How Ecwid’s Accessible On-line Retailer Template Turned a Hit

The great thing about the digital market lies in its potential unconstrained by bodily boundaries. Shouldn’t accessing it be easy crusing with none obstacles?

At Ecwid by Lightspeed, we acknowledge the significance of accessibility — that’s why our ecommerce platform follows requirements issued beneath the People with Disabilities Act, or ADA.

It isn’t nearly ticking a field for inclusivity — it struck a chord with on-line retailer house owners.

One design template for Ecwid shops, in explicit, proved to be a hit, due to its accessible design. Now, it’s the go-to choice for entrepreneurs who need their shops to be each simple to use and open to everybody.

What Internet Accessibility Means for On-line Shops and Why It Is Essential

Accessibility isn’t a characteristic; it’s a necessity. It acknowledges the spectrum of talents and ensures that disabilities do not deter anybody from utilizing digital platforms.

Frequent accessibility necessities relate to visible, auditory, motor, and cognitive talents. This contains making certain compatibility with assistive applied sciences similar to display readers for people with visible impairments or various keyboard navigation for these with motor disabilities.

It’s a widespread false impression that accessibility is wanted just for people with everlasting disabilities. It additionally caters to short-term impairments, similar to having a damaged arm or recovering from eye surgical procedure.

An accessible web site advantages every kind of customers. For instance, a mother or father holding a child would additionally profit from a user-friendly interface that requires minimal use of a mouse or keyboard.

An accessible on-line retailer means reaching a wider viewers and potential clients. It additionally promotes inclusivity and creates a extra welcoming setting for all web site guests.

Frequent Pointers for Guaranteeing Accessibility

The People with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a well-known legislation that protects people with disabilities from discrimination. This additionally extends to the digital area, and many international locations have their very own set of accessibility pointers for web sites and on-line platforms.

The Internet Content material Accessibility Pointers (WCAG) is a broadly used framework for creating accessible internet content material. It contains 4 ideas: perceivable, operable, comprehensible, and strong. These ideas cowl a vary of accessibility wants and present particular pointers for builders to comply with.

Empowerment By Accessibility

In 2020, the Lightspeed group volunteered to create an accessible, bilingual on-line store for Summit College in Montreal, an group that helps neurodivergent college students attain their potential.

Then, when Lightspeed added Ecwid to their lineup, we teamed up and revamped the Summit College’s web site, constructing a Summit Market with Ecwid. The Summit Market showcases the works of developmentally various artisans, artists, and entrepreneurs from Summit College.

The Summit Market was constructed with Ecwid

As you would possibly already know, Ecwid supplies all customers an Prompt Website, a free ecommerce web site with a built-in on-line retailer. There are numerous templates for Prompt Websites tailor-made to totally different niches.

Creating an accessible web site for Summit College impressed us to make a new Prompt Website template.

As talked about above, Ecwid was already ADA-compliant and checked all of the bins for the WCAG. So, what precisely did we resolve to deal with this time?

Right here’s a factor about accessible web sites: incorporating accessibility options typically comes with sacrificing the aesthetic of the web site. For instance, balancing colour, distinction, and font dimension could be difficult.

Additionally, WCAG exams can typically present combined outcomes, as in the instance beneath. A button with black textual content is perceived as passing the take a look at, but in actuality, it is tougher to learn than the identical button that includes white textual content.

WCAG exams might sometimes yield inaccurate outcomes

Merely following pointers isn’t sufficient. Our goal was to develop a template that’s not solely accessible but in addition visually interesting, making certain simple navigation with out compromising the web site’s aesthetics. We advocate for the concept that accessibility also needs to embody magnificence.

At the identical time, we imagine that accessibility shouldn’t be sacrificed for aesthetics. Our template proves that it is attainable to have each an accessible and visually interesting web site.

Every thing on the website, from the textual content dimension to how simple it is to get round, works for everybody. Now, it’s one among our hottest on-line retailer templates amongst all templates for Prompt Websites!

Certainly one of our hottest Prompt Website templates

By the method, the Ecwid ecommerce platform is accessible not simply to clients but in addition to sellers. The Ecwid admin, the place you handle your on-line retailer, is additionally designed with accessibility in thoughts. This makes it simpler for enterprise house owners with disabilities to run their on-line shops effectively.

Right here’s what an Ecwid vendor who occurs to be visually impaired shared about operating their Ecwid retailer:

“I wish to thanks very a lot for a nice retailer that’s handy to handle for visually impaired sellers! And never solely the web site but in addition the app is obtainable to you, which is not at all times the case!”

How Ecwid Ensured the Prompt Website Template Is Accessible

Accessibility is not nearly adherence to requirements — it’s about actual individuals encountering no limitations when participating with on-line content material. How did Ecwid obtain this?

• Excessive distinction template: Visible readability was a precedence, enabling customers with impaired imaginative and prescient to shortly discern the textual content and different parts.
• Outstanding storefront focus: The structure was structured to spotlight the merchandise and storefront with out pointless distractions or the want for extra scrolling.
• Enlarged parts: Giant photos and fonts have been employed not merely for aesthetic attraction however to accommodate customers with visible impairments.

It’s essential to word that all Prompt Website templates are accessible. The template in query was designed with accessibility as the major focus whereas additionally making it glossy and lovely. The latter is perhaps troublesome to do when making certain a website’s accessibility, as it could be simple to overlook design parts in favor of performance. Nonetheless, with our templates, we have been capable of obtain each.

The right way to Make Your On-line Retailer Accessible

Implementing an accessible on-line retailer would possibly seem daunting, however really, it isn’t. It begins with deciding on an accessible web site template, like all of Ecwid’s Prompt Website templates.

Listed here are some extra tricks to make your on-line retailer extra accessible:

• Present descriptive alt textual content for photos: For customers with visible impairments, alt textual content describes the picture.
• Embrace keyboard navigation and shortcuts: This permits people who can not use a mouse to navigate your web site utilizing the keyboard.
• Select colours fastidiously: Keep away from utilizing colour alone to convey data, as some people might have issue distinguishing between particular colours.
• Announce accessible mode: Inform your clients that your retailer helps an accessible mode.

By selecting Ecwid’s pre-designed templates, you begin with an accessible baseline. Customizations are welcome, however maintain an eye on sustaining accessibility.

When making a web site from scratch, it’s essential to take into account accessibility for all customers. This implies beginning with an accessible baseline utilizing templates or pointers similar to WCAG, ADA, or equal requirements.

However past these pointers, it’s additionally essential to perceive the particular wants of your buyer base.

For instance, if your merchandise cater to people with colour blindness, the focus must be on offering sturdy distinction between button colours and textual content for simpler navigation and buying.

The photographs beneath display why on-line shops catering to such buyers want sturdy distinction between button colours and textual content to assist them distinguish choices and make purchases.

Right here’s how the majority of individuals see colours

Right here’s how individuals with protanopia (a type of colour blindness) see colours

Equally, if your audience contains people with mobility impairments, making certain simple navigation by means of voice instructions can enormously enhance their shopping expertise.

Verify your website usually with instruments like Google Lighthouse to see how accessible your retailer is. Regularly assessing and enhancing issues is vital to making a welcoming on-line area for everybody.

Wrap Up

Ecwid’s accessible ecommerce platform is greater than a win for a product; it’s all about making ecommerce simple for everybody. Ecwid helps on-line retailer house owners get the most out of their enterprise. Extra importantly, it ensures each buyer can have a easy procuring expertise, no matter their talents.

Keep in mind, accessible design is not nearly compliance — it’s about creating an inclusive and welcoming on-line area for all. So, don’t hesitate to take the initiative and make your web site extra accessible! Let’s work in direction of a digital world that’s genuinely open and inclusive for everybody.