Digital accessibility has become a strategic issue for e-commerce: between inclusion, user experience and commercial performance, the issues are multiple.
For e-commerce players, digital accessibility is a major issue: in France, 1 in 3 shopping cart abandonment is linked to this problem. Digital accessibility must therefore be thought of not only as an inclusive approach, but also as a concrete lever for commercial performance and loyalty. The user experience highlights in particular 3 recurring flaws in terms of digital accessibility.
Do not integrate alternative texts: a blocking obstacle for the user and the indexing of the e-commerce site
On an e-commerce site, the image is at the heart of the purchasing decision. But when a product photo does not include alternative text (ALT Text), it becomes invisible to visually impaired or blind users who use screen readers. For example, a description “image123.jpg” does not make it clear that it is a blue waterproof jacket or a convertible sofa, that is to say the essential characteristics of the products (color, texture, shape). Beyond inclusion, integrating detailed alt texts also improves Google’s indexing of images, which optimizes a site’s SEO.
The poor structure of a site scares away Internet users
Another recurring problem concerns the user experience via mouseless navigation. Indeed, drop-down menus, pop-ups or carousels are all components that are often unusable on the keyboard. However, many users navigate exclusively with the Tab key, whether due to a motor, visual or temporary disability. And in this context, an Internet user who cannot access the categories, select a size or close a window simply leaves the merchant site. More generally, a poorly structured e-commerce site, with confusing menus and unclear links, hampers the user experience and negatively impacts the conversion rate. This is why it is necessary to organize menus in a logical and intuitive way, to use ARIA tags and clear page titles for better understanding and to ensure compatibility with keyboard navigation.
Insufficient contrasts which increase the bounce rate
The minimalist design sometimes favors light gray texts on a white background or buttons that are not very visible. Consequence: content difficult to read for visually impaired people, but also for all users experiencing visual fatigue or mobile consultation in direct sunlight. Insufficient contrast directly harms readability, comprehension and conversion. Conversely, improved readability improves the user experience and reduces the bounce rate. A first step, for example, is to avoid color associations that are problematic for colorblind people.
These various flaws, beyond encouraging exclusion, represent a cost for the company. It acts directly on strategic KPIs: conversion rate, cart abandonment, SEO, customer satisfaction and loyalty. The Semrush figures also demonstrate a direct link between accessibility and digital performance: +23% organic traffic for accessible sites, +27% keywords positioned on average and +19% on the Authority Score. Making your site accessible is not only a question of responsibility or CSR. It’s a business decision.
