Dear reader, please sit down. It’s time we had an important discussion. You’ve been on the Internet long enough now to learn about the differences between men and women. While both men and women think about the Internet and enjoy going online, different sexes get their satisfaction from their activities differently.
Successful online marketing depends on effectively targeting men and women knowing that each group, in general, engages on the Internet differently.
Purposes Online
Studies show that men and women do not differ greatly in their online abilities. However, they tend to utilize those abilities for different purposes.
Women generally go online for information, advice, and to learn about self-improvement. Women find these types of articles almost three times more valuable than men. Popular features with women include advice on parenting, relationships, recipes, and so on.
Men seek out entertainment, facts, and humor online. They typically value things like the news, sports scores, weather forecasts, financial reports, etc. For entertainment, men typically seek out video and humor sites.
Connecting and Engaging
Women seek to connect with others. Their posts tend to be collaborative in nature. Women build connections online by sharing photos, recipes, life management hints and tips, and other tidbits that focus on reaching and helping other people.
Men, on the other hand, tend to have posts competitive in nature. These can range from boastful scores and sports bragging rights, to job promotion announcements, or even a humorous video poking fun at someone else’s expense.
Decision Making
When making a buying decision, men eliminate the competition when settling on a purchase, while women reach a decision through a comparison of all the overall market has to offer.
Men use the process of elimination as a means of making a decision. Men go in with a list of priorities, and decide which products most closely meet those needs. Those products or services missing those key attributes get dropped in favor of those do until only one remains. When marketing to this group, highlight features and technical details that will let them know your product or service has what they seek.
Women employ a more comprehensive method when reaching a purchasing decision. Rather than narrowing down based on pre-set requirements, women tend to consider the product or service that will provide the greatest return in regards to its cost. When marketing to this group, focus on the value your offering provides.
Gender Perceptions
Men have a far greater concern regarding gender perception than women. Men will turn away from a more useful product if they fear appearing too “feminine” to others. If you target to both men and women, use two separate campaigns and use competitive words such as “conquer,” “battle”, and “defeat” in your messaging to attract men.
Women do not care as much about gender perception. However, you can still use phrases in your marketing that resonate greater with females. Use emotional language and speak to the experience of using your product or service. Describe how it will make them feel happy, relaxed, or energized. Avoid using competitive language. Use romantic phrasing such as “love your job” and “kiss your problems goodbye” instead.
Web Design
Men and women even have differences with how your website operates. Men seek easy-to-use websites with fast download speeds. Women desire intuitive navigation and accessibility. No matter which demographic you target, ensure your page loads quickly with intuitive navigation and clear, easy-to-find menu options.
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