An HOA web site is an essential communication tool for community members. The board of directors uses it to share important information. Also, residents and potential buyers refer to it whenever they are in doubt. While a website fosters engagement within the community, senior residents are often left out. Their lack of digital engagement is often pointed out. However, the importance of HOA web site usability for all ages is rarely discussed. Good web design is the key component of a successful web page.  That is why It is crucial to take into consideration the HOA aging residents when setting one up. 

But what does that actually mean? Why is it so important? How do you do that?

Keep reading,  we will cover all your questions in this post. 

1. What is a senior-friendly designed HOA web site?

In simple terms, making your HOA web site senior-friendly means setting up your website to have good usability. In fact, aging is not an obstacle to internet use. However, after a certain age, our vision and cognitive abilities are not the same. This can greatly affect the use of technology. Knowing this, your web page needs to be easy to navigate and interact with. Another aspect to consider is readability. It is important to present the information clearly and concisely. Your text should be easy to read and understand. Usability and user experience are two important concepts in web design. Applying both is essential for an optimal online presence.

2. Why is it important to consider HOA aging residents when setting up HOA websites?

It is important because every homeowner matters. If a resident can’t keep up to date because of some technical difficulties then this is a shame. All homeowners have the right to benefit from the tools their HOA provides. It is the role of the HOA to make sure these tools are appropriate for all.  

It is common to hear that seniors don’t engage with their homeowners’ association website. The general assumption is that this happens because the aging population is not tech-savvy. Frequently, board members decide to give up after they see their residents not engaging online. Instead, they should think about how to make it a different experience for them. 

Designing a website with seniors in mind improves usability for all ages.

3. Key functionalities of an HOA senior-friendly web site?

In this section, we have recommendations based on research conducted by the National Institute of Aging. As a board member, you probably have an HOA website provider that you work with. Or maybe not yet. Either way, you should explain that you would like to have a senior-friendly website. Let them know of the recommendations mentioned below. Since they are the expert in website development, they as well have more ideas on how to make it even more user-friendly. 

Use high contrast color combination

It is a fact, our vision changes as we age. So when designing a site or when picking an HOA website template, make sure the text-based content is easy to read. For that, you need to check that the fonts are large enough and not condensed. Most importantly, use colors with high contrast such as black on white for example. Try to avoid colors such as yellow, green, or blue. These shades are harder to see the differences for some older individuals. 

Give instructions clearly and numbered

Like our vision, our cognitive abilities decrease as we age. This means that our capacity to learn new information or to perform some tasks is slower. Having said that, your text needs to be as simple as possible. It should be familiar but at the same time, there can’t be any jargon or specific technical terms. Each time there are instructions on your site make sure to number them.  As well as that, using the active voice and “you”, help keep your instructions clear.

Example:

Passive voice: Information needs to be inserted in the form

Active voice: Step 1: You need to insert the information in the form

Increase the ease of navigation

Here are a few tips that can help you ease the navigation:

• Make sure all your clickable items are large enough so it is easy to click on them 
• Label clickable items and links in a descriptive and straightforward way
• Break information into short sections that have large titles
• Minimize scrolling and use single-mouse clicks 
• Use breadcrumbs so the user knows where they are and how they can go back

4. How to engage senior residents to use the HOA web site?

There are many ways you can engage residents to use your HOA communications tools such as a website. The best way is by asking them for feedback during the creation process. Ask them what they would like to see on the website. Get them to try it and tell you if they found it difficult. 

You also need to inform them that the web site exists. Sometimes residents aren’t even aware of the online presence of their community. You should use your traditional communication methods to do that (e.g. mailers, newsletters, put it on the bulletin board, and mention it at meetings).

Another idea is to ask your HOA website supplier to provide you with video tutorials or written manuals on how to use the website. If they have a help center or Youtube channel with instructional videos, that can also be helpful.

Key takeaways

Board members have the difficult task of providing the best online presence possible to their HOA. This can’t be done without making the right adjustments so that all residents feel at ease. Making your HOA web site senior-friendly requires some accommodations but not some extravagant ones. Besides, these tweaks will not only benefit aging residents. A web design focused on user-friendliness improves usability and engagement for all. 

The key is choosing the right HOA web site template and dedicating time and energy to customize it to your own community needs. 

Would you like to know more about HOA website templates? Then click here to read our article that explains what they are and how they work.