All men and women are born, live, suffer and die;
what distinguishes us one from another is our dreams,
whether they be dreams about worldly or unworldly things,
and what we do to make them come about...
We do not choose to be born.
We do not choose our parents.
We do not choose our historical epoch,
the country of our birth,
or the immediate circumstances of our upbringing.
We do not, most of us, choose to die;
nor do we choose the time and conditions of our death.
But within this realm of choicelessness,
we do choose how we live.
- Joseph Epstein |
• Web Site Design
• SEO
• Web site Hosting
• Web Site Updates
• E-commerce Sites
• CMS
• Newsletter Design |
Tradition suggests that men tend to be hunters while women tend to be nurturers and this tradition has more to do with Web sites than you might think.
What women want vs. what men want
In many ways, Web sites geared towards men and women mirror their print magazine counterparts. Many men’s magazines focus on cars, technology and gadgets while women’s magazines focus on beauty, relationships and nature.
In the online world, appealing to women’s interests and wants is much different than a man’s. When creating a Web site that targets women, you should keep in mind that most women are looking for more than just information. They’re looking for the person behind the Web site.
Women want to know who the person is and if they can be trusted, while men are more concerned with the nuts and bolts of the site and what they can get out of it.
Give ‘em someone they can trust
When you target women, give them your core message up front. Tell them what your business or service is about and how it can benefit them. Personal testimonials are important because they show you as being a real person who is trustworthy and has their best interests in mind.
If your target market is primarily women, you would do well to set up your site more like a community than a fact sheet. Creating a forum is one way to develop community as is adding comments from women who have used your site and found it to be worthwhile.
Quick information is best
Men are also happy pouring over large amounts of data. However, women prefer information to be to the point rather than long winded. It’s not that women can’t interpret large chunks of information, rather they respond better to quick and timely content. In addition, many women are juggling family and careers so their time to scan tons of information is limited.
Another important point to remember is that women do not like being sold to. Don’t use information simply as a tool to get them to buy something. That’s the easiest way to abuse the trust they put in you and your products and services.
A sale should be a natural reaction inspired by good, honest content.
Unless you’re dealing with women in a specific field of technology, it’s best to avoid technical jargon. Your content needs to be clear and simple with easy to understand language.
Why is credibility so important?
As mentioned earlier, testimonials, are great. Women really value credible information and resources that can be backed up. Don’t just try to sell them your product or service, let them know how it can make their life easier and show them examples that include others just like them who are satisfied.
Marketing specifically to women is easy if you follow some simple advice. Honesty is the best policy. If you’re genuinely interested in making their lives better, let that show through in your content and you’ll do just fine.
- Nina Menezes
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"Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels."
- Faith Whittlesey
"I am woman!
I am invincible!
I am pooped!"
- Author Unknown
"History is herstory too."
- Author Unknown
"I asked a Burmese why women, after centuries of following their men, now walk ahead. He said there were many unexploded land mines since the war."
- Robert Mueller
"The reason there are so few female politicians is that it is too much trouble to put makeup on two faces."
- Maureen Murphy
"A woman is like a tea bag. It's only when she's in hot water that you realize how strong she is.
- Attributed to both Eleanor Roosevelt and Carl Sandburg
Do We Need More Female Designers?
The Feminization of the Web
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Canada has one of the highest rates of women entrepreneurship in the world.
Women-owned businesses contribute over $18-billion to the Canadian economy.
There are over 800,000 women-owned businesses in Canada.
One-quarter of Canadian women-owned businesses are high-growth.
Employment in women-led firms has increased by 13% – four times the national average. (Bank of Montreal)
The number of women-owned businesses has grown on average 3.3% each year since 1989 — 60% faster than businesses started by men.
Over the past two decades, Canada witnessed an increase in women’s entrepreneurship of over 200%.
Almost 570,000 people were employed by women-owned businesses in 2001, and an additional 404,000 people were hired on contract.
Women-owned SMEs brought in combined annual revenues of $72 billion in 2000.
32% are under the age of 40.
54% have a graduate or post-graduate education.
70% have more than 10 years of management experience in their business’ industry.
Canada has one of the highest rates of women entrepreneurship in the world.
It is anticipated there will be over one-million women entrepreneurs in 2010.
- Women Entrepreneurs of Canada
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