Everybody knows what the young (and the young at heart) do on the internet: online gaming, MySpace, Facebook, online dating, You Tube: the list is endless. Precisely because the majority of online content on the internet is targeted towards users aged between their teens and 40s. But is this focus ignoring a very important market? What are the growing number of older users doing online?

Studies have shown that most users under the age of 35 are quite comfortable using the internet and assume that the majority of content is targeted towards their demographic. Users in their 40s and up however feel that most content on the internet is not targeted towards them, and different needs when it comes to navigating sites, downloading and surfing in general.

Why should we care about the grey hairs?

Internet users aged over 35 represent the fastest growing market segment, and we're talking both online and offline.

Australia's population is ageing. According to a 2004 CEDA (Committee for Economic Development) report around 12% of the Australian population is over 65. But look out - by 2051, that's expected to rise to around 30%.

As for online, the greys are all over the net - a study by Burst media found that there are more internet users over the age of 35 than below.

This group is generally affluent and at retirement age, so they have more time. And, unlike the generations before them, they are more internet savvy. The 'silver tsunami' set already use the net to shop, bank, download, and email photos of the grandkids.

Can your business afford to not be interested in this demographic?

The issues

Even though our surfing seniors are online more than any other segment, most sites are up to twice as hard to use for people over 65 ( according to a study by Nielsen Norman Group, US consulting firm).

This means less task completion and more user errors. Which in turn means more blame, frustration, and 'web rage' leading to eventual abandonment of the problem site...let's hope it wasn't yours. The result is obviously lost leads, and in the long run, lost revenue.

Turning this to your advantage

If this segment is traditionally ignored, just think what might happen if your web strategy caters to them?

Usability is key. Colours, fonts, formats, buttons, language and links. These all contribute to how easy it is to navigate a site, and each plays its part in either helping or hindering a user. Many small changes can add up to a big impact on your site's usability- in this case, the whole really can be bigger than the sum of its parts.

Keeping in mind the end user is essential in every marketing endeavour, and as the market changes with age, your strategy becomes increasingly important.

Marketing Tip: Turning off your prospects

 Like it or not, you're really in the people business. You just happen to offer the products and services that you do. If you can organize, inspire, and energize a group of effective employees, the world is your oyster. It is your guaranteed key to success, regardless of the products and services you offer. One thing that has leaked out of our research is that prospects and customers hate to see changing faces. They develop friendships, relationships, and get to know people on whom they can depend. Personnel turnover, or churn, is very demoralizing for them. Prospects and customers accept the fact that people get moved, promoted, or transferred, but they hate to hear that they quit or were fired.