I recently came across an interesting article on GetElastic that gives profound insight into the different ways in which men and women perceive and operate within the online marketplace. The article, written by Linda Bestos, cites a recent study by Southern Illinois University on which priorities men and women value. According to this study, the top priority of both men and women is ease of use. However, for men, “web speed” was cited as the second-most important concern, and for women it was, “easy navigation.”

Bestos suggests that what might seem like a minor gender-based difference of opinion could really mean that (while online) men are “hunters” and women are “browsers”. To bolster this claim, she cites the findings of a study by the Wharton School (“Men Buy, Women Shop: The Sexes Have Different Priorities When Walking Down the Aisles”), which revealed that males chose, “…difficulty in finding parking close to the store’s entrance.” as their biggest issue with shopping. Conversely, for women, it was, “…a lack of help when needed.”

According to Bestos the differences to not stop there:

• Women Shop Like Santa, Men Shop Like Scrooge. Women start their holiday shopping earlier than men, usually shop for more gift recipients. Men are more likely to become angry and frustrated by holiday shopping. (I also recall a study a couple years back by BIG Research that claimed men are more likely to grab gifts for themselves, mostly electronics).
• Men prefer coupons, women prefer sales. Perhaps this is because a coupon can be applied to something a guy already knows he wants, the coupon is a predictable discount and an extra incentive to reward himself. A sale applies to a number of products, the “fun” for women is browsing the sale to find great deals – it’s recreation. The reward is finding treasure and feeling like you deserve it because you found such a great bargain.
• Guys think about what can benefit them now, while ladies think about what benefits them long term. Perhaps that’s why women browse sales, they keep their eyes open for things they can wear next year or stash away for a future Christmas gift.
• Men and women view images differently and respond differently to humor. This impacts conversion for advertising, website imagery and messaging. They also prefer different colors (but not all women love pink).
• Men and women may buy the same products, but for different reasons. As Future Now’s Holly Buchanan points out, you can use customer reviews to identify which product attributes and benefits men and women rant or rave about.

So, what does this mean for us?

Thankfully, Bestos does not argue that these differences merit gender-segregated sites, with different design, graphics and copy for men and women. Rather, these differences should noted, and this knowledge implemented, when developing shopping sites that appeal to both men and women. In doing this, a site can significantly increase performance while catering to a demographic that previously was not given as much consideration. Bestos suggests making the most of customer surveys that include men and women – and have a way of telling which is which – but, with the option to disclose one’s gender optional. This, she says, will illustrate the successes and shortcomings of a site, from both points of view.

via Linda Bestos @ GetElastic