Want to boost sales and make your Shopify store user-friendly for everyone? Mobile accessibility is the key. Here’s what you need to know:
- Why it matters: Australians are shopping more on smartphones, and accessible stores improve customer experience and drive growth. Shopify Plus merchants focusing on accessibility see an average yearly growth of 126%.
- Shopify’s built-in tools: Responsive design, text scaling, touch-friendly navigation, and accessible media features help make stores mobile-friendly.
- How Alinga improves it: Advanced features like larger touch targets, faster page loads, smarter navigation, and forms tailored for Australian users take accessibility to the next level.
Quick Comparison:
| Feature | Shopify Standard Features | Alinga’s Advanced Enhancements |
|---|---|---|
| Touch Targets | 44x44px minimum | 48x48px with extra padding |
| Image Loading | Basic lazy loading | Progressive loading, modern formats |
| Navigation | Standard hamburger menu | Gesture-based custom navigation |
| Colour Contrast | WCAG 2.0 AA compliance | WCAG 2.1 AAA compliance |
| Regional Optimisation | Basic support | Local postcode checks, AUD display |
Takeaway: Prioritising mobile accessibility can lower bounce rates, increase conversions, and improve customer satisfaction. Start by assessing your current setup, enhance navigation and touch features, and tailor your store for local needs.
1. Standard Shopify Mobile Features
Shopify’s mobile platform includes a range of features designed to make online shopping easy and accessible for everyone. These built-in tools help create a user-friendly mobile store.
Responsive Design Framework
Shopify automatically adjusts your store’s layout and content to fit any device. This ensures everything stays readable and easy to use, without the need for horizontal scrolling. Interactive elements are designed with a minimum touch target size of 44×44 pixels for better usability.
Text Accessibility
Shopify’s default themes make text easy to read and adjust. Key features include:
- A text contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1
- Support for font scaling up to 200% based on device settings
- Automatic text reflow when users zoom in
- Proper heading structure (H1 to H6) for better organisation
Navigation Controls
The mobile interface includes smart navigation tools like:
- Skip navigation links for screen readers
- Breadcrumb trails to show users where they are on the site
- A persistent hamburger menu for quick access
- Touch-friendly dropdown menus with at least 12mm spacing for easier use
Form Usability
Shopify’s mobile forms are designed for smooth interaction. Features include:
- Auto-capitalisation for names
- Numerical keypads for entering phone numbers
- Postcode validation tailored for Australian addresses
- Clear error messages to guide users when corrections are needed
Media Accessibility
Shopify ensures that media content is accessible and functional with:
- Automatic scaling for images
- Alt text support for all images
- Video player controls optimised for touch
- Caption support for video content
Performance Features
To keep things running smoothly, Shopify employs several performance-focused tools:
- Automatic image compression to reduce loading times
- Lazy loading for off-screen content
- Touch event responses within 100ms
- Progressive loading indicators for a better user experience
These features provide a solid starting point for mobile-friendly stores. In the next section, we’ll explore how Alinga takes these features further with advanced customisation.
2. Advanced Mobile Features by Alinga
Shopify already provides strong mobile functionality, but Alinga takes it further with tailored adjustments. By refining Shopify’s mobile tools, Alinga focuses on improving usability and increasing conversions.
Improved Touch Interactions
Alinga refines touch-based features, ensuring that key elements are easy to access and use, making navigation smoother for users.
Upgraded Visual Accessibility
To balance style and readability, Alinga enhances visual components while adhering to accessibility standards.
Smarter Navigation
Alinga fine-tunes navigation to make finding products and completing purchases faster and easier, ensuring a smooth shopping experience.
Boosted Performance
By introducing custom caching and advanced image optimisation, Alinga goes beyond Shopify’s default performance features to improve speed and efficiency.
Tailored Form Design
Alinga adapts forms specifically for Australian users by including local address formats, postcode checks, and popular payment options in the region.
Analytics for Accessibility
With integrated analytics, Alinga helps fine-tune the mobile experience, contributing to a 126% year-over-year growth among Shopify Plus merchants.
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Feature Comparison
Alinga enhances Shopify’s capabilities to offer a more user-friendly and accessible mobile experience.
Core Feature Analysis
Here’s a breakdown of key features comparing standard Shopify settings with an enhanced accessibility-focused approach:
| Feature Category | Standard Shopify | Enhanced Accessibility |
|---|---|---|
| Touch Targets | Minimum size of approximately 44x44px | Larger targets around 48x48px with extra padding |
| Image Loading | Basic lazy loading | Progressive loading with modern image formats |
| Form Fields | Standard input fields | Smart fields with predictive input |
| Navigation | Standard hamburger menu | Gesture-based custom navigation |
| Screen Reader | Basic ARIA support | Improved ARIA landmarks and live regions |
| Colour Contrast | Meets WCAG 2.0 AA standards | Designed to meet WCAG 2.1 AAA guidelines |
| Page Load Speed | Averages several seconds | Optimised for quicker loading times |
| Form Validation | Basic client-side validation | Real-time validation with error prevention |
Note: Values are approximate.
These upgrades not only refine user experience but also help boost engagement and local market optimisation.
Impact on User Engagement
Improved mobile accessibility enhances usability with smoother navigation, faster page loads, and smarter form interactions. These changes can lead to lower bounce rates, higher conversions, longer session times, and reduced cart abandonment.
Regional Optimisation
For Australian merchants, these enhancements offer a tailored shopping experience, including:
- Local postcode and address validation
- Seamless integration with AfterPay
- Accurate regional currency display (AUD)
- Checkout optimised for mobile users in Australia
Technical Standards
The advanced accessibility features align with:
- WCAG 2.1 Level AAA guidelines
- The Australian Government Digital Service Standard
- Accessibility requirements for iOS and Android platforms
- Progressive Web App (PWA) best practices
These standards ensure businesses can effectively reach and serve a diverse Australian audience.
Conclusion
Mobile accessibility plays a crucial role in Australian eCommerce, with mobile shopping shaping how retailers innovate. This comparison sheds light on ways to improve both technical features and user-focused elements.
The analysis of standard Shopify features versus advanced accessibility solutions highlights key areas for improvement:
- User Interface: Larger touch targets and gesture-friendly navigation make shopping easier for everyone.
- Accessibility Standards: Aligning with WCAG 2.1 AAA guidelines ensures compliance with Australian accessibility laws.
- Regional Optimisation: Customised solutions enhance performance in local markets.
For businesses aiming to excel in mobile commerce, working with certified Shopify Plus experts can offer a major advantage. As Alinga emphasises:
“We use proven strategies, tailored design, & innovative technologies to make beautiful and conversion optimised eCommerce experiences on Shopify Plus”
Here are practical steps to boost mobile accessibility:
- Assess your current mobile setup for accessibility gaps.
- Focus on improving touch targets and navigation features.
- Tailor your store to meet Australian market needs.
- Conduct regular testing with accessibility tools to stay ahead.
Are you ready to elevate your online business to the next level? With automation, easy customisation, and multi-channel adaptability, Alinga’s Shopify Plus integration will help grow your e-commerce business. Our team of experts ensures that your setup is smooth future-ready, and fits every requirement. Let’s explore how Alinga can transform your Shopify platform into an effective sales tool, get in touch with us right away!
