Capturing The Teenage Demographic
Is your online business capturing the teenage market
? If your products could have appeal in this segment, it is time to learn more about how teenagers buy products.Packaged Facts, a prominent market research firm, recently estimated that U.S. teenagers spend approximately $80 billion dollars on food, apparel, personal care items, entertainment and other items.
Despite a slight decline in the teenager population over the next few years, Packaged facts predicts that teen spending will grow an estimated 3.5 percent annually, climbing to $91.1 billion in 2011. More than twenty five percent of that spending takes place online. How do you attract some of that money into your enterprise? Here are some insights about the teenager demographic.
Respect their expertise
Today's teenagers have grown up with computers, voicemail and cell phones. They have never known a universe where typewriters produced school essays or mom was not available 24/7 via mobile phone. Consequently, they are very sophisticated about computer usage. They know technology, they are intuitive about using technology and they are impatient with technology that does not work well or has not been well thought through.
Your website has to be high quality with intuitive functioning and no navigational awkwardness. You are not dealing with a golden ager who may not be able to figure out the shopping cart, these folks expect your shopping cart to save their purchases from session to session, calculate shipping charges in real time and provide one click editing.
Communicate in an authentic way
It would be smart to employ some folks who are close to their teenage years. Those folks are closest to the newest twists in the language and can write and operate at the temp teenagers are used to. Teenagers are also very savvy and they are more likely to be able to sniff out a scam, bait and switch or shady situation.
However, beyond the fact that teenagers are smart Internet users, they are also underage users with intelligence but not necessarily all of the judgment of an adult. You must be sure that you have provided straightforward information that provides the opportunity for informed purchasing decisions.
Invite teenagers in to make them part of the marketing
Teenagers are incredibly strong users of messaging technologies. They are always in contact with each other and forwarding great material from person to another or to whole groups is practically an obsession.
If you want teenagers to consider your products, give them a way to belong to your business and care about what happens there. Then produce great viral material that they can pass around. For example, if you sell sporting goods, create a club with special discounts and the ability to post pictures of teenagers using your equipment. Add some funny or cute pet pictures, e.g., your cat on skis, and you have got a message that will make the rounds quickly.
Short messages for short attention spans
Although teenagers are smart, their attention spans are short and multi tasking keeps their focus moving from place to place. So, if you have a message to deliver, make it short and memorable.
Safeguards against Abuse
If you are truly operating in a teenager demographic, it is safe to assume that most teenagers, especially younger teenagers, are buying with a parents' credit card. Add some safety filter that tags large purchases for review. If you are concerned, make a call to the card holder and confirm that the purchase is acceptable. You will save a chargeback and gain credibility.
Teenagers love the Internet and ecommerce loves teenagers.
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