool vendors, testing rules and protocols, and when and how often in the development cycle testing occurs. If your organization is not familiar with the tool, ask for contact information for the tool vendor and meet to determine tool rules and other appropriate information to evaluate the tools.

The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative WAI has a useful suite of information about web accessibility evaluation tools External link that includes guidance on choosing tools and common features and functions.

Information in the WAI resource can also guide questions about evaluating technology other than websites. Remember, automated testing is never sufficient to fully evaluate technology for accessibility.

We took a look at YouTube data to better understand the “try before you buy” mindset and what this new consumer decision-making process means for brands 1. Neighborhood Ratings by Zip Code If you browse sites like balla.info or balla.info, you can see various data points and resident reviews Previous purchases are often the single best guide to what a customer will buy next, but that information may be harder to capture, particularly from offline

Explore before purchasing - Exploring buyer behaviours has emerged as an essential piece of research. Here are 7 tips for maximising the value of path-to-purchase research We took a look at YouTube data to better understand the “try before you buy” mindset and what this new consumer decision-making process means for brands 1. Neighborhood Ratings by Zip Code If you browse sites like balla.info or balla.info, you can see various data points and resident reviews Previous purchases are often the single best guide to what a customer will buy next, but that information may be harder to capture, particularly from offline

Family WatchDog and Neighbhorhoodscout. com are also great apps worth exploring to learn more about a place before choosing to buy a home there. Start with the metrics you can find within some of these platforms to evaluate neighborhood ratings by zip code.

Nearly every town and municipality has its own dedicated website. And while not all of these sites are super informative, they can provide insights about local parks and recreation , community calendars of events, and governing bodies. com to see more about the community offerings there.

org is an excellent neighborhood information website to help you find reviews, curriculum, and athletics program ratings by the community. You can also look to the various childcare apps to find area providers.

You can even check out tools like Walk Score to determine an official walkability score. A higher walkability score implies that access to area amenities is easy to get to on foot. Walking around in a neighborhood first-hand will also allow you to see the area for yourself.

Boots on the ground is a great way to explore the entire look and feel of a neighborhood before you choose to invest there. Sometimes the best way to get authentic feedback about lifestyles and amenities in a specific community is by talking to those who live there.

Of course, you can find feedback online with a general neighborhood ratings by zip code search. Buying a house with bad neighbors is one thing. But buying a home in a questionable neighborhood overall is another.

Crime statistics matter, especially if you plan to move your family with children. There are several great neighborhood information websites dedicated to reporting crime metrics, like CityProtect.

com and CrimeGrade. Just remember to keep the data in context when comparing a community's population density. Moving to a new area means also taking on a new commute to work.

If the community you have your eye on lies outside of a major metropolitan area , you may want to experience that drive for yourself. Take a day to drive around, including a few drives to and from the office, the grocery store, and other hotspots.

A final walk-through is your opportunity to view the property one last time before it becomes yours. This is your last chance to address any outstanding issues before the house becomes your responsibility. Get started: Your agent will schedule the walk-through for shortly before closing.

Bring your home inspection checklist and other documents, like repair invoices and receipts, to ensure everything was done as agreed and that the home is move-in ready. Get started: Three business days before your closing date, the lender will provide you with a closing disclosure that outlines your loan details, such as the monthly payment, loan type and term, interest rate, loan fees and how much money you must bring to closing.

You will attend the closing along with your real estate agent, possibly the seller and their agent, and the closing agent, who may be a representative from the escrow or title company or a real estate attorney.

However, your own financial readiness is more important than the time of year. Mortgage rates recently hit highs not seen in more than 20 years. Meanwhile, strong demand for homes has pushed prices higher and frustrated many potential homebuyers.

This combination of high rates and high prices has plenty of people wondering whether they should try to buy a home now, or wait for things to settle down.

The answer likely depends on your own personal circumstances more than the condition of the housing market. You can always refinance if rates drop significantly. On the other hand, if your savings are tight or your credit score is less than stellar, it might make more sense to take time to build those before buying.

Rent Index. Each market has its own quirks to consider: For example the taxes, cost of living , job market and housing situation in California will yield different buying conditions than in Texas or Ohio.

And even within the same city, real estate is very localized — you might be surprised by how drastically market conditions can vary from one neighborhood to the next. This is why partnering with a knowledgeable local agent who understands the intricacies of their market is so important.

But homeownership involves plenty of additional costs that you should be ready for. These fees will vary by state and by individual transaction, but they will almost certainly range into the thousands of dollars.

Caret Down. How to sell your house and buy a new one at the same time. How to get the best mortgage rate. How to buy a second home. Jeff Ostrowski. Written by Jeff Ostrowski Arrow Right Principal writer, Home Lending.

Jeff Ostrowski covers mortgages and the housing market. Before joining Bankrate in , he spent more than 20 years writing about real estate, business, the economy and politics.

Michele Petry. Edited by Michele Petry Arrow Right Senior editor, Home Lending. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise. Bankrate logo Editorial integrity. Key Principles We value your trust.

Bankrate logo How we make money. Is location the top priority? Any must-have amenities? Analyze whether it makes sense for you financially. Would renting for another year or two improve your financial standing? Consider how different credit score ranges impact your interest rate, monthly payments and total interest.

Pull your credit reports from each of the credit bureaus for free every 12 months at AnnualCreditReport. Learn other ways to get your free credit report and score. Consider options backed by the federal government. If you qualify for an FHA, VA or USDA loan, your down payment minimum will be considerably lower than 20 percent.

Conventional loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, meanwhile, require just 3 percent down. Figure out how much you can set aside for a down payment, plus a buffer fund for ongoing or unexpected maintenance costs.

Determine the maximum loan you qualify for. From the Magazine December A version of this article appeared in the December issue of Harvard Business Review. HBR Learning. Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®.

Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune companies. Learn how to keep your customers—and their most important needs—front and center. Read more on Customer service or related topics Analytics and data science , Marketing , Sales and marketing and Retail and consumer goods.

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