73% of your ecommerce emails are broken (and your customers can’t tell you)

According to the 2024 Accessibility Report by the Email Marketing Consortium, 73.73% of marketing emails have no discernible link text.

That’s not a typo.

Almost three-quarters of emails force screen reader users to guess where links lead.

Those users can’t easily complain. They just leave. And you’ll never see “inaccessible copy” in your analytics—just lower click rates and abandoned carts you can’t explain.

As depressing as that sounds, it’s actually great news for online shops. Because email can be the lifeblood of an ecommerce business.

And with many store owners feeling overwhelmed with how to optimize their copy, accessible copy is a totally doable, practical place to start.

Because in the 15 years I’ve been working with ecommerce brands I’ve learned one thing:

Accessible copywriting is optimization that happens to include everyone.

It isn’t just about accommodation or avoiding lawsuits. It’s about removing friction. And in ecommerce, friction kills conversions.

So, let’s fix your ecommerce copy—starting with the mistakes hiding in plain sight.

Do your emails have a “Find out more” problem?

Here’s an example to bring that email stat to life.

I recently got an email from a perfume brand known for thoughtful design.

The email featured two ingredients: amber and cardamom.

Each had a “Find out more” link. Which means screen reader users hear: “Find out more. Find out more.”

No context. No differentiation. To know where those links go, they’d have to click both.

Accessible link text is specific link text

The best bit? As conversion copywriters, we already know that specificity wins the day.

I once heard Joanna say, “Vague is the enemy of conversion.” And this Copyhackers article about ecommerce homepages makes a similar point. 

Now we only need to apply that kind of thinking to our link text:

DON’T ❌	DO ✅
“Find out more”	“View our fragrance collection”
“Shop now”	“Shop amber-based fragrances”
“Click here”	“See full product details”

One rule covers most cases:

If two links go to the same URL, use identical text. If they go to different URLs, the text must be different and descriptive.

Do your subject lines have a toxic relationship with emojis?

Screen readers read emojis aloud.

That ✨ in your subject line? It becomes “sparkles” or “glowing star” depending on the device.

String a few together—✨🛍️💕—and your punchy subject line turns into “sparkles, shopping bags, two hearts.” The reading order might even scramble across different email clients.

For ecommerce emails, emoji rules are simple

1. Maximum one emoji per subject line. Zero is often better.

2. Never substitute emojis for words. “We 💜 our customers” fails if the purple heart doesn’t render.

3. Place emojis at the end. “New collection inside ✨” works better than “✨ New collection inside ✨”

Your subject line needs to work as plain text. Emojis are decoration, not content.

(Worried about dropping open rates if you go easy on the emojis? Check out these tips to increase email open rate.)

Do you lose readers at word 26?

The British Government’s content team studied sentence comprehension and found that reader understanding drops off sharply after 25-29 words.

That’s not just true for struggling readers, but even for “highly literate people with extensive vocabularies.”

Now think about your product descriptions.

How many pack three benefits, two features, and a brand story into a single breathless sentence?

Accessible copy is scannable copy.

And as Ami Williamson explains in her article on Instagram captions for ecommerce: “The truth is that the majority of people are scanners.”

Long sentences hurt everyone. They’re harder to scan, harder to remember, and take a lot more brain power to understand.

Now imagine having to listen to them, word by word, as your screen reader reads it out.

Online shopping suddenly becomes a whole lot more exhausting.

The fix for ecommerce emails, app notifications and PDPs

• Cap sentences at 20 words. If you’ve written 25, split it. This forces you to make one point at a time—which is exactly what shoppers need when deciding to buy.
• One idea per sentence. If you’re connecting thoughts with “and,” make it two sentences instead.
• Front-load key information. Don’t bury materials, sizes, or shipping details in paragraph three. Screen reader users shouldn’t have to wade through brand story to find what they need.
• Use structure as navigation. Proper heading tags (H2, H3) let screen readers jump between sections. “Bold text that looks like a heading” doesn’t work—assistive tech can’t see it.
• Write numbers as digits. “5 sizes available” scans faster than “five sizes available.” This helps everyone, and screen readers handle digits more consistently.

Do your buttons need more context?

Your product page probably has an “Add to cart” button.

If you sell multiple variants—sizes, colors, quantities—you might have several identical buttons.

For sighted users, proximity handles context. The button is next to the size selector, so they know which variant they’re adding.

Screen reader users don’t have proximity. They hear “Add to cart. Add to cart. Add to cart.” Identical options. Zero information.

The simple fix to add clarity: ARIA labels

Your developer or web design team can apply ARIA labels to the button’s code.

They’re invisible to sighted users, but get picked up by screen readers. It’s always best if we supply these when handing over our copy, using our UX writing savvy. 

Here’s an example for an online shop selling protein bars in different flavors:

• “Add Vanilla flavor to cart – $45”
• “Add Chocolate flavor to cart – $45”
• “Add Salted Caramel flavor to cart – $45”

Specific button copy also tends to outperform vague copy in tests. When shoppers know exactly what happens next, friction drops and conversions rise.

Does your ALT text actually sell?

Every product image needs ALT text.

Not “product photo” or “lifestyle image”—actual descriptions that help someone understand what they’d see.

The fix: describe what matters to a buying decision

Skip “image of” or “photo of”—screen readers already announce that it’s an image. For product photography, include details a shopper would notice: color, texture, fit, scale.

Bonus points if you can add some personality by writing ALT text in your brand voice!

For example:

• “Ivory linen blazer with horn-style buttons; relaxed, tailored drape over a crisp white tee.”
• “Before-and-after: skin on the left looks tired and dull; on the right, fresh, dewy glow after 4 weeks of gentle, plant-powered care.”
• “Shipping timeline flex: 2-day delivery when your cart hits $50+. Fast lane unlocked.”

Dealing with infographics or size charts? Explain the actual information: 

• Don’t just write “Size chart.”
• Instead, make sure that the image fulfils its purpose: XS fits 32–34″ bust; S fits 34–36″ bust; M fits 36–38″ bust.

Why should you care?
(The business case is simple)

Clear link text. Short sentences. Specific buttons. Proper headings. Descriptive ALT text. One emoji maximum. I’ve chosen these examples to show you: Accessible copy is clear copy.

And if you’ve been following Copyhackers for a while, you already know that clear copy converts better.

The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative cites studies showing accessible content improves customer experience across the board. Search Engine Journal confirms accessible content boosts SEO scores.

But here’s the stat that should really get your attention:

According to the United Nations, only 4 in 100 people are born with a disability. By age 60, nearly half (46%) have at least one disability due to illness, injury, or aging.

Accessibility isn’t about a niche audience.

It’s about the shoppers you already have—who are getting older, dealing with temporary injuries, reading on their phones in bright sunlight, or juggling too many browser tabs to fully focus.

The barriers we create today are the barriers we’ll face tomorrow. The brands that remove those barriers now will keep those customers longer.

So, accessible ecommerce copy isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s how you stop leaving money on the table—and start treating all your customers like they matter.

Because they do.