How to Make Your Website User-Friendly for Older Generations

 

The development of technology cannot be stopped, and you should not disregard it either. Today's customers demand it. But the elder group, the Baby Boomers, make up a sizable share of today's online clients. They also have a lot more disposable income to spend even though they aren't quite as tech-savvy as their children and grandchildren. Here, we look at how to adapt your website so that it is usable for the increasing number of senior citizens who use the internet many business listings.

What desires do the senior population have?

Around 20% of the population, or over 14 million Baby Boomers, live in the UK, making up a comparable proportion to Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Y. Despite what you may think, they are ardent internet users and, pound for pound, have more disposable income than younger generations.

It's critical to comprehend what older customers want when they shop online if you want to offer them the same degree of customer service as you do for younger generations. The following are the qualities Baby Boomers look for in a website, per the most recent research.

Information available to them

The older age is generally considerably more careful with their money, and 85% of them spend the time researching businesses and products, including watching educational films, before they make a commitment to buy.

Websites that aim to appeal to older audiences should make sure that all the necessary information, including, when possible, films about products and services, is made available on their website. It is equally crucial that this information be simple to get, therefore any navigation to it—whether through a search or a link—must be clear and simple. It is important to note that Baby Boomers are particularly drawn to more sophisticated kinds of customer service, such as catboats, and that, statistically speaking, they are more likely to utilise them than younger consumers business listings.

Easy to use

Older consumers want to utilise more sophisticated purchasing tools, but they want them to be simple to use. They do not want to waste too much time wondering about what needs to be entered, thus they desire fewer clicks and inputs. Thus, the user interfaces of the newest interactive tools, such as augmented reality, visual search, and voice assistants, must be simple and clear. If they are, you'll see that Baby Boomers are using them more frequently. If at all feasible, make sure the tools include built-in help features so that anyone who runs into trouble can easily obtain the assistance they need to utilise the tool effectively.

Adaptable purchasing

Older shoppers have been familiar with and still value the in-person shopping experience. This implies that people can choose to purchase things online and pick them up or return them to a nearby business. This is particularly significant if it enables them to pick up the item the same day or avoids the inconvenience and cost of returning goods by mail.

For these reasons, businesses that provide click and collect or local returns are considerably more likely to appeal to older customers. Brands without physical stores can frequently locate nearby establishments willing to provide this service because it increases foot traffic for such establishments free business listings.

Trustworthiness

Unfortunately, fraudsters frequently target senior citizens because they assume their lack of technical expertise makes them easier targets. The Baby Boomer generation is now very careful when making internet purchases as a result of this. Therefore, before an older person will make a purchase, it is extremely essential that websites and the companies that operate them are regarded as reliable.

Social proof in the form of favorable online reviews and ratings, the display of crucial information on your website, such as your physical address, phone number, company registration, and VAT number, and familiarity, or whether people have previously seen your brand on the high street, in advertisements, or on social media. To have the "Secure" padlock icon displayed on a browser, you'll need an SSL certificate.

Loyalty

 

Older customers are considerably more likely to stick with a company once they find one they like online because they spend so much time studying businesses and products and determining their dependability. If you provide them the experiences they want, they could even be willing to pay more to stay with you than to purchase at a less expensive store. Naturally, this calls for providing continuously high-quality service and encouraging seasoned clients to stick around through loyalty programmers, individualized advice, and special deals.

A significant share of today’s online shoppers is Baby Boomers, and, significantly, they have a lot of buying power. By offering the experiences that elderly consumers demand, websites can gain a lot. You should be able to improve the Baby Boomer friendliness of your website after reading this article.