Why Accessibility Apps Matter in E-Commerce
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to online shopping. Whether you have a physical store or just an online presence, it's essential to provide a personalized user experience to your customers.
Over 263 million Americans enjoy shopping online from their favorite retailers or platforms, such as Shopify, Amazon, or Etsy. With such a large consumer base, it's critical for e-commerce companies to consider making their websites more accessible. This means making sure that the website is easy to use for everyone, irrespective of any disabilities they may have. Read on for a few recommendations to help you find the perfect app for your store.
Accessibility in E-commerce
The idea behind accessibility technology is that all users can interact with your digital products and services, taking into account various cognitive, physical, auditory, and visual disabilities, such as:
Auditory Impairment: Those with permanent or fluctuating ability to hear.
Visual Impairment: Those with partial vision loss or the inability to distinguish certain colors.
Physical Impairment: Those with mobility, agility, and speech difficulties.
Photosensitivity: Exposure to flashing and bright colors that trigger conditions like epilepsy.
As Shopify experts, there are several applications we find helpful. While there may not be a perfect solution (from a technology standpoint), they can offer an effective solution. Founder of Digital Retail Partners, Debra Lutsky, believes the future of e-commerce is about prioritizing consumer needs.
"The biggest change in e-commerce trends is really the importance of convenience and options," she said. "The user is not giving this up and will continue to search for brands that put convenience at the top of their list, even over price."
Top Three App Recommendations
Accessibly
Key Features:
Accessibly app helps you with ADA/WCAG compliance.
Provides content and navigation tools that visitors can apply.
Easy site color adjustment (brightness, contrast, grayscale)
Accessibility Statement included within the widget.
New AI features like generated image
Accessibility Enabler
Key Features:
A user-friendly accessibility widget for mobile and desktop
Provides accessibility certificate & badge and accessibility statement
Supports over 100 languages/translations
Offers a customizable UI and design for color, position, and icons
Flexible accessibility settings, screen reader and keyboard adjustments
Accessibility Toolkit
Key Features:
Shoppers can customize any webpage to meet their requirements.
Mobile-friendly, easy to install, with custom CSS.
Responsive and customizable design (ex. font size, cursor size, pause animation)
In-built text-to-speech tool