If you sell to teens . . .
As a parent of three teenagers, I have assumed that kids under the age of 18 are genetically pre-programmed to use the Internet. However, my assumption goes out the door with a Wall Street Journal article on how teenagers use web sites. The article might surprise you.
The article states that 41% of girls and 49% of boys have shopped online, spending an average of 82.00 USD. However, according to a recent study by Nielsen Norman Group, teens between the ages of 13 and 17 quit or incorrectly complete basic tasks on the Internet about 55% of the time. Basic tasks can include locating and downloading free copies of a file.
Some of the other troubles teens have
- Teens often cannot find the Search tool for a site.
- They often use their Internet service provider's home page for searches, rather than use Google or another search engine.
What does this mean to you?
- Make text fast and easy. Teens prefer incomplete sentences. Web sites tend to use wording that is too conservative or extreme for most teens. And language that is too extreme seems condescending to most teens.
- Make Help and Search buttons easy to find.
- Do not use childish design elements, such as sounds going off when you move the mouse. The study shows that teens prefer web sites that are visually pleasing, but simple to use. Contrary to popular opinion, including mine, teens are turned off by a lot of multimedia.
- This age group has plenty of old software and hardware. Design for a wide range of technology.
- Get a group of teenagers to test your web site or product. Do not use the same group too often. The group can become too loyal to your company or brand to give honest feedback.
For a web site that teenagers can easily use, check out www.pepsi.com.
For the full report, which requires a subscription, click the following link:
Wall Street Journal Technology Report: Teens Don't Know Everything
