The COVID-19 pandemic forced many small businesses to add some sort of e-commerce platform to their business model or risk going out of business. While about 1 in 3 small businesses sell through their own website, many use existing sales platforms that may require less effort. These include third-party platforms like Etsy or Amazon, and community marketplaces like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.

However, some third-party platforms are more accessible than others.

A lack of keyboard navigation and descriptive alt text for product images—as well as limited or no color contras—are just a handful of factors that make websites challenging to access for some individuals. Ensuring that sites are operable without a mouse and making the search bar and cart landmarks on a page enhance e-commerce accessibility, as do captions on meaningful videos and clear directions.

Meeting consumers where they want to shop has expanded the ways small business owners capture sales. Over half of the Small Business Majority survey respondents reported they get at least 25%—and up to 75%—of annual sales from online channels.

While that boosts their profits, small business owners also note challenges with maintaining an online sales platform. The costs of doing e-business can eat into profits, with over 1 in 3 survey respondents reporting that third-party fees and shipping costs make e-commerce site management less affordable.

For a small business owner with few or no other employees, designing and running a website is one more thing on a long to-do list of everything that needs to be done to run a business, including managing inventory, accounting, operations, and human resources functions. And with over 1 in 3 survey respondents saying they simply don't know how to build one, this knowledge gap can lead to procrastination or uncertainty about leaning into the digital business.

As business owners build or improve their digital presence, accessibility should be an essential part of this development. It's essential to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure digital accessibility, but prioritizing accessibility puts businesses in a better position to profit. The right internal or external developer can take advantage of free open-source component libraries and implement the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to create better interfaces that address a variety of needs. Doing so can help businesses have more engaged employees and provide a better customer experience that leads to higher sales.

However, burying heads in the sand could work against business owners as shoppers continue to take their dollars to online platforms. Luckily, many small business advocacy groups like Small Business Majority, Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Businesses Program, and the National Federation of Independent Business have resources for small businesses. The Small Business Digital Alliance has a free digital tool library to help business owners better understand how to build a digital presence, find new customers, understand cybersecurity, and more.

Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.