Inclusive eCommerce: Best Practices to Make Your Site More Accessible

As the world increasingly moves online, eCommerce retailers face an important challenge – and opportunity. Accessibility isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the key to unlocking your store’s full potential. By making your website more inclusive, you can reach a broader audience, improve user experiences, and demonstrate your commitment to creating a welcoming space for all.

This guide will walk you through the essentials of eCommerce accessibility, offering actionable steps to ensure your online store is usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. Let’s dive into why accessibility matters, the principles of inclusive design, and practical strategies to implement it effectively…

Why eCommerce accessibility matters

Accessibility isn’t just a nice-to-have; in fact, it’s often a legal requirement. Laws like the Equality Act in the UK and the European Accessibility Act mandate that websites and digital platforms accommodate users with disabilities. Non-compliance can result in lawsuits, fines, and damage to your reputation.

Beyond compliance, accessibility opens your site to a much larger audience (which makes good business sense). Did you know that over one billion people worldwide live with some form of disability? By making your online store more accessible, you’re opening your business to a vast, often underserved customer base. At the end of the day, accessibility improvements enhance the user experience for everyone, not just those with disabilities. 

Think of closed captions on videos – not only helpful for people with hearing impairments but also for those watching in noisy environments. Many accessibility improvements, like image alt text and semantic HTML, also overlap with search engine optimisation (SEO) best practices, making your site easier for search engines to crawl. This can ultimately help your site rank higher in the search results, boosting your brand’s online visibility and driving more traffic to your store.
 

Accessibility 101 

The UK’s 2010 Equality Act requires businesses and organisations to make their websites accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. This means removing barriers that could make your site difficult or impossible for some users to navigate.

Website owners are obliged to make “reasonable adjustments” to accommodate disabilities, such as adding text-to-speech compatibility for visually impaired users or ensuring keyboard navigation for those with motor impairments. If these adjustments aren’t made, this could be considered discriminatory.

The Act applies to all sectors, from online commerce to government services. While it doesn’t lay out specific technical rules, it often references the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAGs) as a benchmark for what constitutes a reasonable level of accessibility.

The principles of inclusive eCommerce design 

To create an inclusive eCommerce experience, your site should follow the four guiding principles of the WCAGs.

Perceivable

All users, regardless of their abilities, must be able to access the information presented.

• Provide text alternatives for images and multimedia (e.g., alt text, captions)
• Offer alternatives for audio and video content (e.g., transcripts, subtitles)
• Ensure content is adaptable and easy to view, such as by allowing zooming without losing content clarity
• Use sufficient colour contrast for readability.

Operable

Users must be able to interact with your site using a variety of tools, such as keyboard navigation or assistive technologies like screen readers. 

• Make all functionality accessible via keyboard (not just a mouse)
• Give users enough time to read or interact with content
• Avoid design elements that can trigger seizures, such as flashing images
• Provide clear, consistent navigation aids (e.g., menus, search functions).

Understandable

Make your site’s content and navigation intuitive.

• Use simple language
• Provide clear instructions
• Ensure web pages behave in predictable ways (e.g., no unexpected pop-ups)
• Provide clear instructions for filling out forms or correcting errors
• Error notifications should be easy to interpret.

Robust

Ensure your site is compatible with a wide range of assistive devices and adaptive technologies, both now and in the future (as technology evolves).

• Use clean, semantic code for screen readers and other assistive tools
• Test compatibility with a range of devices and assistive technologies.

Simple steps to an inclusive shopping experience 

To create an inclusive eCommerce experience, your site should follow the four guiding principles of the WCAGs.

1. Use alt text for images

Alt text provides a textual description of an image that can be read by screen readers, enabling visually impaired users to understand the content even if they cannot see it.  For instance, instead of saying "image of shoes," a better description might be, "Red high-heeled shoes with a glossy finish." For decorative images that don’t convey essential information, using a null alt attribute (e.g., alt="") ensures that screen readers skip these images, reducing unnecessary clutter.

2. Optimise keyboard navigation

Test your site by navigating it without a mouse. All essential functions, such as navigating menus, accessing the shopping cart or completing checkout, should be operable with keyboard-only input. Use visible focus indicators (e.g., a highlighted outline around the currently selected element) to show where the user is on the page.

3. Add ARIA labels

Use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes to enhance screen reader compatibility. ARIA labels provide additional context for interactive elements like buttons and links, making it easier for screen readers to interpret their purpose. For example, a button that simply says “Click here” could be enhanced with an ARIA label that specifies “Click here to add this item to your cart.”

4. Ensure colour accessibility

Users with visual impairments, including colour blindness, may struggle with low-contrast text or interfaces that rely solely on colour to convey information. Choose colour combinations with high contrast and use patterns or text labels to supplement colour-coded indicators. For instance, instead of using only green and red to indicate availability, add text labels like “In Stock” or “Out of Stock” to ensure all users can interpret the information.

5. Create accessible forms

Label all form fields clearly and use placeholder text sparingly. For example, "First Name" should be a visible label, not just a placeholder. Error messages should also be descriptive and provide guidance on how to correct issues. For example, instead of a generic “Invalid input” error, a more helpful message might say, “Please enter a valid email address in the format name@example.com.”

6. Design for screen readers

Use semantic HTML to structure content logically and ensure that screen readers can interpret your content effectively. Headings (<h1> to <h6>), lists, and tables should follow a clear hierarchy and avoid overly complex layouts or elements that may confuse or mislead screen reader users.\

Best practices for specific eCommerce features 

Accessible eCommerce features can significantly improve the user experience. Product pages, for example, should include detailed descriptions that go beyond marketing copy to provide essential information in plain language. High-resolution, zoomable images are also beneficial for users with low vision. Your site’s search functionality should also be flexible and intuitive. Predictive text and autocorrect features can help users find what they need, even if their search terms aren’t exact matches. 

For mobile accessibility, ensure your site is optimised for smaller screens, with larger buttons and adequate spacing to accommodate touch interactions. And during the checkout process, simplicity is key. Reducing the number of steps and providing clear instructions at every stage minimises barriers for users with cognitive or physical disabilities. Descriptive error messages are particularly important during checkout, as they guide users to resolve any issues quickly. 

Data validation is an oft-overlooked aspect of accessibility. Fetchify's tools, like address and phone number validation, streamline the user experience by reducing the risk of input errors during checkout. This benefits all users, including those with cognitive or motor disabilities, by minimising frustration during checkout. For example, Fetchify’s address auto-complete automatically completes addresses in real-time, reducing the effort required from users. This is especially beneficial for individuals with motor disabilities or cognitive challenges who may struggle with typing lengthy information accurately.

Accessibility isn’t a one-time project

Accessibility is an ongoing commitment. Regularly audit your site, stay updated on WCA guidelines, and prioritise user feedback. Inclusive eCommerce not only demonstrates social responsibility but also strengthens your business by fostering loyalty and trust among all customers. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to creating a shopping experience that’s welcoming, inclusive, and enjoyable for everyone. 

Ready to start your journey toward accessibility? Explore how Fetchify’s tools can help you build a more inclusive eCommerce site today.