Digital accessibility in e-commerce
How accessible are Dutch online shops?
For our research, we analyzed dozens of major Dutch e-commerce websites for digital accessibility. The results show where online shops stand today, and where opportunities remain for better conversion, stronger SEO, and a webshop that works for everyone.
Average accessibility index score for e-commerce: 55
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Key insights
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Average sector score: 55
The average accessibility score of e-commerce websites is 55 out of 100 points
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Lower-performing sector
E-commerce is among the lower-scoring sectors in the study
Dynamic content is challenging
Most accessibility issues occur in navigation, product filters and checkout processes
Accessible e-commerce possible
Several online shops demonstrate that accessible e-commerce is entirely possible, even with modern and complex webshops
Why digital accessibility is crucial for e-commerce
For a webshop, everything revolves around friction. The easier it is for visitors to find, understand and order products, the higher the conversion. For e-commerce organisations, digital accessibility therefore has a direct impact on several key KPIs:
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Higher conversion, revenue and profit margins
Various international studies show that companies investing in digital accessibility achieve on average:
up to 38% higher revenue
up to 28% faster revenue growth
up to 30% higher margins
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Better SEO and visibility
Research also shows that companies investing in digital accessibility see on average:
+23% more organic traffic
+27% better keyword rankings
up to 5× higher Google rankings
greater visibility in AI search systems and LLMs
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Compliance with European legislation (EAA)
Digital accessibility is now also a legal requirement.
Under the European Accessibility Act (EAA), many digital services, including e-commerce websites, must comply with accessibility guidelines such as WCAG since 2025
Benchmark results for e-commerce
Our research shows that digital accessibility in Dutch e-commerce is still evolving.
The average accessibility score of the analysed webshops is 55 out of 100 points. This indicates that many online shops have already taken steps toward improving accessibility, but there is still significant room for improvement.
In practice, we see that accessibility issues often arise in the most complex parts of a webshop: navigation, product filters, interactive elements and checkout processes.
For users who rely on a keyboard or screen reader, these components can therefore be difficult, or sometimes even impossible, to use.
At the same time, the research also shows that some webshops are already much further ahead. These organisations demonstrate that digital accessibility can be successfully combined with modern e-commerce platforms and advanced user interfaces.
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How does e-commerce perform compared to other sectors?
The broader research into digital accessibility in the Netherlands shows that e-commerce lags behind several other sectors.
While sectors such as government and education often achieve higher accessibility scores, webshops more frequently deal with complex interfaces such as product filters, dynamic navigation and extensive checkout processes. These functionalities make digital accessibility more challenging to implement effectively.
At the same time, the research also shows that accessibility in e-commerce is certainly achievable. The highest-scoring webshops in the study demonstrate that accessible interfaces can be successfully combined with modern e-commerce platforms.
Why digital accessibility in e-commerce is challenging
Compared to many other sectors, e-commerce websites are technically complex. Webshops often include interactive elements such as product filters, dynamic navigation, pop-ups and extensive checkout processes.
When these components are not designed with accessibility in mind from the start, they can quickly become barriers for users who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation or other assistive technologies.
Because webshops depend so heavily on their digital channels, digital accessibility can make a significant difference here. An accessible webshop not only creates a more inclusive user experience, but also helps reduce friction in the purchasing process.
“Many webshops invest heavily in design and conversion optimisation. But as long as digital accessibility is missing, part of the customer base remains excluded.”
- Eye-Able
Top-performing e-commerce websites
Although the average accessibility score in e-commerce still leaves room for improvement, several webshops demonstrate that digital accessibility can be successfully combined with modern e-commerce platforms.
The following organisations are among the best-performing e-commerce websites in our study.
These organisations show that digital accessibility does not have to limit design or functionality. On the contrary: clear structure, intuitive navigation and accessible forms often create a better user experience for all visitors.
For many other webshops in the Netherlands, this represents a clear opportunity to make their digital channels more accessible and user-friendly.
Common accessibility issues in webshops
During the research, several accessibility issues repeatedly appeared across e-commerce websites. These problems often occur in interactive parts of webshops, such as navigation, filters and the checkout process.
Navigation and filters
Many webshops use extensive menus, filter options and dynamic navigation. When these are not properly structured, users relying on screen readers or keyboard navigation may struggle to find products or apply filters.
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Product pages
Product pages frequently lack clear alternative text for images. As a result, visitors using screen readers may miss important information about the products.
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Forms and checkout
The checkout process is one of the most critical parts of a webshop, but also a place where accessibility issues often arise. Examples include:
Forms without clear labels
Error messages that are not properly announced by screen readers
Checkout steps that are difficult to navigate using a keyboard
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Dynamic elements
Pop-ups, modals and cookie banners are common on e-commerce websites. If these elements are not implemented accessibly, they can block navigation or become difficult to close for users relying on assistive technologies.
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How accessible is your webshop? Find out in 2 minutes
In this study, we analysed dozens of major Dutch webshops.
Curious how your webshop scores on digital accessibility?
With the Eye-Able scan, you’ll discover within minutes:
Your accessibility score
Potential WCAG issues
Concrete improvement opportunities
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Frequently asked questions
Digital accessibility in e-commerce
According to research by Eye-Able Benelux analysing 250 Dutch websites, e-commerce websites in the Netherlands score an average of 55 out of 100 points on digital accessibility. This shows that many webshops are already taking steps toward better accessibility, but there is still significant room for improvement.
Webshops often contain complex interactive elements such as product filters, dynamic navigation and extensive checkout processes. When these are not developed with accessibility in mind, they can create barriers for users who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation or other assistive technologies.
Common issues on e-commerce websites include:
Product filters that cannot be operated with a keyboard
Missing alternative text for product images
Forms and checkout steps that are difficult to use with screen readers
Insufficient contrast or unclear page structure
Digital accessibility helps webshops reach more customers and reduce friction in the purchasing process. An accessible website can also improve visibility in search engines, and in many cases accessibility is required under the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
An accessible webshop starts with implementing the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the international standard for digital accessibility. These guidelines help ensure websites are usable for everyone, including people who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation or other assistive technologies.
For webshops, the following principles are particularly important:
Ensure a clear structure and navigation
Make all functions operable via keyboard
Use alternative text for images
Make forms and checkout processes clear and understandable
Ensure sufficient contrast and readability
By integrating digital accessibility from the start of design and development, webshops can comply with WCAG guidelines while improving the user experience for all visitors.
About this research
For this study, Eye-Able Benelux analysed the digital accessibility of 250 major Dutch websites across multiple sectors between November and December 2025, including e-commerce, government, education, healthcare and financial services.
The websites were automatically scanned based on international accessibility guidelines: the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Level AA. The analysis assessed several aspects of digital accessibility, including structure, alternative text, contrast, forms and interactive elements.
Based on this analysis, each website received an accessibility score. These scores were then used to calculate sector benchmarks and highlight differences between industries.
The goal of the research is to provide insight into the current state of digital accessibility in the Netherlands and help organisations understand where opportunities for improvement still exist.
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