5 Accessibility Features Online Customers Appreciate

5 Accessibility Features Online Customers Appreciate
Photo : Campaign Creators via Unsplash

The eCommerce market is projected to generate more than $700 billion in revenue within the next few years. Small business owners can capture a portion of this market by creating a webshop or online interface to attract customers and execute transactions.

While an eCommerce site can increase reach and sales, a poorly designed website can actually harm a business. Thoughtful accessibility features are the foundation of successful online customer experiences. 

An accessible website is designed so that visual, auditory, and other impairments do not interfere with a customer's ability to navigate and interact with the site. 

Investing in accessible web design is worth the price and effort. Many accessibility features are required by law. Besides this, the following accessibility features can enhance the buying experience for all users. 

Keyboard Shortcuts

Anyone who has used software like Microsoft Word may be familiar with keyboard commands, such as "Control C" to copy and "Control V" to paste. Enabling these types of shortcuts on a website can improve navigation for individuals with motor difficulties or vision impairment. 

Some users prefer to navigate through sites quickly by skimming through headings.  Incorporating a skip option allows users to skim the header bars on the keyboard. This results in a much faster navigation experience and ensures customers find what they are searching for, no matter how they interact with your website. 

Real-Time Text Technology

As many people are familiar with text messaging, more online businesses are including text-based chat features on their webpage. These chat boxes deliver customer support through preloaded responses or by connecting users with live agents. 

Chat interactions can be made more accessible through a feature known as real time text calling. Traditional texts use TTY technology, which transmits text messages over phone lines. One drawback to TTY is that recipients cannot read the sender's messages in real-time. 

Instead, they receive an indication that the sender is typing. This slows down communication, as the recipient cannot read the message or respond to the sender until the sender presses send. In a real time text, or RTT, the sender's message is visible to the recipient as soon as they begin typing. RTT technology reduces the lag time between messages and ensures that essential information is communicated as quickly as possible.

RTT is beneficial for individuals with speech and hearing impairments. The technology also features a larger range of characters, making it easier to communicate in other languages. 

Dark Mode Options

Research has noted the harmful effects of the blue light emitted by smart devices, including sleep disorders and eye strain. Many companies have adapted their online products and services to include a dark mode option.

Most websites and apps display black or colorful text on white backgrounds. Dark mode inverts the default setting by presenting light-colored text on black or dark backgrounds. As a result, the device emits lower levels of blue light while retaining readability.

Dark mode increases web page accessibility for people with light sensitivity, a side effect of numerous eye conditions, including cataracts, macular degeneration, and conjunctivitis. Dark mode options are also beneficial for people with chronic migraines, as bright lights can trigger migraine episodes.

Opting for a dark color scheme can also serve as a branding tool, especially if most competitor websites use lighter color stories. 

Good Button Design

Buttons are an important part of the online customer experience as they guide buyers through the transaction process. It is essential that users can distinguish buttons from other webpage elements, even if they are vision impaired. Buttons should also signal when they are deactivated, pressed, or highlighted.

Buttons should also be clearly labeled with actionable verbs that precisely describe the result of either selection. Depending on the action, words and phrases like "Add to Cart", "Save", or "Remove" are more suitable than generic options like "Yes" or "No".

Clear, well-placed buttons also reduce the likelihood of customer errors, such as unintended purchases. Customers also factor in button design when assessing an online retailer's credibility. Small errors like odd button locations or disparate shapes and colors can make customers wary of completing their orders.  

Captions and Transcriptions

Videos and audio clips are dynamic mediums for a business to present its products or services. However, this type of content is not accessible to all audiences. Adding captions and transcriptions makes the information accessible to a larger consumer base that includes the hearing impaired and individuals who are non-native speakers.

There are also many instances where people prefer to read rather than listen to a video or audio. For example, people who take public transit may not be able to hear audio over the loud environment. Transcriptions also make it easier to repurpose videos and audio into text-based content like blogs and social media posts. 

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