eCommerce Websites: Accessibility Problems and Solutions
eCommerce Websites: Accessibility Problems and Solutions
It seems like online eCommerce stores have a general sense of poor accessibility features, which alienate groups of users such as people with disabilities and the elderly. If there’s one way to lose a potential customer from the get go, it’s a lack of accessibility features.
A large number of up to 65 percent of consumers with a disability have been either forced to abandon their cart due to poor accessibility of the online store, or simply given up due to a clear lack of thought into accessibility options.
This is often a very frustrating for the disabled people or elderly people who need sufficient accessibility options in order to use your website to its fullest potential. It does not make sense when websites do not meet basic accessibility needs, while up to 73 percent of consumers are affected by some sort of disability in some way, shape or form.
Retailers are losing out on revenue from seniors, with the seniors already not having the best knowledge in using computers or technology, so that combined with any sort of disability makes operating a website as an elderly person a real challenge. As they often face accessibility issues when shopping online and have less money to spend, they will be hard to convert into actual buyers without the correct accessibility options.
Only 2% of eCommerce websites meet all accessibility needs
Accessibility issues are a common problem and also a growing problem in online stores. Whether this is through lazy eCommerce development, lack of tools when making a website from website builders or simply eCommerce business owners not having enough knowledge in accessibility online, it needs to be addressed.
It appears that many brands are too focused on the aesthetics of their web presence and how pretty their eCommerce website looks as opposed to how practical it is. Neglecting accessibility features in turn neglects a whole section of people who may use your site.
Brands do not consider what the experience of someone who uses and needs accessibility software is like and they often leave out even the most basic accessibility assists. Things such as screen readers or text magnifiers, even something as simple as image tagging and captioning that take barely any time at all to implement; different things that people might utilize to improve their experience have not been considered at all in most cases.
How to improve accessibility
It is said that in 2043, roughly 24 percent of the UK population will be made up by people aged 64 and above. That is a whole load of people who will most likely have some sort of difficulties when browsing online that will require a good standard of accessibility features and factoring in the fact that by 2043 we can expect some real leaps in technology and the internet, it may be even more confusing for elderly people to navigate online.
eCommerce companies can take measures here and now to improve their accessibility capabilities for their eCommerce websites. Hiring an eCommerce Developer is a huge step you can take in not only improving accessibility features but also your eCommerce website as a whole. Websites such as Developer Connection can find you an eCommerce Developer easily and quickly, levelling up your eCommerce website with the professional skills of an eCommerce Developer.