Old Money Seniors are surfing the Web at an alarming rate--are you ready to accommodate?
By Gwen Moran Edited by Frances Dodds
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Senior citizens are the fastest-growing sector of the onlineaudience, exploding from a measly 600,000 in 1995 to an estimated13 million in 1998, according to SeniorNet. They also spend moretime--and money--online than any other age group, so it's nowonder they're an attractive audience for online marketers.
With more than 168 learning centers, SeniorNet, a nonprofit thatteaches people over 50 to use computers and the Internet, has beenat the forefront of getting seniors online. Want to make sure yoursite is senior-friendly? SeniorNet's executive director AnnWrixon offers these warnings about common mistakes made whenreaching out to seniors online:
- While seniors are often depicted in rocking chairs, nursinghomes or wheelchairs, that's not representative of most adultsover age 60. Show a diversity of vibrant and active seniors on yoursite.
- Most people have declining eyesight as they age. Use largertypefaces and avoid clutter. Also, watch color-on-colorcontrast.
- As is true with any audience segment, navigation should besimplified to avoid frustration.
What does Wrixon see as the biggest misconception aboutmarketing to seniors online? "The myth that you can'tteach an old dog new tricks," she says. "When we considerwhat these people have lived through, we realize that they arerisk-takers. They have more time and more life experience.They're willing to try new things."
Contact Source
SeniorNet, (800) 747-6848, http://www.seniornet.org
