Internet Demographics Demand that You Target Women
In 2007, a change occurred in the demographics of those who use the World Wide Web. While, for the most part, this change occurred with little fanfare, dedicated Internet marketers definitely took note. So what was this grand event?
Queue drum roll…
Female Web users began to outnumber their male counterparts. Okay, I know what you’re thinking, “Wow, that’s it? Pretty anti-climactic if you ask me!”
And you’re right; it is downright anti-climactic, especially if your target market is cats, dogs, or fish. For the rest of us – those of us who target human beings — this is a pretty big deal. For years Internet marketers had assumed the number of men surfing the Web would be greater than the number of women doing the same. Well, that assumption apparently started out in peril, and now it is dead. Clearly, the time for ignoring the fairer sex is over. Now, it’s time to figure out what women want.
So what do women want? Well, no one really knows for sure (okay, just kidding); but seriously, take look at these statistics and see if anything listed speaks to you and your business model:
- According to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 78% of all women (versus 71% of all men) used the Internet within the last year to buy a product online, such as books, music, toys or clothing.
- In the latest study available, 47% of female Web users (versus 53% of men) visited video sites (such as YouTube) versus 27% the prior year. They also visited more often, more than twice as often as men.
- Burst Media reports that 54% of women shopped online during the first half of 2007, buying mostly clothing, financial products, and groceries. Wealthier women shop online more (68% of those with household incomes that break six figures versus 49% of those with incomes lower than $35,000). GSI Commerce reports that women are also more likely than men to take advantage of limited-time offers or free gifts that are included with purchase.
- Female casual gamers (as opposed to hardcore gamers) match men in numbers, but women are more likely to pay to support their casual gaming habit. Women made up 75% of casual game purchases.
- According to Forrester Research, among young women (aged 25 to 34), nearly half have a college degree and are the most likely group, among women, to watch full-length TV shows and video clips online. This group is also more likely to search for local restaurants and entertainment, visit social networking sites, read blogs, and download music.
- 84% of women turn to the Web for medical information versus 72% of men. In the young women age group (25-34), over 90% use the Web for medical information versus 75% for women age 65 and over, while overall 50% say they turn to the ‘net more than they turn to their doctor.
- The University of Manitoba found that while many women say they found online dating meaningful, many also said it was for losers. Good luck figuring that one out!
- 43 million moms go online daily and spend an average of 85 minutes per day there. Moms also visit blogs more often with 15% reading blogs daily versus 8% for all women, while 7% of moms blog daily versus 3% for women overall.
So there you have it. Who says women are difficult to understand?
