What demographics come to mind when you think “Internet Users?” Most likely you think of kids, teenagers, young professionals, tech savvy geeks, and middle aged people. But do 65-74 year olds come to mind as well? Recent studies show that more than half of Americans aged 65-69 are online and 45% of those aged 70-74 are online as well. I know what you’re thinking… The thought of my Grandmother using a computer is bizarre to me as well. I mean my Grandmother left the answering machine we bought her in a box for years because she said it was too technical and she couldn’t figure it out. But the truth is, many older consumers are taking to the Internet these days. Obviously there are different degrees of Internet use. I do not suspect that many people aged 65-74 are on Twitter and Facebook and blogging, but they likely are using email, making travel arrangements, and shopping online. As eMarketer headlines, “Safe Assumption: Teens are online. Unsafe: Retirees aren’t.”

So How Do You Capitalize on This New Trend?

1. Design Your Site for All Ages (Where Applicable)
   Making a website that is easy for seniors to use as well as younger clientele will go a long way in converting visitors in this age bracket into customers. Here are some helpful tips when looking to design your site for older Internet users:
   • Make sure you are using program text so that users can zoom in to make the text bigger if needed.
   • Minimize “busyness” and distracting uses of color.
   • Use a button with a call to action (like “Click here for more”) instead of a standard link to avoid any confusion between what is a link and what is regular text.
   • Reduce the number of clicks it takes to get around the site- have a clear navigation and avoid pop-outs and drop down menus.
   • Keep the purchasing process as easy as possible- not making customers navigate away from your website to complete check-out.
2. Sell Products TO Them
   If your business sells products for older people to use sell to them specifically as well as to younger people that may be shopping for them. For instance instead of selling home medical products like walkers and canes just to adults with elderly parents or home care providers with elderly clients, also sell directly to the senior citizens with lines like “Need an easier way to get around your house?” You may find that targeting the older folks will increase the number of conversions with younger visitors as well. (Think about it, if your Father or Grandfather would buy a product for themselves, wouldn’t you feel comfortable buying it for them as well?)

Right now senior citizens are online more than ever, but their presence is not particularly obvious yet. Position your website to take advantage of this growing trend and down the road you may find that it was a very lucrative decision.

Ready to start an online store with Volusion? Try it free!

-Kate Pierce eCommerce Specialist

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Almost all event coordinators will create a website for their event- be it a business conference, art festival, convention, concert, charity fundraiser, sporting event, etc. But what should be included on the website? Experienced web designer Patrick McNeil* explains, “When you’re promoting an event, the right website can prove invaluable in spreading the word… Getting the design right is crucial, as there’s only a brief window of opportunity to get your message out there.”

A Good Event Website Design Will:

1. Stand Out From the White Noise
   Think about how many posters, billboards, online ads, emails, flyers, etc. you see on a weekly basis advertising all of the events going on in your area. If you live in a major city it’s even more overwhelming. A good event website will help your event to stand out amongst the white noise of other events in your geographic area as well as other events taking place in your particular industry. Putting on a stellar event doesn’t mean much if there’s no one there. So getting your event noticed should be priority number one!
2. Attract Followers
   Get people excited about the event and word will start spreading- this excitement will be crucial to get people to spend their time and money on attending your event. Sometimes providing additional information that is not necessarily event-related can help achieve this. Particularly in the case of business events providing information about local attractions and dining can help get people excited about the experience of the event. Remember, you need to sell not only the event itself but the experience so that potential attendees can envision themselves getting the most out of their time there.
3. Explain why it’s Beneficial to Attend
   Not all attendees will be paying their own way (especially in the case of professional events). Provide justifications for attending that these potential attendees can pass along to their managers and bosses.

Your Event Website Should Have:

1. The Facts
   Make sure that the specifics of the event are clearly stated- the location, dates and times, who will be there, etc.
2. A Clear Brand
   By branding the event you make it easy to remember as potential attendees talk to friends, family, colleagues, etc. Items like a consistent logo, color scheme, catchy phrase, etc. can go a long way in creating “event brand recognition.” (It can also help you sell merchandise at the event bearing these same images.
3. Atmosphere and Excitement
   As McNeil explains, “Your fundamental objective should be to create an emotional response from the visitor; to convince them that they absolutely have to be there.” This sense of atmosphere will not only draw more attendees but also provide the tone of the event.
4. Targeted Appeal
   While, obviously you would love for the most people possible to hear about your event and attend, taking a general approach is not always the best idea. McNeil reminds us that “One thing websites in general often lose track of is that mass appeal isn’t always necessary for success; it’s all about targeting the audience, however niche. With an event site this is more immediately obvious.”

Sell Tickets/Passes and Merchandise for Your Event with Volusion!

* “/Focus_On Event Sites.” .NET Magazine. Jan 2009- Issue 184. Pg 66.

-Kate Pierce eCommerce Specialist

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Business blogging can be a daunting task. First-timers can get scared off and end up missing out on a great business opportunity. How should you even get started? What should you blog about? How much time will you need? What if it isn’t good? Will anyone really follow it? Even if you are currently blogging for your business you may be asking yourself some of these questions. What you need to ensure that your business blogging efforts will pay off (and your sanity will not be compromised in the process) is a blogging check-list to adhere to. The following five point check-list can get you going and help keep you going:

1. Listen
   Find out what your audience wants and give it to them- it’s that easy. If you take the time to understand your audience and put them before your own agenda they will appreciate your efforts and reward you for making them feel like real people instead of numbers. Use the customers you already have by talking with them or having them complete surveys (often right after they have made a purchase or right after they have received the product is the best time). Do focus groups and market research if you have the time and money. The more in your audience’s heads you can get the better the return will be on your blogging.
2. Enrich
   You don’t have to have a flashy business blog or world-class writing to have a good blog that people will follow. As long as you are committed to providing factual, relevant information and advice your blog will be a success.
3. Maintain
   You don’t need to blog everyday- in fact, you probably shouldn’t. Set aside a set amount of time each week to research and blog. Don’t let it consume you, but don’t forget about it either.
   Submitting to industry related blog feeds will help you think of what you will want to blog about and keep you at the forefront of your industry’s news. Tools like iGoogle will house all of your feeds in one place for easy browsing. This is a good way to collect information/stories/press releases/etc. quickly without actually doing any work. Anyone in a time crunch can appreciate this writer’s block cure!
4. Sustain
   Use your blog to sustain your blog and your business. Try to get your blog readers to sign-up for your live feed and emails. By letting them give you their information, you are collecting the most accurate contact information for your current customers and potential customers for free. We don’t need to tell you how important this information is to your business!
5. Conquer
   Once your blog is active get out there and promote it. Integrate your blog into your marketing strategy and overall business plan. Get creative too; add it to business cards, promote it at trade shows, include it on packing slips- whatever makes sense for your business. Like the new hip bar down the street, make sure your blog is the place for consumers to be!

Helpful Links:
Free Blog Software
Easy to Use Publishing Software

Further Reading:
Learn How to Use Your Personal Business Expertise
The Benefits of Social Media

-Kate Pierce eCommerce Specialist

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Spring cleaning is here. This year take it online and give your website a design make-over! As the graphic designers for .NET Magazine* remind us, a stunning website design make-over can be easy (not to mention lucrative) this season.

1. Make It Clear
   • Use an easy to navigate standard layout
     Customers expect to see certain standards on a website- like the company logo on the top left and the core navigation across the top or down the side. These standard layout aspects create a sense of familiarity that encourages potential customers to hang around and browse the site.
   • Have an identifiable hierarchy of information
     Each page should have basic information like a page title, readable main copy, and easy to find links. Providing the basic information customers will need when they are on your site allows them to spend more time shopping and less time searching for relevant information.
2. Use Strong Color
   • Make clear bold distinctions between information
     If you are trying to draw attention to something on your website color is a great way to accomplish this. Even very neutral color schemes can use changes in color for this purpose. Just keep in mind that you do not want to use too many colors on your site- especially one on page.
   • Keep consistent colors throughout the site
     Make sure to keep color consistency from page to page when it comes to links, titles, prices, product descriptions, etc.
     Please note that “strong color” is not necessarily a synonym for “bright color,” and should be used wisely to avoid creating distractions!
3. Have Emotive Images
   • Use relevant graphics that also evoke emotion
     While it is easy to get images of the products you are using you should make sure that the images will provoke an emotional response in the viewer in order to get the highest conversions. For this reason it is often a good idea to invest in professional images.
   • Properly crop, size and position all images for highest quality
     Your images should be of high quality and well fitted to your website. Using stock images can work well as long as you make sure that image will fit the space you are putting it in on your website (both in size and style). Make modifications if necessary to get the right look with any images you choose to put on your site (especially the ones placed on the home page).
4. Keep It Fresh
   • Make sure to add new products when possible
     New products breathe life into your website. Adding new products frequently keeps regulars checking back more frequently and can increase the number of sales you are getting.
   • Include a Featured Products or Best Seller list that you can periodically update
     A featured products list is beneficial because it tends to add a sense of urgency to the purchase. Featured products tend to sell out quickly, be on sale for only a short time, etc. Therefore, buyers feel a greater need to buy right away rather than shop around and return at a later date. A best seller list puts your products into perspective for consumers. By giving potential customers and idea of what other customers are buying, you can persuade them to buy as well.
   • Mark select items with distinctions to customer attract attention
     Set products apart by labeling them with a special distinction like “Editor’s Choice” or “Seasonal Favorite.” These types of product accolades persuade potential customers to buy in the same way that a Best Seller list would.
5. Include Bargains
   • Persuade customers to buy and get them excited about buying more frequently with promotions or bargain items
     Everyone loves a bargain- why not include it in your design? Exciting buttons with discounts or promotions can be attention grabbers when done correctly.

Need some professional help? Volusion’s experienced design team can help you cross these items off your to-do list!

* “/Makeover www.caxtonlondon.com” .NET Magazine. Jan 2009- Issue 184. Page 97.

-Kate Pierce eCommerce Specialist

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Today we celebrate Texas Independence Day (or as some people refer to it, “Hey, we can still secede!” day). <Cue the UT alma mater theme song “The Eyes of Texas.”>

173 years ago, Texas was declared a free and independent republic. And today, the staff at Volusion’s Texas office celebrated by feasting on a local favorite- BBQ brisket, turkey and sausage. All the sides were there too- beans, creamed corn, potato salad and more. Team members hurried from their desks and those on calls rotated off the phone queue to wait in line like kids in a candy store- eyes wide, saliva forming. The line was more of an anxious amoeba-like bunch of people all vying to get closer to the table of goodies. There was a mad scramble as we got close to the front. I fought my way toward the famed creamed corn and narrowly avoided collision with those congregating at the Sweet Tea.

The crowning achievement was a bigger than life sized Texas State Flag cake. We had to take a picture quickly before throngs of people began cutting into it with the small plastic knife provided. I’ll admit, even though I moved from the Northeast a mere two years ago, that Texas State Flag cake has earned a special place in my heart.

Wish ya’ll could have been here to celebrate with us!

-Kate Pierce eCommerce Specialist

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