Step-by-Step Guide: Building a Simple Shopping Website

From basic HTML to interactive, accessible shopping experience

By Okafor Solomon Chika

● 124 people are reading this tutorial right now

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1. Understand the Structure of a Shopping Site

Before writing any code, decide what pages and sections your shopping website needs. A simple structure is enough when starting: a home page, product listing, product detail, cart, and checkout description.[web:22][web:24]

• Home section: Short welcome text and a few highlighted products.
• Products section: Grid or list of items with images, names, prices, and “Add to Cart” buttons.
• Cart section: Shows items selected, quantity, total price, and a checkout button.
• Contact or help section: How customers can reach support if they have questions.

Do not worry about payment integration at first. Focus on layout, basic navigation, and clear product information.

2. Start With Basic HTML Layout

Create a new file called index.html, then add the basic HTML skeleton. Inside the body, plan sections using semantic tags like <header>, <main>, <section>, and <footer> so screen readers can navigate correctly.[web:22][web:24]

1. Add a header with your shop name and simple navigation links.
2. Add a main area that will contain your product cards and cart summary.
3. Add a footer with copyright and contact info.

Tip: Using semantic HTML makes your shopping site easier to use for blind and visually impaired users who depend on screen readers.

3. Create Product Cards in HTML

Inside your main area, create a grid of product cards. Each card can include an image, product title, description, price, and an “Add to Cart” button. Use alt text on images so blind users can understand the product visually through audio.[web:22][web:24]

• Wrap each product in a <article> or <div role="group">.
• Add descriptive text: do not just say “T-shirt”; use something like “Blue cotton T-shirt, size range S–XL”.
• Keep buttons clearly labeled, for example: “Add Blue T-shirt to Cart”.

4. Add a Simple Cart Section (Front-End Only)

For beginners, you can start with a fake or front-end–only cart using JavaScript. When a user clicks “Add to Cart”, you increase a cart counter and display selected items in a small list on the side or at the top.[web:26]

Later you can connect this to a real backend using tools like Node.js, PHP, or any API to handle real orders, authentication, and payments.[web:26]

A front-end cart is enough to practice coding and design. Move to real payments only when your layout, accessibility, and flows are stable.

5. Make the Page More Accessible for Blind Users

To support blind users, make sure your page works well with screen readers and keyboard navigation. Use meaningful headings, clear labels, and logical reading order.[web:22][web:24]

• Use heading levels in order: h1, then h2, then h3, without skipping randomly.
• Ensure all interactive elements (buttons, links) are reachable with the Tab key and use visible focus styles.
• Add aria-label where extra explanation is needed for screen readers.

6. Add a Learning YouTube Video to Your Page

You can embed a YouTube tutorial so visitors can watch and learn how shopping sites are built directly on your page. Use an <iframe> with the video URL.[web:21][web:23][web:25]

If you want a different video, go to YouTube, click “Share” → “Embed”, and copy the <iframe> code, then replace the one above.[web:23][web:27]

7. Add Voice Reader, Translate, and Live Readers

The code below already gives you three extra features: a voice reader that reads the article out loud, a translation button that opens Google Translate for your page, and a live reader counter that starts at 124 and changes over time.

• The voice reader uses the browser’s speech synthesis to read all paragraphs, lists, and headings in order.
• The translate control opens your page in Google Translate in the language the visitor selects.
• The active readers box simulates how many users are reading right now by increasing and decreasing a base number.

You can reuse this template as a starting point and then replace the text with your own shopping tutorial or even real product content.

Practice by changing the text, adding your own products, and experimenting with layout — that is how real shopping apps are born.