Interesting market research has been published that underlines the importance of the typical age of your customers in determining how you should think about the design and content of your website and other marketing material.

In particular, it concludes that we should not treat the over 40s the same way as the under 30s. The research found that over 40s continued to be more impressed by traditional media, whereas the under 30s rely more on social media.

We hear a lot about social media and changes in digital media these days. And the world seems full of buzzwords and advice about how to market your business. But a lot of it is geared towards younger customers. If your target market is typically older, you might be wise not to jump on the bandwagon.

Considering what is appropriate for your audience is the key thing to bear in mind, particularly if your target market is significantly 40+. They will be impressed by experience, likely to be seeking substance and may be able to handle longer pieces of information.

Not to say you should avoid social media of course, but you may want to concentrate your efforts on networks that tend to be favoured by older people, such as Facebook, as well as local and subject networks particular to your market.