Terms such as equality, diversity, sustainability and accessibility are often bandied around in the FinTech and retail sectors as buzzwords. Yet, it is not until these concepts are seen as essential for business success that merchants really get on board, even though there is plenty of evidence to prove that inclusivity and accessibility drive revenue.
The wider market for people with disabilities is estimated to be worth £274bn in the UK alone and $1.9trn globally.[1] Research has also found that making a website more accessible can drive 23-24% more traffic.[2]
However, the reality is that most websites were not originally designed to cater for those with visual, hearing, movement or mental impairments. And this leaves many people excluded from using these websites and accessing their services. Yet over 99% of merchants recently surveyed[3] by Ecommpay said they would select their payment provider based on their commitment to ESG.
With a mission to achieve ultimate financial inclusivity, Ecommpay has committed to an ongoing inclusivity programme, Ecommpay for Good, offering midsize and enterprise businesses the products and services to trade domestically and internationally. The programme is designed to provide businesses with critical support to improve the accessibility of their website, products and services, benefiting customers and merchants simultaneously.
In particular, the payments provider empowers merchants to improve their digital presence with free access to a Guide to Digital Accessibility, developed in partnership with the Digital Accessibility Centre.
This outlines the actions needed to meet the WC3 (World Wide Web Consortium) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard for accessibility. These internationally recognised recommendations define how to make websites, web and mobile applications more accessible to everyone, including people with impairments to their vision, hearing, mobility and/or their thinking and understanding.
Ecommpay is also partnering with organisations working across the retail and fintech sectors to improve inclusivity and diversity, including Project Nemo and the European Women Payments Network (EWPN).
Click here to access the Ecommpay Guide to Digital Accessibility.
[1] https://wearepurple.org.uk/the-purple-pound-infographic/
[2] Mike Adams,CEO, Purple Tuesday
[3] Survey conducted online between 20/08/2024 and 03/09/2024, among 251 18+ Merchants who have £16-40m ($20-50m) in annual payments volume (card turnover)
