10 Best Practices for an accessible ecommerce

Disability and digital accessibility: market context and data

Globally, it’s estimated that around 1.3 billion people live with a significant disability—that’s 16% of the world’s population.
(Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health)
In Europe, the percentage is even higher: 1 in 4 adults lives with some form of disability, often facing barriers in accessing essential online services.
(Source: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/it/infographics/disability-eu-facts-figures/)

Digital accessibility has a real impact on a vast portion of the population—one that is still too often ignored in web projects. And it’s not just about permanent disabilities: temporary or situational conditions—like a broken arm, poor internet connection, or glare on a screen—can also limit access to digital services. Even users with mild visual impairments, who don’t rely on assistive technologies, benefit from clearer, more readable interfaces.

Designing an accessible ecommerce site means addressing real, widespread needs and contributing to a more inclusive and welcoming digital space for everyone.

Accessible design isn’t just ethical or compliant: it’s essential. It’s a sign of real care for people in all their diversity and complexity.

Legal opportunities and risks in digital accessibility

Despite recent progress, 94.8% of homepages in 2025 still have compliance errors with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), with an average of 51 errors per page. This highlights how far the digital world still is from being truly inclusive: many sites continue to exclude millions of users and face tangible legal risks. In the U.S. alone, over 4,000 lawsuits were filed in 2024 for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Source: https://usablenet.com/).

Investing in accessibility is not just an ethical or necessary act, it also leads to better digital experiences for everyone. According to Forrester Research, every dollar invested in accessibility can yield a $100 return, thanks to more usable sites, improved SEO, and greater audience reach.

Guidelines and regulations for an accessible web

Following WCAG 2.1 guidelines is essential for creating an accessible web. Developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), these standards are based on four core principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR). To meet Level AA compliance, you need to ensure appropriate contrast, keyboard navigability, and clear error identification in forms—steps that significantly enhance accessibility for users with disabilities.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) aims to harmonize accessibility standards across digital products and services in the EU, including ecommerce platforms. Italy has adopted the directive via Legislative Decree 82/2022, effective from June 28, 2025. While the EAA sets WCAG 2.1 AA as the baseline requirement, the W3C already recommends transitioning to WCAG 2.2, which introduces key improvements—especially for mobile and cognitive accessibility. For businesses, it’s strategic to meet WCAG 2.1 AA now and plan to update to 2.2.

10 UX, SEO, and TECH best practices for ecommerce accessibility

To build an accessible ecommerce site, you can implement practical solutions that improve the experience for everyone. Here are 10 best practices to help you create a more inclusive site:

1. 1. Contrast and Readability
2. Ensure that text stands out against the background: the contrast ratio should be at least 4.5:1 (or 3:1 for large text). This helps users with visual impairments read comfortably. Use sans-serif fonts, legible sizes, and adequate line spacing to make reading smoother.

2. Semantic HTML Markup
Always use the most appropriate HTML elements: for example, <header> for the top section, <nav> for menus, <main> for the main content, and <footer> for the bottom. This improves both SEO and screen reader comprehension by clarifying the site’s structure without complex code.

3. Keyboard Navigation
Many users can’t use a mouse: ensuring full keyboard operability is crucial. Check that the focus (the visual indicator of the selected element) is always visible, so users can navigate using Tab and Shift+Tab without getting lost. (WCAG 2.1 SC 2.1.1)

4. Clear Headings
Structure content with hierarchical headings: <h1> for the main title, <h2> for sections, <h3> for sub-sections, and so on. Clear and descriptive headings help everyone navigate and improve SEO visibility.

5. Alternative Text for Images
All images should have descriptive alt text that explains what they show. This supports users who can’t see the images and also improves SEO.

6. Performance Optimization
Reduce page weight with techniques like lazy-loading and image compression to improve speed and accessibility. A slow site is an inaccessible site.

7. Accessible Pop-ups and Overlays
Pop-ups (e.g., for newsletters or cookie consent) can hinder users with screen readers or keyboard navigation. When opened, they should behave like overlays: users must be able to navigate only within the pop-up, with the focus automatically placed on the first interactive element. Only after the pop-up is closed should navigation return to the main page.

8. Form Feedback
If a user makes an error when filling out a form, display a clear message explaining what went wrong and how to fix it. Link the message to the input field using “aria-describedby” and flag invalid fields to guide users quickly. (WCAG 2.1 SC 3.3.1)

9. Managing Dynamic Updates
If content changes without a clear user action (like cart updates), notify screen reader users accordingly. Use attributes like aria-live=”assertive” for urgent updates and aria-live=”polite” for less critical ones so that all users stay informed.

10. Continuous Checks and Testing
Accessibility isn’t a one-time task: integrate automated tools like axe or Lighthouse into your development workflow, perform manual tests, and collect feedback from users with disabilities. This ensures the site remains accessible even after updates or changes.

How to assess if your ecommerce is accessible?

Start with automated tools like axe, Lighthouse, and WAVE to get a quick overview of potential issues. Then, perform manual testing using screen readers (NVDA, VoiceOver) and keyboard-only navigation to catch issues automation can miss.
You may also consider accessibility widgets to enhance the experience—but remember, they’re not a complete solution.
Finally, the best way to validate accessibility is to test directly with real users, ensuring the experience is both inclusive and functional.

Conclusion

A more accessible website is also a better-designed one: improving readability, navigation paths, and micro-interactions benefits all users, not just those with specific needs.
Every ecommerce site is unique and has its own areas for improvement—together, we can help you identify those critical points and design targeted solutions to reduce friction and boost conversions.