At Shopify, our goal for accessibility is to make commerce accessible to everybody. This includes all entrepreneurs of all ages and abilities, as well as anyone in the Shopify ecosystem, including buyers!
Shopify Checkout is a highly accessible user experience by default. This means disabled shoppers can shop with confidence using their own assistive devices and technology; no third-party apps or plugins are required.
Before we get into the details of Checkout accessibility, let’s first define what we’re talking about.
What is digital accessibility?
“Digital accessibility” refers to access to digital content. The definition we share reads:
“Web accessibility is the practice of designing and developing a website or web application that is usable by as many people as possible, regardless of their physical disability or cognitive abilities. »
When digital products are made with Because accessibility is built in, people with disabilities can also perceive, use, understand and interact with it. This not only contributes to usability but also builds trust in the digital product and brand.
Why is accessibility important to my business?
When it comes to businesses of any size, accessibility helps enable greater entrepreneurial success. It does this by making your product open and available for more people. More people means greater growth opportunities, increased revenue, and positive public perception.
![A woman with a prosthetic arm holds a credit card while shopping online on a laptop.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/pexels-anna-shvets-5614130_600x600.jpg?v=1711552086)
A 2020 industry report estimates the number of people with disabilities at 1.85 billion, making it a “a market bigger than China”. This represents a market opportunity in the order of a trillion dollars. (Disability affects 73% of consumers and controls more than $13 trillion in annual disposable income.)
Let’s take a look at how this helps your business in terms of brand loyalty, competitive advantage, and conversion opportunities.
Brand loyalty
A recent study shows how consumers identify with and remain loyal to brands that reflect their own values. A key point to remember 82% of buyers want a consumer brand’s values to align with their own.
Some of the values mentioned in this study reflect the idea of inclusiveness, which is at the heart of accessibility.
Competitive advantage
Implementing accessibility and inclusive design into your product can help you gain a competitive advantage.
The WebAIM millionan annual study that examines the accessibility of the top million homepages, and which, out of a million homepages, shares almost 50 million distinct accessibility errors were detected, an average of 50.0 errors per page.
This shows how accessibility is unfortunately not the norm. If your business offers an accessible user experience by default, this will set you apart from your competitors. People will notice and recognize that it’s part of your company’s values.
Increase conversion
Two studies carried out by partner Shopify Fable Technology Labs share compelling data for entrepreneurs.
The first examines closely the relationship with disabled users and accessible applications on mobile platforms. This study reveals 94% of respondents take accessibility into account mobile apps and sites in their decision about which businesses to support.
The other study examines the state of online shopping for people with disabilities. This also shares more revealing data points, including:
- 71% users of assistive technologies abandon a difficult digital experience to use.
- Confidence building user experience is essential for repeat purchases and customer loyalty.
What these studies reveal is how deploying an accessible user experience helps increase conversion. Buyers who are able to use your website or app with ease and confidence will do so and are likely to become loyal, repeat customers.
This important information provides insight into what the online shopping experience is like for customers with disabilities and why it is important to your business.
How does Shopify ensure accessible checkout?
Shopify Checkout is not only the world’s highest converting checkout trusted by top brands, it’s also very accessible by default. Our Checkout design and engineering teams take great care in creating accessible and usable components. in collaboration with people with disabilities who rely on assistive technologies.
Checkout extensibility can add customizations to Checkout, including new visual elements created using a component library provided by Shopify. The components of this library are continuously tested to ensure they meet our internal accessibility standard. However, app developers should still apply accessibility best practices when using these components.
![A woman sitting on her wheelchair while using her cell phone and holding a credit card.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/pexels-mart-production-7162983_600x600.jpg?v=1711553631)
Accessibility Review
The accessibility of the payment is examined on a continuous basis, with the main focus being usability with assistive technologies and coverage of major user flows. This is achieved thanks to:
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Design Review new components if necessary.
Our internal accessibility team works with Checkout designers when new components or features are created. By detecting potential accessibility issues earlier in the product creation lifecycle, the team accelerates time to market by avoiding shipping defects and upgrade sprints. It also means wider adoption by shoppers using assistive technologies from day one.
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Automated accessibility testing at the component level is continuous.
Our component library and CI environments include accessibility testing through automation. These tests report objective, high-level accessibility defects.
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Usability testing sessions with disabled people are carried out quarterly (or on request if necessary.)
Test results reveal usability issues: subjective accessibility flaws or blockers that can prevent task completion. These are sorted and sent to the remediation team.
This task is entrusted to Shopify’s partner, Fable Tech Labs.
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Internal and manual assessments are carried out semi-annually (or on request if necessary.)
In-depth reviews are conducted by Shopify’s internal accessibility team. By working on the Shopify Accessibility Assessment Checklist – success criteria that reflects the latest WCAG standards – design and code are thoroughly examined to reveal defects that might otherwise have been missed.
By conducting accessibility reviews on an ongoing basis, our Checkout teams are able to monitor and correct accessibility deficiencies in a timely manner. This helps ensure payment flows are highly accessible And usable by assistive technology users, building trust in your brand.
Usability Statistics
Regular usability testing of Checkout provides metrics and insights into where we prioritize our efforts. It also reveals blockers that need immediate attention.
A recent Checkout usability testing session revealed:
- 100% completion rate through various assistive technologies; screen reader, voice dictation and alternative navigation
- Accessibility score of 86/100 in payment state: guest, connected and mobile
- A total of two issues reported for a single usability testing session, which were quickly sent to our engineers for correction
![Fable payment survey results. Accessibility: 80% excellent, 20% satisfactory. Ease of use: 60% very easy, 40% easy. Recommendation: 100% yes.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/fable-survey-results.png?v=1711484405)
As we continue to innovate and increase Checkout’s extensibility, we expect these metrics to be consistent/improved over future testing sessions.
Accessibility is good for business
Shopify Checkout is the world’s highest converting checkout, trusted by top brands, And is highly accessible by default. An accessible e-commerce solution means increased brand loyalty, giving your business a competitive advantage and increased conversion opportunities.
By conducting accessibility reviews on an ongoing basis, our Checkout teams are able to monitor and remediate accessibility deficiencies in a timely manner.
Until 27% of adults in the United States have some type of disability. With over 10% of all US e-commerce powered by Shopify, you’re well-equipped to meet your customers’ needs from day one with Shopify Checkout.
Accessibility is good for business. Start, run and grow your business with Shopify!