Article submitted by Cynthia K. Lee

Nov. 7, 2005

In the beginning, the Internet was "a guy thing" and most of its users were men. By the year 2000, however, half of Internet users were women according to Mediamark Research in New York. Now, there are more women in cyberspace than men.

Internet101.org reports that 51 percent (50.6 million) of Internet users in the United States are women. What's more, this number is growing steadily and could well represent over 60 percent soon.

Last year, using its own research along with U.S. Census figures, the Nielsen//NetRatings’ 2004 Enumeration Study showed that there were 2 million more women online than men. It also showed that the highest "Internet access penetration" was by the 34.6 million women in the 35-54 age group.

The study defined Internet access penetration as the percent of people who have access to the Internet at home. Women in the 35-54 age group had an 81.7% penetration level, compared to 80.2% for males in the 35-54 age group, and an average penetration level of 74.9% for all user groups combined.

Recent research from America Online (AOL) shows that women over 40 years old spend more time online playing games than any other section of the population, logging on for 9.1 hours a week to play games. Teenagers reported spending only 7.4 hours a week playing games online.

The most popular games for women over 40 are word and puzzle games. AOL-UK’s six-month anthropological study of five British families, combined with information gleaned from a poll of more than 4000 British Internet subscribers, provides some other interesting insights into how women are using the Internet.

Lucy Sherriff (www.theregister.co.uk ) says that the AOL-UK research revealed that "mums in particular are emerging as the new guardians of the Internet, with almost half of those surveyed moving the PC into the family room, and a third spending time online with their children. Four fifths said they used the PC as a substitute for the phone, to help them keep in touch with family and friends."

The study also showed that women were using the withdrawal of Internet privileges as a threat or actual punishment for children who misbehaved. They also commonly consulted the Internet for medical advice relating to family health problems.

Women’s Economic Clout
Women’s incomes are, on average, lower than their male counterparts. Their offline and online economic clout is due more to their role as consumers than as income producers. Women do 86% of the shopping in America, purchase 50% of all cars; spend 81 cents of every dollar made by grocery stores and make 74% of health care decisions for family members says Melissa Moss, president of the Women’s Consumer Network in Washington, D.C.

Tom Peters, a prolific author on business management, is quoted by Michael Kinsman (SignOnSanDiego.com) as saying that "women are the chief instigators behind 83 percent of consumer purchases, 94 percent of home furnishings buys, 92 percent of vacation expenditures and 91 percent of new home deals."

Marketing to Women on the Internet
Online marketers have also recognized the increasing presence and influence of women on the Internet. One male Internet marketer attempting to come to grips with this important development wrote an eBook with the arresting title "Dickless Marketing" containing advice on how to market to women on the Internet. I recommend the book "Marketing to Women: How to Understand, Reach and Increase Your Share of the Largest Market Segment" by Marti Barletta, with a forward by management guru Tom Peters. You can purchase it at www.amazon.com.

ReachWomen is a company that specializes in marketing to women online. You can subscribe to their free and very well written and informative newsletter at http://www.reachwomen.com. You can also find interesting articles and resources at http://www.imagocreative.com (the website of a marketing firm specializing in building brand relationships with women over 40).

Making the effort to establish and maintain a personal, friendly relationship with women clients and prospective customers will go a long way toward earning their trust, goodwill and business. Also, bear in mind that women are natural born networkers and marketers. Their strong verbal and social skills and extensive webs of family, social, professional and community relationships make them ideal influencers and promoters of products and services.

Story copyright © 2005 by Cynthia K. Lee, President of Kiteley Communications and Administrator of the Purely Passive Profits Team. On the Inernet at www.fullspectrumsuccess.com. Bringing you the top passive income (no recruiting required) opportunities on the Internet and an eclectic assortment of cyber-resources for success in all areas of life. Phone Cynthia at 1-888-650-3029 or email her at purelypassiveprofitsteam@yahoo.com.

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