Think seniors aren’t online? Think again. A recent Nielson report shows that the number of adults 65 years old or older actively using the Internet has increased by more than 55 percent in the last five years. That’s more than 17 million people who you can reach online.

What does that mean for you when marketing a senior living community? It means you must have a strong online presence.  More importantly, your website must be easy to find, easy to read and easy to navigate.

How do make your senior living website easy to find? Make it search engine friendly. Use keywords in your headlines and body copy that consumers would use to search for your property…words like senior care facility, age-restricted housing, and assisted living. And revise your content frequently, this keeps search engines—as well as consumers—coming back to your site for updates.

To make your website easy to read. Use photos that illustrate your facility and represent your demographic. Show active adults enjoying your recreational amenities and living a full life. This will ease their minds about making a major moving decision. Make font sizes age appropriate so words are easy to read on the screen. And use colors that are pleasing to the eye and not harsh and overwhelming.

Also, your website should both educate viewers and promote the best aspects of your property. Most seniors have ample free time and statistics show they are spending more time on the web than ever before. To keep them engaged on your website, have tips and interactive tools that provide useful content. A moving checklist or cost of living calculator are some tools that work well with seniors looking for new housing options. And don’t forget to include testimonials from happy residents!

Finally, make sure your website is easy to navigate. Have tabs that are readily accessible from all pages linking to important information your readers will value. If you have special offers or promotions, make them stand out with an eye-catching graphic element and make sure the artwork clicks through to a page that explains the offer in detail. But don’t overwhelm your viewers with too many links. This can cause confusion and cause them to leave your site.

By following these simple guidelines, you can improve the effectiveness of your senior living website.

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• Staying Forever Young In Senior Living Advertising
• Senior Living Marketing: Why Social Media for Seniors
• Senior Living Advertising: Rocky Balboa, The New Millennium’s “Senior” Spokesman
• Using Web 2.0 Tools in Senior Living Marketing

Stevens & Tate Marketing, a full-service advertising agency, developed The Daily Twitch to consolidate and provide useful information surrounding advertising and marketing. We are devoted to serving content useful to an array of industries including B2B, Hospitality, Real Estate, Education, Senior Living, Food, Packaging and Retail.

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