Online stores have poor accessibility

Up to 65 percent of consumers with a disability have abandoned their cart due to poor accessibility of the online store. Often, websites do not meet basic accessibility needs, while up to 73 percent of consumers are touched by a disability.

Earlier this month, we wrote about the fact that retailers are losing out on revenue from seniors. As they often face accessibility issues when shopping online and have less money to spend, they will cost Dutch online sellers 2 percent in revenue by 2032.

98% of websites do not meet accessibility needs

Accessibility issues are a common problem in online stores. According to research by WebAim, 98 percent of websites do not meet basic accessibility needs. “Brands are so focused on designing websites that look beautiful from a brand perspective that the experience for someone who uses accessibility software is not being considered”, says Dom Hyans, head of strategy at Purple Goat.

‘Brands do not consider the experience of someone who uses accessibility software.’

“That might be screen readers or text magnifiers, or even something as simple as image tagging and captioning; different things that people might utilize to improve their experience have not been considered at all.”

A new revenue stream

Additionally, brands should invest in accessible ways to interact with them, so that customers can come to them with questions. When an online store scores better on accessibility, that means an increased revenue stream. “Disabled customers are extremely loyal, so it is in a brand’s interest to engage with them and not see them as a drain.”

Improving accessibility

According to research, in 2043, around 24 percent of the UK population will be made up by people aged 64 and above. Websites can use the tools provided by the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative. This is an international standard designed to make websites and apps more accessible and usable for everyone, including people who are visually impaired, blind or where English is not a first language.

‘It is crucial to test websites to ensure functionality is available from a keyboard.’

“It is crucial to test ecommerce websites and apps to ensure functionality is available from a keyboard and not just a mouse, that navigation and content can be readable by screen readers and that color contrast between background and foreground is strong enough for people who are visually impaired”, said Debbie Ellison, global chief digital officer at VMLY&R Commerce.