Everyone who shopping online will be different. We make decisions in our own rhythm, use different devices, and interact with the store in the most comfortable way we find the most comfortable way.
For some shoppers, the process of viewing or purchasing products is very different from your expectations. Because they live in developing countries, their Internet connection may be very slow. They may depend on screen readers due to vision disorder, or because they cannot use mouse reliably, they may use keyboard navigation.
These differences have generated the needs of design and maintenance of shops that everyone can access . This is the accessible goal of e -commerce: creating an online store that everyone can use , regardless of their age, skill level, location, or disability.
Today we will see why you should make your Woocommerce store easier to access, and some resources you can use to improve its design and functions for all shoppers.
Are you ready to study? Let’s take a closer look at the meaning when we talk about accessible.
E -commerce accessability: What is it and why it is important
Wanwei Network Alliance (W3C) said, \”
can be available Access sex means that people with disabilities can use [Internet]
. \”Their Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) introduction Detailed description:
Web accessibility includes all obstacles affecting Web access, including all obstacles, including the obstacles that affect Web access, including the obstacles that affect Web access, including the obstacles that affect Web access, including the obstacles that affect Web access, including the obstacles that affect Web access, including the obstacles that affect Web access, including Vision, hearing, physical, speech, cognition and neurological disorders.
Customer access or use of online stores may also be affected by external factors
, such as their Internet connection speed or computer hardware availability. It may also be affected by temporary factors, such as arm fractures or incorrect or aging glasses.
Accessive measures ensure that everyone can use your website, whether they need help, identify as disabled people, or cannot use traditional computers and other traditional browsing methods. Whether you are a developer, a store builder or a store owner, you have the responsibility to ensure that
Everyone
can effectively use yourshop. This is not only satisfied with your customers: As the W3C shows, it can have a very practical impact on your profitability, search engine visibility, and long -term return on investment .
可访问性涉及的不仅仅是向图像添加替代文本和优化您的商店以快速load. Therefore, you can better understand, let’s see how different the online experience of some of your customers may be.
Exploring the huge difference between online experience
When we are in the early planning stage of this article, we have a big opening Intelligent contact. One of our team members asked customers to send us an error screenshot. They couldn’t, and gave us the reason:
We are blind, and the computer will read it to us.
This specific customer used screen readers and other auxiliary technologies to establish their entire store.
Then, they interacted with customers and our support teams by using audio. It is certain that this is a shocking moment for our support team. But this is also the establishment of a barrier -free store
excellent
reminder- Because if blind people can use screen readers to establish available shops, then we who are completely or partial vision of vision A shop that can be established to use screen readers .
No matter your vision level, you should be able to use or even establish or even establish A WooCommerce store.
In addition to the screen reader, some customers cannot use computer mouse, which may be because of physical disability. These shoppers use labels and arrow keys to browse the website and use the Enter key to \”click\” link.There are also some shoppers who need to help orders. Some customers just feel more comfortable to provide their billing information by phone. Others cannot view or use online orders. Others can only use technology that cannot be reliable to support online ordering.
This is just one example of different people using the Internet and online shopping
. Many backgrounds, experiences and devices ensure that what we do is a little different … and create itDemand for shops suitable for everyone.
The first step towards a more convenient store: Try existing things With a better understanding of the importance of accessibility, you may ask, \”How can I do Know if I can access it? \”
The first thing you should do is to try Use your store yourself . Place yourself in the position of a shopper with color blindness, unable to use mouse or poor vision. When you browse your store, do you notice that any image or button may look strange without full -color perception? Can you use the keyboard for navigation, or is it a boring process? If you increase the zoom to 150% or more, is your store still available?
According to the media in your store, you may also find some problems there. If you have product videos, do they have subtitles? Does your product description explain the feeling (texture) of the shirt and what color it is?
You can usually discover weaknesses by simply slowing down and concentrated attention
. These weaknesses are usually easy to solve -for example, the color of the change button may push the navigation to a higher position on the page -but they need you to live your own life, even for temporarily as a person with different abilities.
Use real shoppers feedback, free online tools and official resources to improve your store [123 ] Of course, unless you have disabled, disadvantaged groups, or in other cases that hinder you to use online stores in a typical way, may be difficult to know how you challenge the shoppers to do it to do it to do it. Some simple things .
We encourage you to use -may even actively solicit the real feedback of shoppers to understand how to make the process of accessing the store easier. It may be difficult to get this feedback, but if you take the initiative to ask (for example, in the email after purchasing?) It will come over time.
You can also try a service like usertesting.com, or cooperate with the local institutions provided by the test to collect feedback, but you need to to inquire about accessible specific test .
Can buyers who are blind blind can see the buttons they should click? Can people using screen readers successfully browse your store? User testing is always helpful, but it is especially here.
A free tool we recommend is Web Accessibility Tool Wave. Insert any URL into this tool, you will see errors and alarm lists that may bring problems to shoppers
, from the lack of alternative text (screen reader must) the design of).
The output of Wave will help you sort out any might be possible to shop for shopping. The error of the problem. Wave also provides documents for each error or alert, so you can understand the reason for the labeling and decide how to solve it. Especially in terms of visual, you can try to use Vischeck to simulate the websites with color blindness, or use ACTF ADESIGNER to check whether the content of your store is compatible with the screen reader and other tools.
For speed test -because slow Internet connections will affect the experience of users of developing countries -we recommend pingdom, which can test your store and provide detailed suggestions to improve it. There are also some good skills in this article, specifically for optimizing WOOCOMMERCE.
Finally, if you are located in the United States (or sell products where you live there), you can read the government’s 508 electrical and information technology standards. These standards (especially the standards in section 1194.22) provide requirements for website and other access technologies , including projects that can be viewed by alternative texts, color blindness, and regular responses.
These standard samples -even if you are not in the United States Good rules.
This is not just about the store: When you use email, social media, etc., please remember to access Just like the blind Woocommerce customers we give above The same example, remember how different each customer interacts with you. But accessible surpassing the page of your store -it contains your entire online image .
Whenever you reply to email, send marketing information, or publish tweets, you are interacting with customers who are interviewed in a very different way.
Think about it:
Email Communication
—— Do you include a pure text version of the email? How about the \”Online View\” option? Most clients generate these two by default.
How do you support your shopkeeper
-If you usually ask the screenshot or defect photo of the problem with the problem, please consider providing an alternative option. For example, we allow WooCommerce customers to create temporary login so that we can check the problem by ourselves.
The request you made, especially the link request
-The phrases such as \”Click here\” or \”Click on Links in Our Resume\” not only to screen readers, but also right Users on tablet or mobile devices (they are clicking instead of clicking!).
How to simplify the process – Can you accept the phone instead of email? Order or pass by phone instead of your store in person? Or, if you
only
rely on the phone, what processes can you help customers solve anxiety and other issues online?
Last advice: Do not go with \”good enough\”
You may have seen the variant of this image before:
]
Equality is a box that everyone can stand, but fairness is to show everyone Competition Everything you need. (Picture source: Social change Interactive Research Institute, drawn by Angus Maguire)
Read some accessible tips, use keyboards or single online test to try your store, and call it \”enough enough enough OK, this may be very tempting.
But it is not good enough Real . .
Specialized to update your store with different capabilities to provide a better experience
It is admirable. But this does not necessarily help shoppers with a slow connection or a very small device screen. This is why we recommend the ultimate goal of to improve the experience of many shoppers, equipment and needs .
We believe that this goal even surpasses accessibility -it is a broader customer overall happiness goal. Think about it: What can you do to let
each customers are more likely to buy from you. Whether they are blind users of desktop computers or full -view mobile phone shoppers in developing countries?
[12]3] You may have to make specific changes to your store in
. But that is why we think you should pay attention to fairness and equality-
Because for everyone What you need will make them more likely Buy you . This is to create a more inclusive shopping experience
Accessability is not an easy -to -cover theme, let alone understand.
We have done our best to show you why it is so important, but we recommend that you conduct some additional research and reading of this theme
. W3C is a good starting point.
At present, we hope that this article can give you some foods that think about, as well as some useful prompts or resources to help you build a shop where everyone can use.
Are there any questions about any accessible tools, prompts or ideas recommended in this article? Or do you have any feedback on this topic? We are very
happy
Listen to your opinions -post a comment below to start discussions.
Thank you for reading!
Recommended reading:
How can we make the Storefront theme more easy 123]
In addition to the screen reader, some customers cannot use computer mouse, which may be because of physical disability. These shoppers use labels and arrow keys to browse the website and use the Enter key to \”click\” link.
Finally, if you are located in the United States (or sell products where you live there), you can read the government’s 508 electrical and information technology standards.
Equality is a box that everyone can stand, but fairness is to show everyone