The technological gap these days is just staggering. On one end of the spectrum, I have a niece who is 2 and has her own tablet and on the other end of the spectrum, I have a grandmother who is 84 and only recently started using a cordless house phone.
My niece will grow up with devices small enough to carry around in her kid-sized hand that are more powerful than what NASA used to put a man on the moon. She will use this technology to keep in touch with everyone she has ever met, learn about the world around her and document her entire life.
My grandmother has lived her whole life and never had a cell phone or a computer. She has skills that will never be needed again, like the ability to use a slide rule or take dictation flawlessly on a typewriter. She keeps in touch with the people that she sees regularly around town, watches TV to know what’s going on in the world and has photo albums to preserve the memories from her past.
So how do you span this gigantic gap with your digital marketing strategy? The truth is that you can’t always overcome it entirely. You can, however, make your digital efforts appeal to the widest possible audience using these tips:
My niece will grow up with devices small enough to carry around in her kid-sized hand that are more powerful than what NASA used to put a man on the moon. She will use this technology to keep in touch with everyone she has ever met, learn about the world around her and document her entire life.
My grandmother has lived her whole life and never had a cell phone or a computer. She has skills that will never be needed again, like the ability to use a slide rule or take dictation flawlessly on a typewriter. She keeps in touch with the people that she sees regularly around town, watches TV to know what’s going on in the world and has photo albums to preserve the memories from her past.
So how do you span this gigantic gap with your digital marketing strategy? The truth is that you can’t always overcome it entirely. You can, however, make your digital efforts appeal to the widest possible audience using these tips:
1. Have Live Chat
Online ordering isn’t second nature to everyone yet – especially since checkout pages can vary so widely from one store to another. If you sell something complicated or your checkout is kind of convoluted, you really need live chat to help people who may get confused or run into issues. (Having a toll-free number isn’t enough support because most people would rather just shop somewhere else instead of picking up the phone to ask for help.) Then, tout the ease of ordering and the support that you provide in your marketing copy. For a less technologically savvy audience this can go a long way in converting browsers to buyers.
2. Use Images in Ads Wisely
Some people have the newest phones with the best resolution, and some don’t. So while your marketing might look great on your spaceship-sized double monitors or your iPhone 22S (or whatever they’re up to now), it might look terrible for someone with older technology. This doesn’t mean that you should stray away from using visuals altogether, it just means that you should use visuals where they are most necessary and will make the biggest impact. Choose images that are bold and definitive – don’t make people struggle to figure out what you are trying to convey.
3. Consider Privacy Concerns
People that didn’t grow up with technology in every aspect of their lives are often weary about how the information they reveal to the world will be used and who will have access to it. This is why remarketing ads creep them out. They do not want companies following them around the internet showing them ads based on what they viewed, what they bought previously, what they spend their time doing or what someone of their age and income level might like. These privacy concerns are serious business because if your company oversteps their bounds, it’s not a sale you are going to lose – it’s trust. You do not want your advertising or marketing efforts to actually drive people away for your business.
4. Consider Screen Size
When making landing pages, do not assume everyone has one sized screen that they are using to access your content. People’s screens are getting smaller and smaller, so when you designing a landing page be sure to test it on different screen sizes. You want to make sure the most important information is going to appear above the fold for an average sized device and that no horizontal scrolling is required.
5. Forget the App
There are so many companies peddling the idea that you need to build an app if you’re going to have a mobile strategy. You do not need an app. Unless your business is inherently mobile (like a ringtone maker) or you are a major brand or app developer, people probably aren’t going to download it anyway. Don’t waste your time or money.
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!
Online ordering isn’t second nature to everyone yet – especially since checkout pages can vary so widely from one store to another. If you sell something complicated or your checkout is kind of convoluted, you really need live chat to help people who may get confused or run into issues. (Having a toll-free number isn’t enough support because most people would rather just shop somewhere else instead of picking up the phone to ask for help.) Then, tout the ease of ordering and the support that you provide in your marketing copy. For a less technologically savvy audience this can go a long way in converting browsers to buyers.
2. Use Images in Ads Wisely
Some people have the newest phones with the best resolution, and some don’t. So while your marketing might look great on your spaceship-sized double monitors or your iPhone 22S (or whatever they’re up to now), it might look terrible for someone with older technology. This doesn’t mean that you should stray away from using visuals altogether, it just means that you should use visuals where they are most necessary and will make the biggest impact. Choose images that are bold and definitive – don’t make people struggle to figure out what you are trying to convey.
3. Consider Privacy Concerns
People that didn’t grow up with technology in every aspect of their lives are often weary about how the information they reveal to the world will be used and who will have access to it. This is why remarketing ads creep them out. They do not want companies following them around the internet showing them ads based on what they viewed, what they bought previously, what they spend their time doing or what someone of their age and income level might like. These privacy concerns are serious business because if your company oversteps their bounds, it’s not a sale you are going to lose – it’s trust. You do not want your advertising or marketing efforts to actually drive people away for your business.
4. Consider Screen Size
When making landing pages, do not assume everyone has one sized screen that they are using to access your content. People’s screens are getting smaller and smaller, so when you designing a landing page be sure to test it on different screen sizes. You want to make sure the most important information is going to appear above the fold for an average sized device and that no horizontal scrolling is required.
5. Forget the App
There are so many companies peddling the idea that you need to build an app if you’re going to have a mobile strategy. You do not need an app. Unless your business is inherently mobile (like a ringtone maker) or you are a major brand or app developer, people probably aren’t going to download it anyway. Don’t waste your time or money.
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!
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