How an accessible ticket shop increases customer satisfaction

A Statista article from 2020 sheds light on the challenges faced by people with disabilities online. The article shows that the most common problem is poor contrast between text and background, which makes reading difficult for people with impaired vision. Around two out of three of the pages analysed have no alternative text, for example to describe images or simplify text. These and other shortcomings make it difficult for many people to find information and carry out transactions.

Accessibility in the digital space means that every user group has access to equivalent information. This also means that digital content must be adapted to these user groups in terms of design and function. As part of the usability or user experience of an online site, accessibility is not only concerned with a user’s permanent impairments; temporary restrictions are also taken into account.

In our article, we look specifically at the accessibility aspects of an online ticket shop and the advantages it offers. Firstly, it expands the target group and makes the offer accessible to people with different types of impairments. Secondly, it improves the user experience for all visitors.

Inclusion is not only a social responsibility, but also a business necessity. At a time when accessibility on the internet is on the decline, as the Statista article shows, an inclusive ticket shop offers a clear competitive advantage.

Accessibility is not mandatory for every website. However, the first step was taken a few years ago with the Barrier-free Information Technology Ordinance (BITV). This initially applies to public service organisations, but also envisages making accessibility in e-commerce mandatory by 2025.

In addition to legal requirements, there are also other guidelines that should make it easier to take inclusion into account in your own digital content. One of these is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which also served as the basis for the egocentric Systems ticketing solution.

Regardless of legal requirements, the above-mentioned advantages should have convinced you of the added value of a ticket shop that is accessible and understandable for as many visitor groups as possible. And in general, “more accessibility” is better than “less accessibility”.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are an internationally recognised standard that ensures the accessibility of web content. These guidelines are not only an ethical imperative, but also a decisive factor for commercial success.

We have worked hard to integrate these guidelines into our ticketing solution. Compliance with the WCAG guidelines is a tool to create equality and fairness in the digital space. It makes it possible for all people, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities, to have access to culture and entertainment. This is particularly important in a world where venues serve as places for cultural participation and social interaction.

Compliance with the WCAG guidelines also has tangible economic benefits. By increasing accessibility, more people can use the website, find out about events and ultimately buy tickets. This leads to an increase in reach and sales.

1. Check the technical aspects of your ticket shop with the Google Lighthouse browser extension
   The extension gives you an assessment of basic elements (contrasts, font size, labels, touch targets or alt text) and summarises the result on a scale up to 100 (very good).
2. Expand problem solving with the Wave browser extension
   Analyse your shop in even more detail and quickly find out which errors need to be rectified. The tool is free and summarises problems directly in categories, e.g. contrast errors.
3. Pay attention to keyboard operability
   Check manually or with screen readers such as Google Talkback that your shop can only be operated using the keyboard. The keyboard focus is also important to be able to understand which element you are on.
4. Sufficient contrast for better readability
   Ensure that the font has sufficient contrast to the background and also take into account impairments such as red-green weakness. You can get a quick assessment with contrast check tools.
5. Large buttons for mobile use
   The precise mouse pointer is no longer needed on mobile devices. Buttons should also be large enough for smartphones and tablets to be operated by touch.
6. Describe your website and event images
   Blind people need graphic and visual elements to be labelled. So-called alternative texts can usually be stored in the content management system for the website.
7. Communicate clearly and comprehensibly
   Simple language ensures that even complicated processes can be understood. Use short sentences, simple sentence structure and avoid foreign words and abbreviations.
8. Accessible forms
   Not only the design, but also the functions should be designed to be inclusive. A contact form should be accessible and understandable for all user groups. To achieve this, a so-called “label” with the name of the field must remain when the user clicks in the form fields.