Contrast is the key

When designing adverts, consider the physiological process of ageing and design for the eyes.

Go for colour contrast because as people age, the way light is processed within the eye changes. Colour and text of similar hues or density are harder to distinguish and can make your design elements harder to read.

Photography – use it well

When selecting or creating and image for an advert, think up front about the length of your headline and where within the photo it should be placed.

The secret is to have a clear area for the type of your headline and ensure to maximise contrast.

For example, if your photo has lots of sky and clouds then ensure there is a good area with one solid colour. This way, you can have a dark headline in the clouds or a reversed headline in the blue of the sky.

Be single minded – one simple idea

Information overload is the quickest way to lose your readers attention.

Remember that your audience is not as interested in your advert as you are. They are not spending hours reading every sentence. They are generally attracted to the image and then decide to read the headline – you have seconds to convince them to read further.

It has been shown that one large full page image works more effectively than lots of little images and five times as many people read the headline compared to the body copy, so invest in a good one.

Strike the right pose

Research has identified that different generations gravitate to different styles of photography.

If you are appealing to older seniors, then photographs that are more posed or more formal tend to appeal.

When a product or service is aimed more at the younger senior, more candid or ‘capture the moment’ style of photographs resonate. Boomers like the ‘slice of life/in the moment’ style as though you were capturing a feeling of behind the scenes.

Importantly, showing mental accomplishments as well as physical capabilities is a strong attribute.

Older audiences tend to like images that are more vibrant and colourful in the tone of the shots, expressions on faces and attire, rather than the sombre, moody, black and white images of yesteryear.

Let me contact you on my terms

Not everyone wants to be forced to visit and ask questions on your website. In Australia today’s internet consumption is nearly as high for seniors as other generations so clearly ability is not the issue.

Advertisers can reap enormous benefit with providing a real person to represent your brand.

Automated answer systems, with numerous options to direct your call and a message “your call is important to us” irritates people of all ages, especially older groups who have an expectation that if I was important and you want my money – pick up the phone.