If you run an Etsy shop, you are a business owner. Business owners should make shopping a welcoming experience for everyone, including customers with disabilities. With over 90 million active buyers on Etsy and 15% of the world’s population having a disability, it's essential to ensure your shop is accessible to reach the largest potential audience.
You demonstrate your commitment to inclusion and equity by valuing customers with disabilities and caring about their needs. This will increase not only your customer base but also your customers’ brand loyalty. People notice when business owners make an effort.
Here are five practical strategies you can implement to make your Etsy shop more accessible to shoppers with disabilities. These actionable strategies will make your shop welcoming and inclusive for everyone.
Use alt text for product images
One of the most important accessibility features on Etsy is the ability to add alt text to your images. The alt text describes the image that screen readers can read, often used by people with visual impairments. Most of the marketing on Etsy is based around pictures; in buyer surveys, Etsy found that 90% of customers said photographs were a major factor in their purchasing decisions.
Adding alt text gives visually impaired customers a chance to evaluate your products without having to find sighted assistance. It also significantly increases the chances they will purchase from your shop because they can be more confident in what they will get.
When adding alt text, which you can do by following the instructions in the Etsy help section, provide a detailed but concise image description. For example, if you're selling a handmade baby blanket, your alt text might read “Knitted baby blanket, dark pink at one end. Fades up to a pale pink at the other end. The colors are very muted, not vibrant.” This gives shoppers information about the style and helps them decide if this item is right for them. A seller may also offer different angles of the product or closeup shots to show its unique design features. If each photo has alt text, customers using screen readers can access this extra information.
Write detailed descriptions
You should write descriptions for each item in your shop and alt text for images. Avoid using vague descriptions that provide little information, and ensure each detail is relevant and clear. The description should make sense to each customer, even without a photo.
If you have a large selection of products, you need to write individual descriptions for each. This helps customers learn about product variations. Don’t copy and paste the same description for every listing. Highlight the unique features of each item.
Include customization options within descriptions
Include that information in the item description if you offer customization options, such as colors or sizes. Don't rely solely on photos to convey these options. The trend has been to lay out options for colors or patterns in a picture and give each option a nondescript name like “pattern A.” The option's name should be written out.
For example, if you're selling a handmade tote bag that comes in different colors, make sure to include a list of the available colors in the product description. And if you want to go above and beyond, describe the appearance of each color. Instead of “blue,” write “blue " with a greenish tone close to turquoise. And don’t call it ‘option C.’ Call it ‘blue’ in the dropdown menu.
If you’re unsure what to write, remember that your product descriptions, just like your alt text, should be able to substitute if your pictures ever disappear.
Plain language policies
Another important aspect of accessibility on Etsy is providing clear and easy-to-understand policies. This includes shipping policies, return policies, and other important information shoppers need.
Use plain and concise language. Avoid jargon or overly long sentences. Write details in list form to make the information easy to scan and understand. And make sure information in both your policies and descriptions is well-spaced so people aren’t just presented with a block of text. In particular, it is helpful for shoppers with cognitive and learning disabilities who may have difficulty processing complex or technical information, especially since misunderstanding a policy can have serious financial consequences.
Offer options for different bodies
If you sell clothing or jewelry, consider offering customization options for people with different bodies who may need adaptive clothing. For example, provide options for different sizes and shapes if you sell clothing items. Consider offering choices for people who have feeding tubes or other medical equipment.
Customers can access your products in ways they might not otherwise be able to if you can offer them on a made-to-order basis. Shops rarely consider these types of options, but when someone with these needs goes shopping and finds a shop willing to accommodate them, it is a wonderful surprise, and you will likely gain a long-term customer.
Shoppers with disabilities know that implementing these strategies is a lot of work, especially for an established shop with thousands of items. But it must be done.
It’s impossible to overstate the need for these accommodations. Customers with disabilities count as customers; they buy products and leave reviews and deserve to be treated as such. So often, people think of accessibility as a plus rather than a necessity, and it’s not. Customers with disabilities have a right to shop just like everyone else. Having that right ignored makes pleasant things like shopping on Etsy a demoralizing experience.
They will remember if you make whatever accommodations you can and create a welcoming and inclusive environment for these customers. They will know you value them and their business and will be grateful. You can make a big impression on a customer with a disability by showing them how much you want their business and their support.
By ensuring content is fully accessible, you aren’t just doing a good thing; you are doing something ethical. So prioritize accessibility and show customers you are committed to creating a more inclusive shopping experience.
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