10 DIY Accessibility Checks Every eCommerce Marketer Should Know (Before It’s Too Late)
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) takes full effect on June 28, 2025, and if your online store serves customers in the EU, you're officially on the clock.
The good news? You don’t need to be a developer or an accessibility specialist to start getting compliant today. These 10 DIY accessibility checks are designed for marketers, digital leads, and eCommerce teams who want fast answers and practical fixes.
Plus, we’ve included one bonus check—often missed but essential for keeping customers at checkout.
1. Unplug the Mouse—Can You Still Shop?
Use only your keyboard (Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, arrows) to navigate your homepage, product pages, and cart.
🔍 Check for:
Clear focus outlines
Keyboard-reachable buttons, filters, and menus
Ability to reach and use “Add to Cart” and checkout
2. Turn on a Screen Reader—Does It Make Sense?
Use free tools like NVDA (Windows) or VoiceOver (Mac) to browse a product page.
🔍 Check for:
Logical reading order
Clear product names, prices, and descriptions
Image alt text that describes rather than confuses
Labeled buttons (e.g., “Add to cart,” not just “Button”)
3. Zoom to 200%—Is Everything Still Usable?
Use your browser’s zoom to scale your site to 200%. This simulates how low-vision users experience your site.
🔍 Check for:
Content that reflows without horizontal scrolling
Menus, buttons, and forms that remain visible
No overlapping text or broken layouts
4. Check Your Image Alt Text
Right-click a product image and inspect it. Does it have an alt tag? What does it say?
🔍 Check for:
Descriptive text for key product images
Empty
alt=""for purely decorative visualsNo file names or vague labels like “image1.jpg”
5. Can You Understand the Product Without Seeing the Image?
Read only the product title, description, and specs—skip the photo. Would you feel confident buying?
🔍 Check for:
Complete details in text
Clear sizing, material, and variant info
No “see above” references that assume sight
6. Try High Contrast or Dark Mode
Use your system or browser extensions to enable high contrast or dark mode.
🔍 Check for:
Legible text and visible icons
Strong contrast between text and backgrounds
No vanishing links or buttons
7. Spot Weak Link Text
Scan your site for links that say “Click here,” “Read more,” or just “View.”
🔍 Check for:
Descriptive link text like “See return policy” or “View cart”
Links that make sense when read out of context
8. Use the Filters with Just Your Keyboard
Navigate to a product category and try using filters (e.g., size, price, brand) with no mouse.
🔍 Check for:
Tabbable filters
Focus-visible checkboxes or dropdowns
ARIA labels or accessible grouping for screen readers
9. Complete a Purchase Without Touching the Mouse
Start at a product page and check out using only your keyboard.
🔍 Check for:
Logical tab order across fields
Clearly labeled inputs
No required actions (e.g., payment selection) that are mouse-dependent
10. Get Confirmation—Is It Announced?
After submitting a form or adding to cart, does your site give feedback?
🔍 Check for:
Visual confirmation messages
Screen reader announcements using ARIA live regions
Clear, persistent confirmation (not just a flash)
Bonus: Test Error Messaging in Checkout
Try submitting the checkout form with invalid or blank data.
🔍 Check for:
Error messages next to the specific fields
Inputs highlighted visually and described in text
Screen readers announcing the errors
A summary of all issues at the top (ideally with links)
💡 Why this matters: Bad error handling is one of the top reasons for cart abandonment, especially for disabled users.
You Don’t Have to Be an Expert—Just Start Testing
These DIY checks won’t replace a full audit, but they’ll help you identify—and fix—the most common accessibility blockers before they cost you customers or trigger noncompliance fines.
And with the EAA deadline just around the corner, every day you delay is a missed opportunity to welcome more shoppers.
Do you need expert help validating your site before June 2025?
Our team uses real screen reader users and compliance experts to help brands move from awareness to action—fast.