Silver Surfers are not the elder generation who like to seize their boards to ride the waves but are individuals perched on their sofas ‘surfing’ the web.
These silver surfers are over 50 and their numbers have been steadily rising over the past few years.
In the British isles there is the United kingdom Online Measurement Company, that is part of the Nielsen research group.
UKOM found that in the year up to May 2010 there were 1.9 million new connections to the World Wide Web. That was comparing with 36.9 million in the same month last year, an increase of some 5%. Of those virtually two million new subscribers 1 million were over the age of 50. That is fifty three percent of new signups to the Web would be classed as silver surfers.
For the first time the bulk of new signups were the older generation and of these over 50's there were more males than ladies. The majority of the older new users were men over fifty at 722000 or 38%. The older females over 50 accounted for 285000 or15%.
It is estimated that in the UK there are virtually thirty nine million people linked to the Web. According to UKOM, users over fifty now account for 31% of all internet users.
The investigation went on to show that after the silver surfers, the next group that showed the most expansion was women aged between 21 and 34, who accounted for 272,000 new users or 14%. In third place were young girls between the ages of twelve and 20 they showed a total growth of 231,000 or 12% of the total.
Alex Burmaster of UKOM said: “The Internet is getting older in more ways than one. Not only is the medium itself maturing but the audience is shifting towards older age groups. This growth is a reminder, if one was still needed, that it is very much a form of media utilised by all age groups.”
He went on to say, “The fact that one in four Britons who use the Internet today are 50 to 64 years old proves it is no longer the sole preserve of the young and technical literati.”
As a result of this developing pattern web sites are increasingly geared to and target the older age bracket. They are not only more adventurous than the preceding generation but also has for now plenty of disposable income.
Utility Warehouse that provides Internet services in the British isles has found a considerable number of older people signing up for a broadband connection.
Again according to UKOM, they are attracted to a variety of different sites, including travel, health, genealogy, fashion, cooking, community and video sites.
The top ten online businesses visited by the silver surfers in the United kingdom were as follows.
1. Real age that is a health related web site and more or less 90 percent of its visitors are in excess of fifty.
2. Saga is another well-liked site with a market share 78% of the over 50's.
3. Flixxy, that is a video web site, is tremendously popular and has more than eighty percent of its traffic from the silver surfers.
4. W A Shearings who specialise in coach vacations is much visited by the over fifties.
5. Fifty Plus again the name speaks for its self.
6. Hand Picked Hotels for great times away.
7. Lurpak is a web site for baking and cooking much cherished by the elder generation.
8. Jacquie Lawson is an electronic greetings card company and is well used by this age group.
9. Family Search is a genealogy site for family trees etc.
10. Cruise.co.uk is exactly what it says and offers various cruises to its visitors.
Numerous web-marketing companies who have traditionally gone after the younger groups now have to change their tactic in the light of the emerging figures.
Silver surfers are on the increase and more and more spending their money on-line but they like to know that they are receiving good value for their cash.
Undoubtedly what applies in the United kingdom applies throughout the rest of the globe too.
Author Resource:
Malcolm Ivinson is a a href="http://www.s128722428.websitehome.co.uk">Utility Warehouse Distributor
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