The world is changing and as a result, more and more businesses are gearing their marketing approach towards Millennials. That is because now, Millennials are the primary shoppers, but what about businesses that cater to older generations? If you are one of those businesses, here are some things to keep in mind about web design for older users.
Accessibility Concerns
From the age of about 40, the eye’s lens begins to harden. This is called “presbyopia” and it’s a normal part of aging, but it makes smaller and narrow text harder to read. Hence, why a lot of companies make “bigger” font choices and devices that naturally zoom in catered towards older users.
Color perception also decreases with age. Thus, it becomes harder to distinguish similar shades and colors from each other. Another pressing concern is audio because the older you get, the more your hearing naturally declines.
Avoiding small fonts on your website becomes critical, as does making sure the text is in a standard, easy to read format. A good designer (like the ones at Marstudio) would know how to avoid jarring contrast ratios with color, what colors to use, and good tests to evaluate how the site matches up against these concerns.
If your site uses videos, having the option for subtitles becomes increasingly important. As does including alt tags in the SEO of your images.
Device Usage
These days, most internet users are doing so through the use of their mobile phones. However, those statistics show a clear skew towards younger generations using their phones.
Changes in vision make it increasingly hard for older users to use mobile browsing over desktop. What’s trending with Millennials and Gen Z might not be a trend that has caught on for Boomers. Does that mean your site should have no mobile functionality? Absolutely not. But it does mean that you will have to pay close attention to desktop presentation. A good designer and developer would know how to balance the two views.
If you are a business that works with a lot of older clients and wants to tailor your website to fit their needs, Marstudio can help. Contact us to set up a consultation.
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