When designing new insurance apps, it’s easy to make them uber-hipster cool, and that can sometimes be less than inclusive. Not every UK consumer is a Glasto regular with red trousers, Billie Eilish on Spotify and keen on Metaverse gaming. So it’s worth thinking about older consumers, plus those whose first language is not english. Keeping it simple can reap consumer rewards. Here’s some insights from Kat Rodway of First Internet.
There have been reports in the UK mainstream media that older shoppers are being discouraged from town centres because of the complexity of app-driven parking meters. Thirteen councils in England and Wales now use completely cashless parking payment systems and Age UK has highlighted the fact that this could prevent older, less tech-savvy customers from being able to use the facilities.
This is happening alongside the growth in online retail and services: Covid helped to accelerate the trend for e-commerce which now accounts for 20% of all retail sales and that figure is set to continue rising.
As an e-commerce specialist, I welcome this growth – but I do recognise the vital need for all online systems to be user friendly for all age groups. We have to be inclusive.
It’s particularly relevant to the insurance industry as insurtech is now really taking off. Alongside legaltech, insurtech was often accused of being slow to catch up with other professions, however it is now quite rightly at the forefront, and with €2.7bn investment into European insurtech startups in 2021, we clearly have more growth to come.
This is great news – we need to see technology create new products that are more tailored, competitive, or easy to use. We work with two insurance companies and know the importance of tech – effective websites are needed for insurance businesses to grow and prosper. But we are quick to advise our clients of the importance of knowing the customer and making it tailored to that customer.
If you are dealing with the end consumer audience, it’s imperative that the site is simple.
If you are updating your online offering to continue competing in the digital world, here are a few things to remember.
Font size
It sounds obvious, but try to ensure your font size is large enough to easily read, and don’t get carried away with fancy fonts that are difficult to decifer. If you do, it will most likely lead to customers feeling frustrated and leaving your site. It doesn’t have to be huge lettering across the board, but at least have the menu and headings really clear.
Colours
These can be used cleverly to aid navigation. Try to keep it simple with bold contrasting colours as much as possible. Avoid complicated patterns.
Button sizing
Simple, yet effective! Buttons that are too small can be hard to accurately click on, more so on a mobile device. Make sure buttons are intuitively placed, stand out and are an easily clickable size.
Use a good bot tool
The personal conversational style across a website can go a long way – but sometimes, people just want to speak to a person! Providing the option for customers to speak to a member of the team offers a next step if their specific query is not easily being answered online.
Know your socials
21% of over 75s have a social media account but the majority of this demographic prefer Facebook, so if this is your target audience, it will be the best platform to use.
Avoid complex navigations
An intuitive site design will always work best – for any demographic. The aim is to attract the customer, then answer their questions and drive them to convert. Google favours websites that satisfy users’ needs, so use your content to advise your target audiences about trends and products that might be relevant to them. This will help with your SEO and also position you as an expert in your field.
There’s no reason why technology should alienate older people – according to Ofcom’s Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes report 2018, more than a quarter (28%) of people over the age of 75 now use tablets.
The fact of the matter is though, it often can. If our older generations cannot walk into an insurance broker, it’s our duty to ensure that they feel looked after online instead.
Navigating the best policies can be complicated anyway – let’s try to keep it simple and remember the personal touch, even in digital.
Be the first to comment