Ecommerce firms should 'focus on accessibility'

19/11/2008

Ecommerce companies have been advised to focus on making their websites accessible.

According to web developer Amanda Roggio, adhering to accessibility standards is the "ethically and morally" right thing to do, as well as having practical advantages, reports GetElastic.com.

She noted that firms are more likely to attract more loyal customers if ecommerce merchants make sites more accessible to those with disabilities, such as vision loss.

It can also help to prevent any legal challenges, she said, citing a recent example where a company was ordered to pay $6 million (£4 million) for not coding their site for blind people.

Ms Roggio noted that firms can help improve accessibility when considering web design by including a brief bit of navigation to point disabled visitors to the important content or category pages.

In related news, comScore recently reported that October 2008 saw a decline in the growth of ecommerce in the US, falling 27 per cent since August 2007.