Is grandma searching online?

According to Pew Internet and American Life Project data cited in an April 2008 Focalyst study, more than one-third of U.S. consumers born before 1946 use the Internet.

For the younger members of this group (ages 62 to 71), more than 50 percent of them are online.

Are you focusing your Internet marketing strategy toward this fast-growing demographic? If not, you could be missing out on a huge opportunity.

These online consumers, ages 62 to 71, represent a very attractive demographic, according to the study. They were generally better-educated and had higher incomes than non-Internet users the same age.

They also spend almost twice as much time online as their younger counterparts.

As you might expect, online seniors use the Internet to stay in touch with family, but they are doing much more than swapping stories about the grandkids.

Nearly six out of 10 U.S. Internet users 62 and older use search engines. Among other activities, almost one-quarter of the group banks or pays bills online and one-fifth are video gamers. And the use of the Internet continues to rise for these online seniors.

Seniors are buying

U.S. Internet users 62 and older were more likely to notice Web advertising than younger users and they had a greater purchase intent for some categories of online ads, such as pharmaceuticals, insurance, consumer packaged goods, travel and entertainment.

A survey of U.S. marketing executives in October and November 2007 by Anderson Analytics named baby boomers, who are entering the 62 and older group, as the most important demographic group.

Attracting seniors

The senior citizen demographic is growing faster than any other age group and will be a major economic force for decades to come. What can your business do to cater to and attract these online senior citizens? Here are a few suggestions:

• Design your Web site to be senior-friendly (see the Nielsen Norman Group report: 46 Web site design guidelines for seniors: www.nngroup.com/reports/seniors); for example, use colors on your Web site that can be easily distinguished (like red, orange and yellow); use minimal text so users don't have to scroll down.
• Offer senior discounts on your Web site.
• Advertise on sites that are oriented toward seniors.

Jonny Buroker is an Internet Marketing Consultant with WSI -- We Simplify the Internet, serving south central and southwest Wisconsin.