Welcome to the Baby Boomer generation. In 2011, the first round of Boomers, Americans born between 1946 and 1964, turned 65 and started retiring. From now until 2025, millions of Americans will reach retirement age, begin to collect social security, and go on Medicare. Many Baby Boomers plan to keep working either out of necessity or desire, but one thing remains certain — this generation will have the biggest impact on senior living and the health care system like none other before it.

Has your senior living community started preparing for the boom? How do you plan on positioning senior living to an influx of digitally connected Baby Boomers? Get to know more about this generation and how you can create a Boomer-friendly website that speaks to their values and focus on quality of life.

What Do Baby Boomers Want?

Many Baby Boomers plan to live at home as long as possible or remain in a residential setting – they don’t want to live in care-only communities. This generation seeks out more advanced medical technology and will help push modernization throughout the healthcare industry due to their growing needs.

Boomers value choice and love to feel like part of a community. They have sought out health and wellness in new ways, they radiate confidence, and they adapt easily to change. Boomers will demand a quality of life that is equal to or better than life before retirement. They are digitally connected and in order to impress these savvy seniors, your website needs to speak to the lifestyle they can expect at your community, as well as the care options available.

Here are a few ideas to optimize your website to meet their expectations.

Create a Lifestyle

Boomers want retirement communities that live up to their ideas of a great quality of life. They value choice and find community involvement to be essential. Showcasing the lifestyle they can expect at your independent living or assisted living community becomes more important when marketing to Boomers who want to live at home as long as possible. Highlight your amenities and paint a picture of your community for incoming Boomers.

Optimization for User Flow

Avoid having a bounce rate as high as the Baby Boomer birth rate by optimizing your website for intuitive user flow. User flow represents the path taken by a visitor to your website to complete a specific task — scheduling a tour, for example. Consider user goals when designing your website and finalizing your sitemap. Identify the information needed by the user in order to complete a form and start the sales cycle. It’s important to remove any potential barriers for the user.

This digitally connected generation and their children understand the flow of a website and they know what they want. Keep calls to action above the fold, the area that users see without having to scroll down, so they are more likely to take action. Consider page speed — by creating fast-loading pages, you help prevent users from bouncing due to impatience. Complete A/B testing to see which designs convert the most traffic into leads to gauge your user flow.

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Professional Photography

Professional photography makes a big difference in marketing to Boomers and their children. Opting to have professional photos taken of both your community and the lifestyle your residents can look forward to helps connect with users on an emotional level. These photos can also be used in your social media, which can lead to more shares and higher engagement rates. Stock photography can feel overly staged and may also be used on the websites of your competitors. But professional photography makes your website feel fresh and can help drive more visitors to your community.

Empower Seniors

Use creative copywriting to empower seniors to live an active life and convey the lifestyle they can expect at your community. Focus on what sets your community apart, leading Boomers to the quality of life they deserve. Optimizing the language on your website and pairing it with real, beautiful photos illustrates to Boomers the lifestyle that awaits. When you emphasize community and lifestyle through your website you will connect with their values, needs, and desires, leading them to feel empowered and engaged.

Create a Booming Website

While Baby Boomers aren’t expected to fully enter the senior living market until 2025, it’s not too early to start preparing. Create a Boomer-friendly website that is all about them and what they need in retirement. Focus on your story, uniqueness, and photography. These elements help demonstrate the life they could lead within your community and will help you stand out from the competition today and in 2025.

Download the G5 Senior Living State of the Industry report to learn more about ways to prepare for the baby boomer generation.