Marcus Richards
When creating a startup, you want to ensure that your target audience can contact you, find your business, and use your website. This article explores how you can make your startup accessible for the older generation if they are part of your target audience.
Get A Business Address
Many of the older generations do not have social media channels, meaning they cannot just pop a message over Instagram or Facebook if they have a concern, a query, or want to discuss something with you. To maintain professionalism and allow mail to be delivered, you should consider getting a business address. This is a great idea if you do not have a phone line either.
As a startup, you may not have a dedicated workspace yet, or you may be working from home. A virtual business address can be used to get mail and view it online, through a secure platform. This is inexpensive and offers another form of contact for those who wish to send mail, rather than contact you online. For virtual mailbox pricing, check out PhysicalAddress. They can give you information on how to get started and give you what you need to know.
Employee Training
Your employees should be trained on how to deal with customers of all age ranges, especially those who are older and less skilled when it comes to using computers. For instance, a 70-year-old may want to purchase your product, but they cannot use the site or have ordered it to the wrong address. Your employees need to know how to deal with the query and how to walk them through the delivery process to make sure they know how to do it correctly next time.
As your employees are your company ambassadors, they need the correct training to cross any barriers that may come with working with the older generation, such as technology issues, hearing difficulties, or extra support.
Improve In-Store Accessibility
If you have a physical store, you should improve accessibility for the older generation and those with disabilities. Little things, such as having a ramp installed for those who are less able to climb stairs, will automatically open your business up for more custom. Ensure that your store is not too cramped, as people with walking difficulties may need extra space for wheelchairs or frames. Where possible, use a larger print to easily read product descriptions. You may also need to create an accessible parking space: this is usually governed by the state you reside in.
Build An Accessible Website
Website accessibility can make browsing your site and purchasing products a lot easier for the older generation. Make sure that your website code is spotless so that page-reading tools can distinguish between body text, subheaders, and headers. Buttons should be large and simple to find and ensure that any images also contain alt text, so visually impaired people can understand what they are looking at. This also matters for SEO, as well as accessibility.
When designing your startup, create a business address, train employees, improve your in-store accessibility, and build an accessible website to make your startup more accessible for the older generation.
