Website building for a younger audience requires a few rules and design variations from building a site for an older audience. With some creativity and a bit of getting in touch with your inner child, you can learn what this younger audience expects.
Watch Your Language
This isn’t just a comment about vulgarities. Remember when you are writing for younger people that you need to have a clear grasp of the average reading and comprehension ability of the target audience. Writing a site for 7 year olds with 12-year-old words isn’t going to work. Similarly, writing down to your audience by using small words will upset your readers. Children want to be spoken to at their level to help them feel your website building plans took them seriously.
No Semi-Bad Words
Although you are not likely to include actual curse words on a website building project for a younger audience, it is possible to offend the viewers or their parents with lesser, but still offensive, words. Any word that is a watered-down version of a curse word should be excluded from consideration. Also exclude any potentially offensive terms, such as “sucker.” While you may consider these words okay, a few Moms and Dads disagreeing can tank your project. Keep everything clean and ready for consumption by your younger audience.
Interesting Content for Short Attention Spans
Adult Internet users have short attention spans and rarely read entire articles. The same is true for children as well. Website building for children means making sure the content is fun and entertaining. If you use slang, check and double-check it with children the target age. Make sure it is still cool enough to use and re-evaluate it often. Avoid stilted, adult language and stick to more casual language in articles.
Don’t Forget the Graphics
Children in particular enjoy visually-stimulating websites. Consider all of the color in children’s videos and replicate that concept on your site. You will need to use moving images, voice-overs, and video when working on website building for children. The audience is tough because today’s children are web-savvy. Some of them have been online since their preschool days, and they understand what makes a website look good. Be sure to use quality graphics and make them appealing to the age of child you are looking to visit your site.
Include Social Networking
Though parents police their children’s Internet use, many of them will permit younger children to get email newsletters if they are from reputable sources. Try out this type of newsletter approach or use a log-in system that merges with the child’s name. Personalization is key when designing a site for younger people. Just like children love to get mail, they similarly love to get email. Be sure to work frequent contact into your website building plan for your children’s site.
Remember to use feedback forms for both parents and children so that you can make changes as needed. Parents may have suggestions about things that would make the site get more of a thumbs-up from you, and children have no problem sharing their thoughts.