E-commerce opens up a world of possibilities. Numbers suggest that online buying patterns have increased rather dramatically, especially in the past two years in which many governments had to place lockdowns.
Although the increase in online sales is a fact, the trend isn’t homogeneous among men and women. Creating and implementing E-commerce strategy is a complex matter and most brands have to be aware of their sales by gender before placing products in the market. Buying decisions can change according to the gender of the consumers. There are several products that might find more audience in a particular gender; That’s why it is important to establish different strategies according to the target segment. Hence it becomes more important to understand the differences and reasons for choices that are made according to gender.
The statistics show that men dominate the internet buying segment. Males aged between 25 to 49 years account for the most active chunk when it comes to making online purchases. According to Affilinet, 84.3 % of men buy online in comparison to 77% of women. Women tend to buy 7.1 times a year and women buy 5.4 times. However, men tend to spend more money making their purchases. Men usually make more direct purchases and buy objects that they need. They remain focused on what they want and usually refrain from making additional purchases. Men are also more information-oriented and they make in-depth research of products before committing to the purchase. Women have a greater tendency to try out more items and they also are more likely to make impulse purchases. According to studies conducted by IAB Spain, women usually gravitate towards clothing, footwear, and accessories. Since women are more emotional, it is recommendable to offer them products that have a greater appeal to sentiments. Women buy products 7% faster than men and desire to see more product images rather than descriptions. They are mostly concerned with how the product will make them feel. Social networks are increasingly used by consumers to check the ratings of products. 62% of women and 50% of women compare products using social media platforms before committing to the purchase. According to IAB Spain, women are more likely to use the clicked advertising on social media platforms. Women prefer fashion and travel sites while men are more into electronics, gadgets, and gaming products.
Women (76%) use social media slightly more than men (72%). Men use social media more for networking and making contacts while women use social media a great deal more to talk about their personal life. Women are more likely to post their experiences, opinions, and stay in touch with their friends and family.
Another interesting fact is that the color of your website/App also matters. Men tend to favor blue while women tend to prefer purple. Surprisingly, men prefer lighter colors while women prefer lighter ones. Online retailers have to take into consideration all these details before constructing their web presence. Similarly, the packaging of the products can be more precise using such information.
According to a study by SeeWhy, men are more likely to make online purchases using a smartphone and tablets. Another important fact is that women are more ‘deal-driven than men. Practical Ecommerce reported that “47 % of women are searching for coupons and promotions as their primary use of social media, compared with 33% of males”. Furthermore“a third of female respondents reported having increased the amount of time they dedicate to finding coupons via social media, compared to approximately 20% of men.” Almost 74% of women respondents claimed that their last item purchased was on sale, compared to 57% of men. According to a study conducted in Russia, 45% of men pay more for a product that is tailored-made for them compared to 40% of women. A Study conducted in the Philippines also confirms that men are more brand-conscious than women: 51% compared to 43%.
Women also respond much better to promotional emails. 14% first knew about their most recent online purchase in an email compared to 8% of men did
John Gray’s famous book “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” shows how genders differ in their choices, rationales, perspectives, and actions. While making sweeping generalizations is never a good idea, it is exceedingly important for marketers and advertisers to be aware of the differences between men and women when it comes to online shopping.
