In 2000, only 14% of seniors used the internet, but that number has since grown to 67% of adults aged 65 and older. Most people might think senior-friendly websites are extra work, but making your website senior-friendly has many benefits.

By designing your site with internet essentials for seniors, you’re including a key audience. Catering to seniors can help you grow your business and increase revenue. When seniors find websites that work for them, they’re more likely to engage and convert.

Furthermore, a senior-friendly design is excellent for search engine optimization (SEO). The same principles that make websites easier for seniors also make it easier for Google to find your site.

Learn how to make a senior-friendly website below.

Senior Friendly Website Design Tips

When it comes to creating a senior-friendly website, there’s a lot you can do through your design choices. About one in three seniors have some form of vision-reducing eye disease, which means it’s essential to make your site easy to see.

Help seniors read the content on your site by using large fonts. Try not to use any text on your site that’s smaller than 16 pixels, or 12 points.

The colors you choose will also help visibility. Black on white is always a good option, or you can use other high-contract combinations. Don’t use colors together that are too similar, or it can be hard to read the text.

Following ADA Compliance Online

Making your website more ADA-compliant is also a great way to make it senior-friendly. What’s great is that recommendations for ADA compliance can also help improve your SEO.

Blind users or those with impaired vision need screen readers to use computers. These devices read out text and image descriptions so the user knows what’s on each web page.

To make your site most helpful for screen readers, make sure to include image alt tags and subtitles. Screen readers will read the alt tags out loud to describe an image. As a bonus, Google crawls alt tags as well to serve your website to users who are searching for similar topics.

Creating Content for Seniors

In addition to design, the content on your site also needs to cater to seniors’ needs. If you create content that relates to senior living, make sure you’re using the proper tone and messaging.

Refer to seniors’ challenges with empathy, and don’t victimize their struggles. For instance, instead of saying seniors “suffer from” Alzheimer’s, you can simply say that many seniors live with Alzheimer’s.

When you’re speaking about non-senior-related topics, avoid jargon. This principle goes for all audiences as well. As a rule of thumb, users relate more to simple, concise content. Creating your content for more universal appeal helps everyone understand what you’re trying to convey.

The Importance of Internet Essentials for Seniors

Creating a website with internet essentials for seniors can improve your overall success. By creating a website with empathy, you’re making it universally accessible for everyone. You can count on higher engagement and conversion from a broader group of users.

At Jonesen Design, we offer web design services that are ADA compliant for all audiences. Contact us today to learn more.

For further information on ADA Compliance and a tool that will automatically make your site 96% compliant visit ADAEnabled