When you sell products online, you open your business to a whole new world of potential customers. But simply having an online store isn’t enough.
Many businesses are trying to be #1 on the Internet. If you want to stay competitive (and empathetic), you need to create your pages with various audiences in mind.
Here are 4 top tips for making your online store more accessible. When you implement these strategies, you’re sure to notice an increase in traffic while gaining a more diverse audience.
1. Translate Your Pages
Many businesses target customers who speak their native language. While there’s nothing wrong with this approach, you might be losing out on tons of sales.
Consider broadening your audience by translating your pages. With the help of a Shopify agency, you can make this process quick and painless.
One of the most obvious benefits is that you’ll reach customers in different countries. However, you’ll also make the shopping experience more comfortable for non-native speakers.
2. Don’t Rely on Colors
Colors are a powerful yet simple way to convey meaning. For instance, if you enter the wrong information into an online form, the incorrect field might turn red. Many people recognize that red means that something is wrong.
But what about the 300 million people in the world who are colorblind? If they can’t see that a field is highlighted in red, they may not know what they need to fix.
So, it’s best practice to accompany colors with text. Use a simple statement like “This field is required” to make things crystal clear. In addition to helping people with colorblindness, this move will page your site more accessible to those who use screen readers!
3. Use Readable Text
When you’re designing your site, it can be tempting to go overboard with fancy fonts and vivid colors.
But these elements aren’t just distracting — they can make your pages inaccessible to people with vision impairments.
Instead, create an intentional design that is readable to all. One of the most essential steps is to pick a legible font. Additionally, make the text big enough so that people can read it on desktops and mobile devices.
Perhaps most importantly, choose suitable colors for your font and background. There should be enough contrast so that one doesn’t have to strain to read the text.
4. Optimize Keyboard Navigation
Some users will use a keyboard instead of a mouse to browse your products. To ensure they have a comfortable shopping experience, you should optimize your site’s keyboard navigation.
Begin by testing how a screen-reader reads your content. As you press the right arrow key, the voice should read titles and descriptions as they appear. If not, you may need to adjust your site’s HTML.
Another way you can test for keyboard navigation optimization? Go to your website and start pressing the TAB key. Different links should start highlighting, which allows you to click through to the page by pressing the Enter key.
If links don’t highlight or highlight out of order, you will need to adjust your website’s code.
Make Your Online Store More Accessible Today
Some businesses don’t make their site accessible because of time and budget restrictions. Others simply don’t understand the power that these tips have.
In any case, know that making your store more accessible is well worth the effort. You’ll open yourself up to new audiences and create a space where they feel seen.
