When working with the rest of the accessibility on a web page, you also need to remember to work with the texts and content.
Accessible texts are based on what the user should know, do and think. It must be perceived as simple, how the purchase is carried out and that the right information can be found. All consumers must be able to read the texts, listen to or absorb them in some other way.
When working with accessible texts on the site, you can have extra focus on a few different categories in addition to the actual body text and content:
- Headings
When setting a heading, it is important to keep it long enough. 5-10 words, but less can be enough. Make sure to use the keyword for the page and put it first or in the beginning. As with all accessible texts, clarity is important. - Link texts and button texts
Also be clear with texts for links and buttons so that they are informative. Talk about what happens when the user clicks. Feel free to use verbs in the form of a prompt and think about how you can write more concretely. - Labels and placeholder text
In the same way, it is important to provide clear instructions for input fields and check boxes, preferably concrete and short with all the necessary information. Names may, for example, need to be specified to first and last name. Which format should be specified? Is the field mandatory or not? Be consistent with wording of response options and affirmatives. It gets confusing and misleading with "Don't send me newsletters". - ALT texts (text options)
When working with accessible ALT texts, it is important to distinguish images as much as possible. As for product images – what makes it different from other products? Describe it as accurately as you can. As for buttons - what is the function? A heart doesn't say much, but My Favorites becomes a clearer description of the function itself. - Supporting texts
Review what the user needs to know before the flow. What information is needed before delivery? Which text should be displayed if something has gone wrong, for example if you entered it in the wrong format?
Make it easy to do the right thing
There are various forms of aids to get around the Internet more easily, such as screen readers. If all the buttons are called Buy, it becomes difficult to perceive the connection to a specific product. A solution to this problem is to ensure that ARIA attributes on the buy button are used where it clearly describes what is being bought. ARIA, which stands for Accessible Rich Internet Applications, is a collection of attributes and rules that can be added to HTML elements on the website. They then provide screen readers and other assistive devices with information to interpret the website's content so that it can be presented in a more accessible way.
How you succeed with the use of language in e-commerce
Regardless of whether you are publishing a text for the first time on the site, or if you are making a revision, it is important to work with the language and the texts as early as possible.
- One tip is to write as simply and briefly as possible while including everything essential. Could something be misunderstood?
- Try to be consistent both in tone and choice of words so that the user recognizes the language used on different pages.
- Also think about the layout, how will it be easy and logical to read? How is the placement of buttons, fields and text?
- Where possible, bulleted lists can be useful to find important information more easily.
- Also consider where text can be supplemented with images, film or sound.
- When you want the user to do something, it is good to use verbs so that it becomes more obvious what you want.
If you use AI to produce some texts, make sure to go through them properly to discover any flaws or improvements. Proofread everything before publishing online to really work through the texts.
In the next part of the series about Accessible e-commerce for everyone, we will provide some tips for customizing and improving your site and look at some of the most common problems.
