Designing an Accessible Magento 2 Store with Hyvä Themes

Why accessibility matters in e-commerce

Accessibility in e-commerce is not just a buzzword; it’s a necessity. According to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion people live with some form of disability. This means that a significant portion of your potential customer base could face barriers when trying to navigate your online store. Here at iWeb, we understand the importance of making e-commerce accessible to everyone.

An accessible website ensures that all users, regardless of their abilities, can interact with your content. This includes people with visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor impairments. By prioritising accessibility, you not only comply with legal requirements but also enhance your brand’s reputation and reach a wider audience. Our expert solution architects at iWeb can help you achieve this seamlessly.

Choosing Hyvä themes for your Magento 2 store

Hyvä themes are a game-changer for Magento 2 stores. They offer a modern, lightweight, and highly customisable alternative to traditional Magento themes. The team at iWeb has extensive experience in implementing Hyvä themes, ensuring your store is not only visually appealing but also highly functional.

One of the standout features of Hyvä themes is their focus on performance. They are built with a minimalistic approach, reducing the amount of JavaScript and CSS, which results in faster load times. This is crucial for user experience and SEO. Our talented team can help you leverage these benefits to create a seamless shopping experience for your customers.

Implementing accessible design principles

Designing an accessible Magento 2 store with Hyvä themes involves adhering to key design principles. These include providing text alternatives for non-text content, ensuring sufficient colour contrast, and making all functionality available from a keyboard. iWeb’s 29 years of e-commerce experience ensures that we can guide you through these principles effectively.

For instance, using ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) landmarks can help screen readers navigate your site more efficiently. Additionally, ensuring that your site is navigable via keyboard alone is crucial for users with motor impairments. Our talented in-house team can implement these features to make your store more inclusive.

Optimising for screen readers

Screen readers are essential tools for visually impaired users. Optimising your Magento 2 store for screen readers involves using semantic HTML, providing descriptive alt text for images, and ensuring that interactive elements are properly labelled. iWeb’s e-commerce expertise can help you achieve this.

For example, using proper heading structures (H1, H2, H3) helps screen readers understand the hierarchy of your content. Additionally, providing alt text for images ensures that users who cannot see the images still understand their context. Our expert solution architects can help you implement these best practices.

Ensuring mobile accessibility

Mobile accessibility is crucial as more users shop on their smartphones. Ensuring that your Magento 2 store is mobile-friendly involves using responsive design, ensuring touch targets are appropriately sized, and providing accessible forms. iWeb – an enterprise e-commerce agency, can help you optimise your store for mobile users.

Responsive design ensures that your site adapts to different screen sizes, providing a consistent experience across devices. Additionally, ensuring that touch targets (buttons, links) are large enough to be easily tapped is crucial for users with motor impairments. Our talented team can help you implement these features effectively.

Testing and validating accessibility

Testing and validating the accessibility of your Magento 2 store is a crucial step. This involves using automated tools like WAVE and manual testing with screen readers and keyboard navigation. iWeb’s track record in e-commerce ensures that we can guide you through this process.

Automated tools can help identify common accessibility issues, but manual testing is essential for a comprehensive evaluation. For instance, testing your site with screen readers like NVDA or JAWS can help you understand how visually impaired users experience your site. Our expert solution architects can help you conduct thorough testing and validation.

Training your team on accessibility

Ensuring that your team understands the importance of accessibility is crucial for long-term success. This involves providing training on accessible design principles, coding practices, and content creation. iWeb – Experts in Commerce, can help you train your team effectively.

For example, training your developers on using semantic HTML and ARIA landmarks can help them create more accessible code. Additionally, training your content creators on writing descriptive alt text and using proper heading structures can improve the accessibility of your content. Our talented in-house team can provide comprehensive training to ensure your team is well-equipped.

Continuous improvement and monitoring

Accessibility is not a one-time task; it requires continuous improvement and monitoring. This involves regularly reviewing your site for accessibility issues and staying updated with the latest best practices. iWeb’s e-commerce expertise can help you maintain and improve the accessibility of your Magento 2 store.

Regular audits can help you identify and fix new accessibility issues that may arise as you update your site. Additionally, staying informed about the latest accessibility guidelines and best practices ensures that your site remains compliant and user-friendly. Our expert solution architects can help you implement a robust monitoring and improvement plan.

Contact us to learn more

Ready to make your Magento 2 store more accessible? Reach out to iWeb today to learn how we can help you create an inclusive and user-friendly e-commerce experience. Our talented team is here to guide you every step of the way. Contact iWeb to start your journey towards a more accessible online store.