Silver surfers set to become largest group online – Hitwise

Friday, 17 May, 2007 0

So-called silver surfers – UK internet users aged 55 and above – are poised to overtake 35-44 year olds as the demographic age group with the largest representation online.

And travel websites – cruising in particular – are among the most popular amongst this older age group, new research shows.

Cruise, lifestyle – family, stocks and shares, e-greetings and yachting and boating websites receive the highest concentration of visits from silver surfers.

Cruise websites received 48% of their traffic from UK internet users aged 55+ in the month surveyed.

Those aged over 55 accounted for 22% of UK visits to all categories of websites in the four weeks to May 12, up 54% since 2005 and 40% since 2006.

This compares to 23.5% of internet visits from 35-44 year olds, according to latest demographic update from online competitive intelligence service Hitwise.

Hitwise research vice-president Heather Hopkins said: “Among the top categories visited by those aged 55+, Search Engines, Adult and Shopping & Classifieds are the favourites, and are consistent with the most visited categories overall.

“Silver surfers show a particular fondness for travel and news and media websites, with these categories ranking higher among silver surfers.

“Last week, 27% of visits to travel websites and 24% of visits to news and media websites were from those aged 55+.”

The rise has come from all income brackets. The Experian Mosaic groups ‘Twilight Subsistence’ (pensioners subsisting on meagre incomes) and ‘Grey Perspectives’ (pensioners enjoying retirement with savings to supplement their pensions) have both increased their online footprint, Hitwise says.

Internet visits from Twilight Subsistence are up 29% over the past two years and visits from Grey Perspectives are up 30%.

by Phil Davies

Phil Davies

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