SEO and Accessibility: The Importance for Online Shops

Last Updated on Oktober 28, 2024

This article follows up on „SEO and Accessibility: Creating a Sustainable Website“ and the podcast with Rob Cairns.

I was in my freshman year at college in 1981, taking an Economics 101 course. I don’t remember much from that class except for an example of accessibility. Yes, even back in 1981 – though it wasn’t called that then; it was just an example of making your business available to customers.

The professor gave an example of a store in the neighbourhood – I remember this store too. It was a model store selling military figures and such, and it had a very odd sign in the window. It read: „I am open when I am here, and closed when I am not.“ How can you shop at a place like that? But, somehow this store stayed in business for many years.

I don’t think our online shops today would survive very long if they were so unpredictable – being online or not, having missing pages, or an unreliable checkout process. But it’s a good example of how the ability of people to do business with you is not a new topic. Today it just has hashtags.

• Importance of Accessibility for Online Shops
• How Accessibility Improves Conversions
• A Small but Important Difference: Usability vs. User Experience

What do We Mean by Accessibility?

The meaning of „accessibility“ is the quality of being easy to approach, reach, enter, speak with, use, or understand. Accessibility can mean creating websites so people can use them without restriction too. It is an important part of a business’s sustainable and hygienic marketing.

If we are talking about websites, there are four core principles outlined in WCAG that guide the creation of accessible content. 

• Perceivable (awareness): Information and user interface components must be presented in a way that users can perceive, whether through sight, hearing, or other senses.
• Operable (use it): User interface components and navigation must be operable and usable by all, including those who may rely on keyboards or assistive technologies.
• Understandable (don’t make me think): Information and operation of the user interface must be clear and understandable to all users.
• Robust (sustainable): Content must be robust enough to work reliably with current and future technologies, including assistive technologies. I say „sustainable“, but saying „anti-fragile“ is even better. When we learn from experiences, we build a better core product.

Importance of Accessibility for Online Shops

Having an accessible business – whether it’s online or offline – makes sense. If people can’t access what you have to offer, they can’t buy it.

Accessibility isn’t something new – it’s about understanding your audience and what they are capable of. It’s about context – physical, emotional, device-centric – and it might simply be about something as banal as not having enough time.

Accessibility can be situational, temporary, or permanent. https://inclusive.microsoft.design/tools-and-activities/Inclusive101Guidebook.pdf

Advantage: Expanded Customer Base

Accessible online stores can reach a wider audience, including people with various disabilities. With over 61 million Americans living with a disability, this represents a substantial market segment. By making your store accessible, you’re not only catering to those with permanent disabilities but also to older adults and people with temporary impairments.

Advantage: Brand Image and Social Responsibility

An accessible online store demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity, enhancing brand reputation and showcasing social responsibility.

Advantage: Legal Compliance

Many countries have implemented laws requiring digital accessibility. For example, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) mandates that all EU member states create and implement a legal basis for accessibility by June 2025. Compliance helps avoid potential legal issues and penalties.

What about „alt tags“? Some of your customers might say – „enough is enough“.

„Images that convey information must have descriptive alt text to meet accessibility standards. However, if the same information appears elsewhere nearby (like in a caption), you can mark the image as decorative by using an empty alt="" attribute.“

The primary purpose of the attribute is to stand in for visual content when the user cannot perceive the content visually due to a disability, a slow internet connection, a broken image link, or for various other reasons.  The alt attribute is not intended to do anything else – like boosting your website’s SEO. boia.org

How Accessibility Improves Conversions

At the end of the day, your business is about staying in business; profits aren’t a dirty word – they are a necessity. Accessible online shops can go a long way to helping you convert browsing visitors into shoppers.

Enhanced User Experience

(this is a big one – more at the end)

Accessibility features often improve the overall user experience for all customers. Clear navigation, well-structured content, and intuitive design benefit everyone, not just those with disabilities.

Gone are the days of customer satisfaction. Today we expect customer delight. That should tell you something about the user experience people are expecting.

Reduced Bounce Rates

Accessible websites tend to have lower bounce rates as users find them easier to navigate and interact with. This increased engagement can lead to higher conversion rates. Online shops have bounce rates anywhere from 20% to 70%. What is yours? Ideally having a bounce rate of lower than 30% is something to work towards.

Why do people bounce?

• People bounce out of their carts because they are distracted.
• People bounce out on their carts because your website is slow.

Improved SEO

Many accessibility practices, such as ensuring proper heading structure, also contribute to better SEO. Higher search engine rankings can drive more traffic and potential conversions.

When we talk about accessible SEO, we’re talking about an approach that combines search engine optimization – which includes AI search results – with web and content accessibility.

Increased Customer Loyalty

By providing an inclusive shopping experience, you’re more likely to retain customers with disabilities and their networks. 55% of UK shoppers reported they would abandon a purchase if a site wasn’t accessible.

Mobile Optimization

Many accessibility features align with mobile-friendly design principles. This ensures a better experience across devices, potentially increasing mobile conversions. Ideally, online shopping should be device and platform-agnostic. we’re buying things on Instagram for goodness sake.

Streamlined Checkout Process

Accessible forms and clear error messages can make the checkout process smoother for all users, reducing cart abandonment rates. Amazon offers one-click shopping. How many steps does your checkout process entail? Less is more. Two or three steps is ideal. How long do you like to stand in line at a shop?

By prioritizing accessibility, online shops can create a more inclusive shopping experience, comply with legal requirements, and potentially increase their conversion rates. It’s not just about doing the right thing; it’s also a smart business decision that can lead to increased sales and customer satisfaction.

A Small but Important Difference: Usability vs. User Experience

It’s important to distinguish between UX and Usability. Usability focuses solely on ease of use and is one component of User Experience. UX encompasses the complete interaction between the user and the product.

UX Design is built on three fundamental activities:

1. Coordinated Interactions – These are measurable actions we can monitor and optimize (such as how users select products)
2. Cognitive Interactions – These involve personal experiences we cannot directly control (like how users perceive and experience products)
3. Negative Interactions – These are pain points we need to minimize (such as difficult-to-reach customer service)

Key Evaluation Criteria for Online Shop Design:

• Target Group Alignment: How well do the functions match user needs?
• Technical Performance: How well does the site perform?
• Checkout Efficiency: How smooth is the purchase process?
• Design Quality: How effective is the overall design?

Best Practices for a Customer-Centric Design:

1. Story Menus: Implement horizontal filter menus at the top of product overview pages (use trumps product!)
2. Minimalism: Keep designs clean and uncluttered (less is more)
3. Personalization: Tailor experiences to individual users (not everyone is your customer)
4. Social Commerce: Integrate social elements into the shopping experience (faster and more reach)
5. Sustainability: Consider impact in design decisions (build on a stable core)

Takeaway: Best practices should always align with your customer’s needs and preferences.