Over 50 and online: Don’t underestimate the Boomers!
I continue to get questions from homebuilders about using the Internet to reach buyers over the age of 50. Apparently, there is the belief that Baby Boomers still do their home search the old-fashioned way.
If you think that Baby Boomers haven’t embraced the Internet for home buying research, you’re grossly underestimating the techno-savviness of the demographic segment of people born between 1946 and 1959. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, this group currently numbers about 78.2 million people who are now 50 years or older.
Here’s another statistic for you: The fastest growing market segment on the popular social network Facebook (which, incidentally, started as a community of college kids) is women over 55, with 175.3% growth. The population of men and women between the ages of 45 and 54 on Facebook has grown 165% in the past four months alone. The combined population of men and women on Facebook over the age of 45 is about 3.5 million registered users. You can bet that if they’re using social networking, they recognize the viral value of the Internet for all aspects of their lives.
The Pew Internet & American Life Project reports that 42% of the people who looked online to research a new home were 50 or older in 2005. In 2009, the latest study shows that Baby Boomers comprise 35% of the total adult population using the Internet. They’re wired to the Web and they know how to use it!
When you consider that the Internet has been around for more than a decade, you can see that it was the Boomers who adapted to the technology, if only to keep pace with the up-and-comers chasing them in the workplace — the ones who cut their teeth on the Web. As Boomers have begun to retire, they have both the time and financial means to spend time exploring the wonders of the Web — most specifically for researching their buying choices. And the housing industry has noticed.
It’s time to take notice of the 50+ population of home buyers on the Internet. You can be sure they’ll be taking notice of you, if you have the vision to connect with them there!
Featured in NAHB article – Future of Marketing New Homes
I had a few quotes featured in an article by Carol Ruiz, Vice President of red rocket LA, on 
Nation’s Building News
Jim Adams from NewHomesDirectory.com had some great lines as well. Stop over and read the article: Social Media Are the Future of Marketing New Homes
Chart of the Week from Marketing Sherpa – Social Media
This weeks chart addresses the second most significant barrier to social media adoption – “Inability to measure ROI”.
Builders are still working this out – but we are seeing some great results. Just wanted to share. Read the article here: New Chart: Social Media: Most Effective Tactics Are the Most Difficult to Measure Quantitatively
Their advice – “Don’t employ less effective tactics for the sake of measuring ROI. Consider the value of qualitative factors to gauge more effective tactics.”
Mobile Websites for Home Builders
Are you Third Screen Marketing enabled?
For years, I have been asking “Do You Convert”? Now I have to ask does your website convert for the mobile internet. Internet enabled phones hit today’s market at an astonishing rate, resulting in a mobile internet boom. Hence, third screen marketing. With this trend we must now ask, does my website allow for a positive consumer experience on the mobile web? If not, do not feel alone because less than one percent of today’s websites are optimized for the mobile internet. This is no accident, the mobile internet operates by a different set of standards than the PC internet we all know and love.
While in Las Vegas for the International Builders Show, I had the opportunity to meet with mobiManage and learn more about how they help businesses leverage the mobile internet to reach potential customers. They build certified .mobi websites and are leading the mobile website industry from Tulsa, Oklahoma! Founder & CEO, Jeff Beasley, is committed to helping real estate professionals understand the mobile internet and apply a strategic solution in today’s market. Jeff is one of thirteen individuals who sit on the international .mobi Advisory Group Steering Committee and has been recognized for his achievements in technology. Talk about insight into the world of the mobile internet and how to develop a relevant mobile strategy for your business.
Not sold on why you need to direct attention to the mobile web. Here are a few statistics from a July 2008 Nielsen study:
- In Q1 of 2008, 144 million US mobile subscribers were data users.
- 95 million US mobile subscribers paid for access to the mobile internet.
- Internet users: Ages 25-34 made up 27.4% overall usage while ages 35-54 made up 37% of overall mobile internet usage. Do any of these age groups represent your home buyers?
- The U.S. leads the world in mobile internet usage penetration.
Bottom line, today we are challenged to find cost effective ways to reach buyers. Oftentimes, all we need to do is seek a different solution to our dilemmas. Yogi Berra said it best when asked about a hitting strategy, “You have to hit it where they ain’t.” So try marketing where your competition “ain’t?”
You can learn more about mobiManage by visiting them on your mobile phone at www.mobimanage.mobi or on your PC at www.mobimanage.com
Check out this example for Coldwell Banker Select in Oklahoma. Their mobile site is cboklahoma.mobi
I welcome your feedback on what you are doing to leverage the mobile web in your business.
