Selling a product or service to a woman in the offline world has always been tricky, and selling to a woman online is just as tricky, but somehow different. You need to understand what women are doing online, how and why they surf, and what persuades them to buy from the websites that they buy from.

Monique Danielle, of Diva Design offers the following information about the habits of women online:

•  Women make up 63% of the population that shops online.
• Women prefer clean websites, as opposed to cluttered sites.
• Ease of use is important. If she has to look for an order button or other information that she wants for too long, she will surf away. 
• Women seldom "window shop" online. They generally know exactly what they are looking for and search for that particular item. They view 40% less pages then men. Once they have found what they are looking for - whether it is information or a purchase - they are off to live their lives. 
• Women like options. The ability to choose preferences or customize a website to their liking appeals to them. 
• Women like interactivity, such as downloads. They do not like inactivity.
• Women like to save time, and kill several birds with one stone. If she buys shampoo, she invariably buys conditioner as well - whether she needs it right now or not. If you sell shampoo, but not conditioner, partner with someone who sells conditioner. This will add value to your site, and save your female customers time. They will appreciate it and come back. 
• If a woman hates the presentation of a company online, she most likely will not buy from that same company offline either - and vice versa. Make sure your presentation appeals to her in both worlds. 
• Women want information. Not just product descriptions and prices. The more useful content you can provide, the longer she will stick around. If she likes the content on her first visit, and you assure her that new content is added regularly, you will probably make it to her bookmarks. For instance, if you sell face cream, include some how-to articles on skin care.

About the Author: Marketing Consultant, Monique Danielle helps entrepreneurs and marketing managers create effective, cohesive communication strategies.  Her company, DivaDesignWorld.com delivers brand, web and print solutions to small to medium sized businesses. You may republish this article on your website as long as it remains unaltered, and links/credits remain in place.