The mature market has become an increasingly attractive business segment due to its increased longevity, economic prosperity and income security.

If your company offers a product or service that is of as much interest to the mature market as it is to younger people, you might want to ramp up your marketing to the older folks. Why? According to recent statistics, seniors control 70 percent of the disposable income in the United States, and they spend it!

Here, from MelissaDATA.com and the U.S. Census, are some more good reasons to target seniors:

Almost 30 percent of seniors have access to the Internet, and of those who are in the top third income bracket, nearly 80 percent do. They spend more time online than teenagers, and they purchase $7 billion worth of goods and services online.

People 50-plus are the fastest growing market today. They now comprise 37 percent of the adult population, and by 2015 will comprise 45 percent!

5 million people age 65 and older are in the labor force.

Seniors’ disposable income amounts to $1.6 trillion.

Seniors’ cumulative household value is $19 billion.

They purchase more than 80 percent of new luxury cars, more than 80 percent of leisure travel, and more than three-fourths of all prescription drugs.

One thing to remember is that seniors are smart shoppers and they do their research better than people in most other groups. They want to know more about the firms they do business with, and if you give them more information than they expect – and more than your competition gives them – you have a better chance of getting their attention, and possibly the sale. In addition, this age demographic knows the value of a dollar. They respond to good deals like special discounts for seniors. So if you don’t give one, think about doing so.