The phrase ‘England is a nation of shopkeepers’ is often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte in reference to Britain’s preparedness for war against France, but it is believed to have first been used by Adam Smith in his “Wealth of Nations” essay in 1776.
Fast forward 250 years, give or take, and there is really is no escaping it, we have moved away from the great British High Street and turned in our masses towards online shopping from the comfort of our homes, or mobile devices.
The decline of our high streets features regularly on the news. Many great British brands are seeing store revenues decline and profit margins slashed as consumers prefer to shop online, even at busier times like Christmas.
And whilst most major Business to Consumer sites (B2C) invest heavily in enhancing the user experience (UX), have they thought about accessibility and inclusion?
There is plenty of evidence to show they haven’t. For example, the results of the most recent Click Away Pound survey show that online shopping isn’t a great experience for many people with disabilities.
According to the survey:
- 71% of disabled customers with access needs will click away from a website that they find difficult to use.
- 82% of customers with access needs would spend more if websites were more accessible.
- In the UK in 2016, around 6.1 million internet users have impairments that affect the way they use the Internet.
- Those 6.1 million people will spend £16.55 billion online this year.
- Over 80% of these customers will spend their money not necessarily on the website that offers the cheapest products, but where fewest barriers are placed in their way.
With Christmas fast approaching, that’s why it’s essential that all retailers consider accessibility and ensure they make reasonable adjustments so that people with disabilities can buy from them online and in person.
100’s of organisations already use Recite Me to make their websites more accessible for people with disabilities – call 0191 4328092 to find out more or book your free demo now.
