When you’re designing and adding content to your web site, consider the age group you want to reach. If your target market consists of individuals 45 and older, take a look at the following statistics from a recent Burst Media survey. (Stats are rounded.)

80% of those age 18-34 say web sites are designed for them, but that percentage decreases until only 35% of the 45-54 age segment, and 20% of the 55 and older group, feel sites are designed for people their age. Lest you think older people aren’t using the Internet much, almost 50% of the 55+ users said if they were unable to access the Internet their daily lives would be significantly disrupted.

The percentage is even more dismal when it comes to the focus of online advertising. The 45+ crowd surveyed said only 17% of it is designed for them. This means the population with the most disposable income is being overlooked by online advertisers.

70% of adults age 50 to 64 are online, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 80% of them are on broadband, and their overall usage patterns mirror other age segments.

Internet marketers and advertisers must realize that the Baby Boomers and older individuals, who comprise a full third of the U.S. population and control over 83% of consumer spending, are rapidly integrating the Internet into their lives. In fact, Boomers have been at the forefront of technology for years - they invented a lot of it!

Baby Boomer Online Spending

The Internet is the most important source of information for Baby Boomers when they make a major marketing purchase, such as automobiles or appliances (Zoomerang). Adults 50+ spend an average of $7 billion online annually (SeniorNet), and 42% of all travel industry purchases happen online, with adults 50+ accounting for 80% of all luxury travel spending (Pew Internet and American Life Project).

• By 2010, adults 45-years-old and older will out-spend younger adults by $1 trillion annually.
• In 2004, people aged 50 and older spent an average of 48% of their family's budget on "nonessentials" (Bureau of Labor).
• 50% of baby boomers plan to buy a new home after retirement (Del Webb Survey).

Designing Sites for an Older Demographic

Larger, darker fonts, higher color contrast, simple design, and consistent layout will encourage older visitors to stay on a site.

Since the type of content individuals seek varies by age group, a site’s content should be created around their interests:

Age 18-34

• Entertainment info 45%
• Local/national news 40%
• Online games 38%
• Shopping/product info 36%
• Info for work 35%
• Social networks, forums and blogs 31%

Age 35-54

• Local/national news 54%
• Shopping/product info 45%
• Info for work 43%
• Health info 37%
• Entertainment info 37%
• Travel info 34%

Age 55+

• Local/national news 60%
• Shopping/product info 44%
• Health info 43%
• International news 39%
• Travel info 38%
• Food information/recipes 34%

If your target market consists of this Baby Boomer and older demographic, and you want their business, you can’t afford to ignore their wants and needs. Boomer spending is expected to surpass $4.6 trillion by 2015.

Reprinted from SEO Diva.