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Are seniors afraid of the Internet and computers?

Older adults are actually among the fastest-growing group of Web users. Ten million Americans 60 and older use the Internet daily. Seventy percent of persons age 50 to 64 are online. The higher their education and income, the more likely they are to be online.

But older Web users often have unique needs and interests when it comes to their online experience. That means businesses must develop their Web sites with older visitors in mind.

Consultant Dick Stroud, founder of 20plus30, a British marketing strategy company, offers these tips for making a Web site easier to navigate and read for older adults:

• Use san serif fonts (such as Arial) no smaller than 12 point. Include an option for users to increase the font size.
• Create clear visual contrast between the navigation and content areas of the screen.
• Keep lines of text 40 to 50 letters wide or less to reduce eyestrain.
• Don’t use backgrounds.
• Treat all links consistently throughout the site to avoid confusion and allow sufficient space between active links.
• Make all graphics at least 18-22 pixels large.
• Avoid drop-down menus because they require mouse precision that some older users may not have.
• Allow users to navigate the page using the directional keys on the keyboard.
• Keep navigation simple and allow older users to easily get back to where they were if they end up someplace they didn’t intend.
• Keep all content clear, concise, simple and easy to understand.
• Avoid animation.
• Provide a printer-friendly version of all content.