Some interesting facts from the Office of National Statistics’ 2009 survey on internet use:
1. The 65+ age group is the age group with the fastest growing proportion of internet users.
Older people may have trouble travelling to shops and transporting items home, so make good candidates for internet sales. If you want to get older customers to visit your website, remember that they are likely to have accessibility issues.
This needs to be taken into consideration when designing a website. For example, fonts should be easy to read, contrast between text and background should be just right, and someone using a screen reader or other accessibility device should be able to understand every piece of information on the website.
Of course, it is not only older customers who may have accessibility issues; people of all ages can have disabilities. You can gain valuable customers you might otherwise have lost simply by making sure that your website is accessible to everyone.
At York Interweb, we are experts at making sure that your website is accessible to all internet users.
2. Only about one quarter of people who make purchases over the internet read the conditions of sale.
Encouraging your customers to read and understand the terms of purchase will help to prevent disputes and protect the reputation of your business. Your customers will be more likely to read the conditions of sale if your entire website is easy to read and understand. York Interweb can assist you by writing clear, jargon-free content.
3. 83% of UK internet users made a purchase over the internet in last three months – another indicator of the value of having an online business.
4. The number of households in Yorkshire and the Humber with internet access increased by 23% between 2007 and 2009. This is the second largest percentage increase out of all the regions of UK, after the Northeast, where internet access increased by 27%. Good news for online businesses in Yorkshire and the Northeast.
