Seniors and Technology: Tips On Navigating the Digital World

The World Wide Web was invented in 1989, and every year since then our lives have become increasingly interwoven with the internet. Businesses that used to operate exclusively in the brick and mortar world are now largely compelled to develop some sort of digital presence if they want to grow their sales. Social media platforms, company websites, review websites and search engines are major deciders of the winners and losers in today’s business world. Many seniors realize the importance of establishing a digital presence for their businesses, but they sometimes don’t have the tools and knowledge to do so safely. In this article we discuss digital best practices and how D4 Advanced Media can lend a hand to senior business owners.

Who Makes Up the Small Business Owner Workforce?

Business owners are an especially diverse group. There isn’t a “type” for the people who choose to work for themselves and who employ others. The demographics for business owners are as diverse as businesses themselves. People of different regions, socioeconomic groups, education levels, genders, ethnicities and ages all own businesses.

Data and Graphic by Guidant Financial

As you can see above, approximately 22% of the business owners polled are age 60 or older. At nearly one quarter of total small business owners surveyed, seniors need to know that they have resources at their disposal to help them navigate the digital world.

Tips & Technology for Seniors That Help Navigate the Digital World

Safety Detective published an article at the tail end of 2018 that helps guide seniors toward safe digital practices. Here are a few of the tips mentioned in the article.

• Carefully vet email attachments.
  • Don’t download attachments from any senders you don’t know.
• Install a firewall on your computer.
• Install and maintain an antivirus program.
• Install an ad blocker on your internet browser.
• User complex passwords for all the websites you use and change them regularly.
  • Don’t keep your passwords stored on a document on your computer.
• Beware of scams including malicious email attachments, sensitive information phishing, software pop-up requests, lottery winner emails, catfishing, grandparent / grandchild scams, sextortion blackmail, IRS phone scams, bank scams and many more.
  • Remember that you haven’t done anything wrong, and you should avoid anyone who tells you otherwise. Report all persons engaging in fraud or other crimes to your local police department.
• Avoid visiting unsafe websites.
  • Checking the URL for oddities such as misspellings can help you tell legitimate sites from illegitimate sites.
• Confirm that online retailers are legitimate before making purchases.
  • No online stores need your social security number or your birthday.
  • Use a credit card instead of a debit card, so you can dispute fraudulent purchases.
• Monitor your credit report for unusual activity to safeguard against identity theft.
• Only engage with people you know on social media, and know that once you post something, a record of that post will always exist.
  • Again, don’t divulge sensitive information.
  • Again, beware of unfamiliar links.
  • Again, beware of people soliciting money.

You Don’t Need to Go It Alone

Many know that D4 Advanced Media produces outstanding web design, graphic design, print design, internet marketing and search engine optimization. Some may not know about the website maintenance retainers we offer and the security advantages afforded by them.

Investing in site maintenance services will help you avoid getting your site hacked and the corresponding outrageous, damage-mitigation costs.

Our maintenance packages include:

• Vulnerability Scanning
• Installation of Updates Upon Release
• Malware Scanning
• Form Submission Testing
• Hacking Restoration
• Functionality Updating
• Cross Browser Compatibility Testing
• Mobile Compatibility Testing
• Design Updating
• Website Training
• Minor Site Edits and Changes

Also know that we design websites of all types for businesses in a myriad of industries. If you are a senior who needs a website with senior-friendly navigation, large text size and styling, we would like to help you achieve your vision.

If you have a preexisting website that seems to always be acting up, we can help there, too, with optimization, troubleshooting, update installation and more.

If your preexisting website seems a little dated and you’d like to meet with design experts to modernize the look and functionality of your site, we would be honored to quote your project.

Give us a call at 775-636-9986, and tell us what you need. We’ve got you covered.