An accessible online store ensures that people with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments can use your store just like everyone else. This is not only important from an ethical point of view but also offers economic advantages. If your store is accessible to everyone, you reach a larger target audience and can increase your sales.
Furthermore, accessible websites contribute to better search engine optimization (SEO), as Google and other search engines prefer accessible sites. This means that a well-designed, accessible Shopify store not only attracts more potential customers but also ranks better in search results.
Accessibility affects a wide group of people, including:
- People with visual impairments: They use screen readers, magnification tools, or special contrast settings.
- people who are deaf or hard of hearing: They need subtitles or written alternatives for audio content.
- People with motor impairments: These users employ alternative input methods such as voice control or special keyboards.
- People with cognitive impairments: They benefit from a clearly structured, easy-to-understand website without unnecessary distractions.
In many countries, there are legal regulations for website accessibility, which are also relevant for Shopify stores. The most important deadlines include:
- EU Directive (European Accessibility Act, EAA): By June 28, 2025, all online stores in the EU must be accessible.
- Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG, Germany - Accessibility Strengthening Act): Implementation into national law will occured in 2025 and affects all commercial websites.
- American ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act): In the US, accessibility regulations for the web have been in place for years.
- WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines): These internationally recognized guidelines set the standard for accessible websites.
Not every merchant is obliged to make their online store accessible. The legal requirements particularly affect:
- Companies with more than 10 employees or an annual turnover of over 2 million Euros.
- Online retailers who offer services or products that fall under the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
- Public bodies and authorities that offer online services.
Small businesses with fewer than 10 employees and lower turnover are not subject to the legal obligation but can voluntarily implement accessibility measures to improve their reach and user-friendliness.
To make your Shopify store accessible, you should implement various measures:
1. Use accessible themes
Ensure that your Shopify theme already offers accessible features. Shopify provides some themes that inherently allow good accessibility. Test your theme with screen readers and other assistive technologies.
2. Add alt text for images
Every image in your store should have a precise description in the alt text so that screen readers can interpret them. This not only improves accessibility but also your SEO.
3. Clear navigation and easy usability
Structure your store logically and use clearly identifiable menus and buttons. Users should find what they are looking for with just a few clicks.
4. Optimize color contrasts and font sizes
Pay attention to sufficient contrast between text and background. Use legible font sizes and provide an option for larger fonts.
5. Optimize forms and the checkout process
Ensure that forms are easy to fill out. Labels should be clearly understandable, and errors should be explained with helpful hints.
6. Provide subtitles and transcripts for audio and video content
If you use product videos or other multimedia content, provide subtitles or transcripts so that deaf and hard-of-hearing users can also understand the content.
7. Ensure keyboard operability
All interactive elements such as buttons, forms, and menus should also be navigable by keyboard, without requiring a mouse.
8. Test accessibility with tools
Use tools such as:
- WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool for a quick analysis of accessibility.
- Google Lighthouse for detailed accessibility checks.
- Shopify Accessibility Apps, which help you identify and fix accessibility issues.