Last Updated | February 20, 2023
Are you worried about the tacky look of your site or trying to make it ADA-compliant? Then the Shopify accessibility guideline is the way to go!
In this blog, we are to discuss the accessibility part of the Shopify store development process, its importance, and lastly, the improvement.
- There are nearly 6.5 million active sites on Shopify; hence a proper accessibility guideline is a must to rate all the sites centrally.
- 29% of all the eCommerce sites in the USA use Shopify as their main CMS.
- Shopify brings about 57 million unique users monthly.
Accessibility Shopify refers to the practice of designing and building e-commerce websites that can be used by people with disabilities, including those with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments.
The goal of Shopify accessibility is to provide an inclusive experience for all users, regardless of their abilities, and to ensure that everyone can navigate and use the website easily and effectively.
Shopify provides several built-in accessibility features and tools to help merchants make their websites more accessible, including alt text for images, keyboard navigation, and support for screen readers. Additionally, Shopify partners with third-party accessibility organizations and offers resources and guidelines to help merchants make their websites more accessible.
What is Shopify Accessibility Guideline?
Following are the 4 important accessibility guidelines that Shopify recommends for every store in the long run:
Content
Make sure all the content on your website is accessible to users with disabilities. This includes text, images, videos, and audio. Use clear and simple language, and provide descriptive alt text for images. You can hire Shopify experts for blogs to write brilliant and simple content.
Navigation
Ensure your website has a clear and consistent navigation structure, and use headings to help users understand the structure of your pages. Provide skip links to bypass repetitive content and make it easier for users to get to the main content of your site. If you hire Shopify developers, then this would be a matter of some days.
Keyboard Navigation
One of the basic rules of Shopify app development or website development is the ease of use. Keyboard navigation is one of the most important elements of creating a functional website.
ARIA
Use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes to help assistive technologies understand the structure and function of your website. Shopify integration must follow the AIRA in order to be accessible.
Form Elements
Make sure all form elements are properly labeled, and provide clear instructions on how to complete forms. You can also head to Shopify Development Partners program for help from other merchants.
What Could Happen if Your Shopify Store is Not Accessible/ADA Compliant?
If your Shopify store is not accessible or compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it could result in several consequences, including
Loss of Customers
People with disabilities make up a significant portion of the population, and their spending power is significant. If your store is not accessible, you may lose potential customers and sales.
Reduced User Experience
An inaccessible website can create frustration for all users, not just those with disabilities, reducing the overall user experience and potentially causing customers to take their business elsewhere.
Damage to Reputation
A lack of accessibility and compliance with ADA standards can harm your brand’s reputation and reduce consumer trust in your business.
In order to avoid these consequences, it is important to make sure your Shopify store is fully accessible and compliant with the ADA. This can include making sure the site is easily navigable using keyboard commands, that it has proper alternative text descriptions for images, and that it is compatible with screen readers.
The Importance Of An Accessible Shopify Website
Shopify accessibility is crucial in today’s digital landscape, where it’s essential to cater to the needs of all users, including those with disabilities. An accessible website makes it possible for everyone, regardless of their abilities, to browse, navigate, and interact with your site. Here are some reasons why an accessible Shopify website is important
Compliance with Laws and Regulations
Accessibility regulations, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), require that websites be accessible to people with disabilities.
This means that the website must be designed in a way that allows individuals with disabilities to access the site’s content and use its features. Failing to comply with these regulations can result in legal action and can damage your reputation as a business.
Improved User Experience
An accessible Shopify website provides a better user experience for all visitors, including those with disabilities. The site must be designed in a way that allows individuals to navigate and interact with the site’s content easily.
For example, this may include using clear and descriptive headings, providing alternative text for images, and using keyboard navigation.
Increased Audience
An accessible website opens up your business to a wider audience, including those with disabilities who may not have been able to use your site otherwise. By making your site accessible, you can expand your reach and attract new customers.
Improved SEO
Search engines, such as Google, prioritize accessible websites in their search rankings. So, if your site is accessible, it is more likely to appear higher in search engine results, which can result in increased visibility for your site.
To make your Shopify website accessible, you can use the Shopify accessibility app or Shopify accessibility plugins. Additionally, you can choose from Shopify themes that are designed with accessibility in mind.
By investing in accessibility, you can create a better user experience for all visitors to your site and ensure compliance with accessibility laws and regulations.
How Do I Make Shopify More Accessible?
You can use the following tips to make your Shopify website more accessible:
Descriptive Link Text
Descriptive link text is a phrase or sentence that accurately describes the destination of a link. When creating links within a Shopify store, it’s important to use descriptive link text to help visitors understand where the link will take them and what the purpose of the link is.
Text-Based Navigation Menu
A text-based navigation menu is a menu that uses text rather than images or icons to guide visitors through a website. Text-based navigation menus are more accessible than other types of navigation menus because they can be read by screen readers, making them easier to use for visitors with disabilities.
High Color Contrast
High color contrast is the difference in brightness between the text and background on a website. Ensuring that the color contrast between text and background is high enough to be easily readable helps visitors with visual impairments read the content on a Shopify store.
Accessible Form Fields
Accessible form fields are labeled accurately and can be used easily with a keyboard. When creating forms within a Shopify store, it’s important to ensure that form fields are accessible to all visitors, including those with disabilities.
Accessible Videos
Accessible videos are videos that include captions and transcripts and can be controlled using keyboard commands. Adding captions and transcripts to videos and making sure that they can be controlled with a keyboard helps visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing understand the content of the video and makes the video more accessible to all visitors.
Accessibility Testing
Accessibility testing is the process of using tools like the Shopify Accessibility Toolbar to check a website for issues with accessibility. Testing a Shopify store for accessibility helps identify any problems with the store’s accessibility and provides an opportunity to fix any issues, making the store more accessible for all visitors.
Conclusion
In the end, accessibility is highly important in ranking your site to the top. Make sure to use the accessibility app Shopify to enhance your Shopify website accessibility. We talked about the 6 most important factors to check in order to increase your Shopify accessibility without any help from a Shopify development company.
Moreover, if you are looking to increase your Shopify themes customization with accessibility without Shopify migration or any Shopify custom development, then do check us out!
Source: https://ecommerce.folio3.com/blog/shopify-website-accessibility-guidelines/
