Nearly every business has a target market that includes baby boomers. And why wouldn’t they? Baby boomers are one of the biggest spenders (with over 70 million of them), and as our infographic below shows, they are spending more time online than ever before.
And it’s not sending emails back and forth. Baby boomers are now joining Facebook and other social networking sites in droves. This older generation is now using the Internet, and if a marketer passes this up they will lose business to a competitor.
Research from ShopperCentric shows that those in the UK aged 50+ are browsing online stores often, but few are actually buying. Baby boomers have deep pockets as well, with those aged 55-64 making a medium income of $77,507.
So how do you market to them? Only they will know best, but here are a few ideas:
1. Ensure Website Security
Baby boomers didn’t grow up the internet. When they needed something, they went to their local store. If you sell anything online, be sure to clearly convey how secure your website is. Give our blog post a good read through and make sure you have your bases covered. Baby boomers have been taught to make sure a site says “HTTPS”, so everything from your shopping cart to your account login page should be using SSL.
2. Be Smart With Your Website Design
Your website shouldn’t be cluttered. Be a resource for people and teach them about what you do. If you have an eCommerce store, your product copy shouldn’t sound “salesman-ey”. Baby boomers have been around the block a number of times and know when to spot BS. Instead, aim to educate them about the product by giving them as much information as possible.
3. Show Your Value
Baby boomers compare prices just like everyone else. If you sell online, you’ll be tempted to compete on price. It’s important to have a clear value proposition and really show them how you’re different than your competitors.
This infographic shows us that not only are they online, but the number of them coming online is growing.
About the Author: Zach Bulygo is a blogger, you can find him on Twitter here.
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