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A new report has revealed the most and least accessible technology brands for online shopping, with HP branded as the least user-friendly. Visa takes the top spot for accessibility rating score among top 10 most accessible online brands in the world.

https://affise.com/blog/online-shopping-accessibility-index/

The Online Shopping Accessibility Index by the experts at Affise delves into the world’s most valuable online brands, to discover whether the best interests of all customers are really at the heart of operations. 

Revealing the most and least accessible online tech brands:

 

Brand Accessibility Rating Score
1 Accenture 99
2 Dell Technologies 98
3 Samsung 98
4 Huawei Investment & Holding 97
5 Microsoft 97
6 Apple 96
7 Intel 93
8 IBM 92
9 Hitachi 91
10 Sony 91
11 Hon Hai Precision Industry 89
12 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing 87
13 Panasonic 86
14 Facebook 85
15 Cisco 83
16 LG 82
17 Alphabet 81
18 Tencent 75
19 Lenovo 73
20 HP 72

Reigning supreme in first place is Accenture, with a score of 99. With just 52 errors flagged overall, the site does not have far to go when it comes to being as convenient and as accessible as possible. 

Scoring 98 and following closely behind in second place are computer giants Dell Technologies. Just 17 accessibility errors make it unsurprising that this company scored so highly, but the user-friendliness of the website speaks for itself: muted colour-scheme, large bold font and easily-accessible helplines at the ready for people to seek assistance. 

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In third place is Samsung, also scoring 98. With a fairly high error ranking of 148, it is easy to see why the company did not achieve full marks. However, an overall decent user experience has allowed Samsung to remain in the top three. 

HP are in last place with a score of 72, with the site instantly conveying colour-contrast issues, which would make navigation difficult for visitors with colour-contrast sensitivity. 

Bright, garish colours against a white background are guaranteed to offer a nightmare experience for people living with colour blindness, while lots of extremely small writing would be frustrating for people with visual impairments. 

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The full list of tech websites ranked by online shopping accessibility can be found below: 

 

If you’d like to use the research, please credit Affise with a link to their Online Shopping Accessibility Index here: https://affise.com/blog/online-shopping-accessibility-index/

Below, I’ve pasted the report for more detailed insight: 

Online Shopping Accessibility Index

New report reveals the world’s most accessible online e-commerce brands

  • Visa and Chase are crowned the most accessible eCommerce websites in the world with accessibility scores of 100
  • Renault and Volvo are the most accessible automotive brands in the world
  • Chanel and H&M are leading the way for accessible fashion websites 
  • Fan favourite Costa revealed as the most accessible restaurant website
  • Accenture tops the list as the most accessible tech website
  • The full Online Shopping Accessibility Index can be found here: https://affise.com/blog/online-shopping-accessibility-index/ 

For those wanting to browse the internet and shop at their favourite brands, the new Online Shopping Accessibility Index from the experts at Affise has determined which of the world’s most valuable online brands and retailers are the most accessible to a wide range of web users. 

Web users that are visually impaired, suffer with hearing loss, or have neurological or cognitive limitations can struggle to navigate through websites which can make online shopping an extremely difficult task.

Using Google’s Chrome DevTools and Lighthouse, the Online Shopping Accessibility Index determines the user experiences of some of the world’s top online conglomerates, to discover whether the best interests of all customers are really at the heart of operations. 

Top 10 most accessible online brands in the world: 

Brand Industry Accessibility rating Score (Google Lighthouse)
1 Visa Financial Services 100
2 Chase Financial Services 100
3 Accenture Business Services 99
4 Google Technology 98
5 Samsung Technology 98
6 AT&T Telecom 98
7 Frito-Lay Consumer Packaged Goods 98
8 HSBC Financial Services 98
9 Deloitte Business Services 98
10 Microsoft Technology 97

Source: Affise

Utilising ‘Google Lighthouse’, a tool which takes into account factors that compromise a site’s accessibility such as unhelpful alt text, irrelevant page titles, and brands using colour to convey their messages, the report determines which brands came out on top regarding their appeal to as wide a range of web users as possible.

Taking the top spot is financial service provider Visa, scoring an admirable 100 in the convenience rankings. This includes only one web accessibility error and 13 web alerts, highlighting that a great deal of time would have been spent on making things suitable for customers with disabilities. 

Second on the list is Chase Bank, also scoring 100, with one accessibility error and two contrast errors. 

Ranking different industry sectors by their online accessibility credentials 

Are some industries simply more accessible when it comes to their online offering than others? The report suggests that different industries have taken more online shopping accessibility measures than others when it comes to online shopping. 

Renault and Volvo are the most accessible automotive brands in the world:

Brand Accessibility Rating Score
1 Renault 97
2 Volvo 97
3 Geely 96
4 Audi 93
5 Chevrolet 93
6 BMW 89
7 Honda 89
8 Ford 85
9 Land Rover 84
10 Tesla 84
11 Toyota 84
12 Jeep 83
13 Porsche 83
14 Nissan 82
15 Mercedes-Benz 81
16 Volkswagen 80
17 Hyundai 76
18 Kia 75
19 Lexus 75
20 Subaru 72

Source: Affise

At the top of the automotive industry were Renault and Volvo, both scoring 97. However, Renault was seen to have 120 accessibility alerts, while Volvo only had 34. Despite scoring the same score, the Renault website features more alerts than Volvo overall, perhaps due to the website’s small text which makes the site difficult to read, particularly for those with low vision.

A redeeming feature for Renault is the website’s black and white colour-scheme making it ideal for colourblind individuals. 

Head & Shoulders crowned the most accessible hair & beauty brand for online shopping: 

Brand Accessibility rating score
1 Head & Shoulders 98
2 Olay 98
3 Dove 96
4 Lancôme 95
5 SK-II 94
6 Yves Rocher 91
7 Guerlain 90
8 Estée Lauder 84
9 Procter & Gamble 84
10 Garnier 81
11 Maybelline 79
12 Clinique 78
13 L’Oréal 78
14 Benefit 77
15 Johnson’s 77
16 Clarins 73
17 Pantene 62
18 Nivea 57
19 M.A.C 54
20 Gillette 45

Source: Affise 

Anti-dandruff hair brand Head & Shoulders emerged as the most accessible hair and beauty brand on the list, with a score of 98. With zero accessibility errors on the entire site, and just 15 other problems flagged, the haircare powerhouse is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to user-friendliness. 

Second on the list was Olay, also scoring 98. Impressively, the beauty brand also had zero accessibility errors on site, alongside 33 detected issues, highlighting the time and effort taken to make its online presence as convenient as possible for disabled people. 

Skincare giants Dove scored a respectable 96, placing them third on the list of the most accessible beauty brands. 

At the bottom of the list was Gillette, with a score of just 45, suggesting that there are definitely changes to be made to the website.

Chanel takes the crown for the most accessible online fashion website: 

Brand Accessibility rating score
1 Chanel 100
2 H&M 100
3 Cartier 98
4 Omega 98
5 Rolex 98
6 The North Face 98
7 Puma 93
8 Anta 89
9 Chow Tai Fook 89
10 Hermès 87
11 Louis Vuitton 87
12 Dior 85
13 NIKE 83
14 UNIQLO 82
15 Tiffany & Co. 81
16 Victoria’s Secret 81
17 Zara 80
18 COACH 76
19 Adidas 72
20 Gucci 60

Source: Affise

Luxury brand, Chanel took the top spot, with an awe-inspiring score of 100. This also takes into account six accessibility errors and 15 alerts, placing the luxury brand firmly in the lead. 

Next up was H&M, also with top marks of 100. 43 overall errors showcased the company’s attention to detail when it came to online accessibility, which is instantly obvious thanks to its clean, minimalistic colour-scheme. 

Trailing behind was luxury brand Gucci, with a less than desirable score of 60. What is immediately recognisable is the brand’s reliance on colour to convey their message, as the busy, garish site would no doubt make things incredibly difficult for colourblind people to read. 

Costa crowned the most accessible restaurant website:

Brand Accessibility rating score
1 Costa 99
2 Tim Hortons 98
3 Jack In The Box 98
4 KFC 94
5 Jollibee 94
6 Pizza Hut 92
7 Papa John’s 91
8 Cheesecake Factory 91
9 Starbucks 90
10 Wendy’s 90
11 Taco Bell 88
12 Dunkin’ 88
13 Burger King 88
14 Domino’s Pizza 85
15 Chick-fil-A 85
16 Haidilao 84
17 Chipotle 84
18 Subway 80
19 McDonald’s 76
20 Wetherspoons 75

Source: Affise

For anybody with access needs looking to research the menu of a restaurant or foodservice establishment prior to a visit, a clear and easy to follow website is a must-have. Taking the top spot for the restaurant industry with an accessibility score of 99 and just 18 errors flagged, is beloved coffee shop chain Costa. 

Next on the list is Canadian multinational fast food restaurant chain Tim Hortons, scoring a very respectable 98. Despite some messages being conveyed through colour, such as vegan options in green, the website is very simplistic and easy to navigate. 

In last place is restaurant chain Wetherspoons, with a score of 75. 64 highlighted errors were found in the report’s research. 

 

Elements of the Wetherspoons website that could be considered for improvement involve enhancing the alt text on included images, simplifying the colour-scheme, and improving the contrast of the site, for people with colour-contrast sensitivity. 

Accenture tops the list as the most accessible tech website: 

Brand Accessibility rating score
1 Accenture 99
2 Dell Technologies 98
3 Samsung 98
4 Huawei Investment & Holding 97
5 Microsoft 97
6 Apple 96
7 Intel

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