Is Your Web Site Female Friendly?
How to win over your most influencial buyer.
It's no secret that women are the driving force behind most consumer purchases in our marketplace today, especially new homes.
In fact, 90% of women in the United States control the family's finances and 80% of women initiate all consumer purchases,
according to a study by Mature Marketing & Research.
 So it just makes sense to launch a Web marketing effort that attempts to capture women's attention.
But the question is: How?
Through research and case studies, as well as practical application, the Web site design firm of
Quanta Basics (Omaha, NB) has developed ways to appeal especially to women. Builders are seeing benefits through both
increased leads and sales. For example, Nick and Julie LaTerra of HelpUBuild (Colchester, CT), a modular home construction
company, claim that implementing "woman-centric" features on their existing site dramatically changed their business.
"When we first explored the idea of developing a Web site, our goal was to increase traffic to our
design center and promote sales," says Julie. "But the real success came when we added enhancements to our existing site,
www.helpubuild.com, that reached our most influential demographic: women."
"We found that by developing a Web design that was user friendly with easy navigation and that visually
appealed to women, our site was definitely more beneficial to our business," says Julie. "Our sales have increased by 21% in
one year and 36% of our lead generation now comes from our Web site. Our staff is now trained to be interactive with our
clients on the Web."
WOMAN-CENTRIC WEB DESIGN
 Woman-centric design appeals to men, but includes features that are especially effective for reaching women. These techniques
are not blatant--you won't find pink Web sites with floral borders here. Instead, the features speak to a woman's need for time
savings, sufficient detail and control along with her unique desire for recommendations from trusted experts and friends,
imagery that is relevant to her life and a holistic approach to products and services.
Emotional text that reflects her needs, clutter-free design--because her life has enough clutter--and
the ability to collaborate with others are key details in woman-centric Web design. While men focus on facts and figures, women
are looking for lifestyle benefits that accompany the bottom line. Some of the core messages that speak to women are saving time,
convenience, value over cost, family, health and safety, child enrichment and balance or harmony in their lives. With more women
online than men, the fundamental question is how to create an online representation of your company that strongly appeals to women.
MARKETING TO WOMEN
Marketing to women is about more than just selling a product. It's about understanding the most powerful feelings and truths
in women's lives. These insights can begin to affect your bottom line and lead to competitive marketing--when you really
understand what compels women to buy and stay loyal to your brand.
To help differentiate your company from the competition, gear the messages about your products and
services towards women's concerns. Since women focus on people and personal experiences, the product does not always have to
be in the spotlight. Use imagery that shows women--along with men, children and friends--enjoying the lifestyle benefits of your
product. Include your company's affiliations, associations, donations and community support in the online information about
your company. She cares that you care about your community.
For example, the Quanta Basics' Web site, www.quantabasics.com, highlights information about a Habitat
for Humanity project that staff participated in along with logos of local associations the company belongs to.
Another fact to consider when featuring products online is that recommendations influence 70% of new
product trials for women. Allow her to "gather" opinions from others by including testimonials. And include pictures of the
people endorsing your company. Putting a face with the comment makes it real. Check out Fieldstone Villages "The Difference"
page at www.fieldstonevillages.com for an example of this.
CHANGE IS GOOD
 If your company has a Web site, great! You're among the ranks of companies that have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week exposure
to potential clients worldwide. But imagine this: If you knew that adding a few features to your current Web site would
increase your traffic, attract the largest target audience on the Web today and ultimately lead to more sales, would you
embrace the changes? Consider adding some of the following features to your Web marketing to reach your most powerful and
influential customers--women:
 Don't leave out the details. For women, details add fullness and richness and are necessary to an understanding of the
home buying process. Since women look for additional information to gain a comprehensive perspective, offer links to supporting
articles and third-party resources that endorse what your company offers.
Humanize your company. The Web can be a cold, impersonal place. Adding stories and information about your key staff
members can be a powerful way to help online visitors connect with your company. Posting pictures of owners, staff and
company events help reveal the human side of your business.
Offer a way to connect with others. Women like to connect with others online and collaborate about how products and
services relate to their lives. Posting "blogs" and surveys or short quizzes will tap into a woman's need to connect. Add
an "E-mail to a Friend" button so she can easily direct friends to your site for feedback.
Give expert opinions. Provide resources from experts or links to helpful Web sites to allow her to dig deeper if she
wants. (Plus, linking to other high-traffic sites is helpful in increasing your own search engine rankings.)
Give her control. Women like to have a sense of control in their interactions with your site. They are more likely to
remain loyal to a brand and feel comfortable with a company that offers the feeling of being in control. An example is
allowing visitors to turn off the Flash introduction or turn off the sound.
WEB SITES THAT SELL
 To be successful in designing Web sites that sell, the key is creating a relationship with your female visitor. Web sites
that speak to women in their language are magnetic. Focus on creating relationships with each customer by addressing her
relevant needs, answering her questions and providing a way for her to communicate with your company as well as others like
her.
Consider posting a discussion forum or online community where she can connect with other people and share her experiences.
Be honest and represent your company with a Web site that has the "look and feel" that reflects who you are (and who
you aren't).
Develop a site that takes the value of her time into consideration. Connection speed and download time is key, as well
as easy navigation.
Highlight your company's involvement in the community. How does your company try to make the world a better place?
Do you support local charities or organizations?
It's important to not only focus on the money, but reveal your product's value. Cost is only one piece of the purchasing
decision. Women will look for value over cost.
Make your site intuitive by designing it according to the way women use the Internet to do research and make purchases.
(Remember, she uses the Internet as a tool and an advisor.)
DESIGN MISTAKES TO AVOID
Annoying Animation
A few years ago, Flash design (the use of animated text and graphics) was all the rage. Now, too much is just annoying.
When confronted with a long animated introduction of flying words and pictures on a home page, how many of us hit the "skip"
or "enter" button as quickly as possible? Use subtle movement in a few places on your Web site to lead online visitors to
key areas. Also, the use of color and fonts can replace the need for graphic movement.
Under Construction
Since Web sites are continually updated, they're constantly under construction. That's why you shouldn't bother to launch
an incomplete Web site that's peppered with that message.
Background Music
Just like Flash, background music on a home page increases the annoyance factor and download time. If you insist on music,
give your visitors the option to turn it off. Presenting users with the choice makes your site seem more interactive and
gives visitors more control of their online experience.
Scrollbars
Horizontal and vertical scrollbars detract from your site's user friendliness, especially on the home page, because visitors
have to manually scroll the page back and forth or up and down to view the content. Ideally, your home page should be contained
within the window of the monitor so your site's first impression is "I'm easy to read and navigate!" It's fine to have longer
interior pages that require a vertical scrollbar to reveal a more informational page.
Well-designed woman-centric Web sites can definitely help your company sell more products and better
connect with potential customers.
Lori Bowman is an accounts manager for Quanta Basics, Inc., an award-winning Web design firm owned by Design Basics, Inc.
If you want a free Web site consultation, call 866-805-0877 or visit www.quantabasics.com.
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