For e-commerce companies, a huge growth opportunity lies with a target group that is often overlooked: people with visual or hearing impairments. Digital accessibility is still frequently viewed as a technical obligation, whereas in reality, it has a direct impact on revenue, customer satisfaction, brand appreciation, and reach.
Online obstacles
In the Netherlands, 300.000 people have a severe form of visual impairment and about a million people are deaf or hard of hearing. In addition, the elderly population is growing rapidly, causing age-related disabilities to increase as well. For e-commerce companies, this means a large group of consumers with purchasing power who still frequently encounter obstacles online.
Product video, tutorial and reviews
Video plays a particularly important role in this. Online retailers are increasingly using product videos, tutorials, and reviews to increase conversion. However, many of these videos are not accessible. Subtitles are missing, there is no audio description support, or the players are not accessible with use of a screen reader.
What are the benefits of accessible video content?
For people with hearing impairments, subtitles are essential to understand product information. For people with visual impairments, spoken descriptions and easily navigable interfaces are crucial. When these features are lacking, users leave the website more quickly or drop out during the purchasing process.
This has direct commercial consequences. Poor accessibility leads to lower conversions, higher bounce rates, and lost customer loyalty. At the same time, investing in accessibility offers significant benefits.
Accessible websites and videos often result in:
- higher conversion rate;
- better user experience;
- wider reach;
- stronger SEO performance;
- more positive brand image.
An investment that reaches further
In addition, people with disabilities are not the only ones who benefit from these improvements. Subtitled videos, for example, are also widely used by mobile users or people who watch videos without sound. Clear navigation and easily readable content improve the experience for virtually every visitor.
For major Dutch players such as Bol, Coolblue, Zalando, and MediaMarkt, there is a clear opportunity here. These companies are already investing heavily in UX, personalization, and video content. As a result, small improvements in accessibility can have a direct impact on millions of website visitors.
Everything in line with the European Accessibility Act
Moreover, with the European Accessibility Act now in effect, digital accessibility is becoming increasingly important from a legislative perspective. Companies that invest in accessible videos and inclusive digital experiences today are not only staying ahead of current regulations — they are also building a larger and more loyal customer base.
Accessibility is therefore no longer a niche topic, but a strategic opportunity for the future of e-commerce.
Expert in making video content accessible
Scribit.Pro is the partner of choice in the field of video accessibility. Every day, we work towards a more inclusive digital world by enriching videos for both businesses and government institutions. We deliver high-end subtitles, audio description, and transcription for any kind of online video.