D. Appendix: Business Considerations
This document can help you meet the needs of underserviced end-users such as high net worth senior citizens:
- a 7.1 trillion-dollar growth market and
- a secondary market of high potential millennials impaired by learning disabilities and related situational impairments.
D.1 The Aging Population as a Market
One of the most reliable market projections is that the population is aging. More consumers are older, and more of the wealth is in the control an older demographic.
As people age, disabilities increase. This includes age-appropriate forgetfulness and a slower speed of learning new designs. This may make consumers feel excluded and that their needs are not considered. Accessibility can give the consumer the trust and feeling of being looked after. In contrast, if a site is difficult for people with cognitive and learning disabilities, the older population is likely to feel that the group is not interested in them as a market.
On the other hand, according to Georgia State University's Center for Mature Consumer Studies, today's mature market (those aged 55 and above) already controls 75 percent of America's wealth and 70 percent of its disposable income. Clearly, this expanding demographic is an important market for many organizations.
Additional studies have shown that the mature market is no longer off line and may even be outpacing younger user groups when it comes to adopting new technologies and online media. However, their online needs may be underserviced and seniors manage to complete only 55.3% of tasks online.
For additional information, see the Developer resources page.