On line shopping is a popular activity for 56% of people between the ages of 64 and 72; it is also popular amongst 47% of seniors 73 and older. Additionally, 82% of adults 50+ use the internet to research their health and wellness information (Selling to Seniors, issue no. 09-02). This ever increasing trend in senior internet shopping combined with the growing senior population makes it important for business people to know how to market, both ethically and clearly, to today’s senior citizen. The Society of Certified Senior Advisors (SCSA) recognizes the trend in senior shopping and, as a part of their monthly educational campaign, has offered helpful resources and information on marketing to older adults.
Included in the informative resources is a pamphlet, Making Your Website Senior Friendly from the National Institute on Aging. The educational topics highlighted include:
- Making sure that older adults can use your website
- Designing readable online text for older adults
- Organizing web information for older adults
- Making web information easy for older adults to find
Another useful resource, SEO and “Marketing” Websites- Internet Best Practices, produced by SeniorCare Marketer (part 1of a 3 part series) includes topics, such as:
- The Basics to search-optimizing a website
- What not to do with your Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- A sample page of a good website and what makes it good
- A sample checklist of bad websites
As a part of this educational marketing information package, SCSA also created useful handouts, such as:
- Fast Facts to the over 50 population- current statistics on the senior population and their health, social, financial concerns.
- How to get your emails white-listed- a step by step guide to ensure that emails get through to their recipient.
With 71% of seniors in their 60’s and 52% of those in their 70’s using search engines, it is necessary for professionals in the senior market to know how to market to an increasingly tech savvy older generation. SCSA offers these resources to Certified Senior Advisor professionals in an effort to educate them on the ever changing lives of seniors.
ABOUT SCSA. SCSA was established in 1997 to enhance education and standards among professionals working with senior citizens. SCSA’s mission is to educate professionals to work more effectively with their senior clients. We believe that the right kind of planning, recommendations and referrals can make aging a state to be savored instead of a fate to fear. For those who work with seniors, this means understanding the key health, social and financial factors that are important to seniors—and how these factors work together. CSAs are able to integrate this into their professional practices, no matter what field they’re in. They’ve learned how incredibly gratifying it is to help seniors achieve their goals, and the seniors they’ve worked with have learned how important it is to work with someone who truly understands their age-related circumstances.