See What She Sees Online, and Learn

Observing the patterns and noticing the gathering hotspots of women online can help to quash any assumptions you may have about them and to focus your marketing approach in ways you'd never imagine.

If you knew that the women in your market were heading to RealAge.com in droves, how might that clue you in to their concerns and values? If you were an auto manufacturer and you noticed that women seemed to submit the most passionate reviews (negative and positive) of certain cars on Epinions.com, how might that help you with product development?

Just as we'd recommend that you hit the streets to watch and listen to get information about women off-line, so do we propose that you hit the sites to see what those women are discussing and what's inspiring them online. Whether it's swapping self-discovery quiz results, reviewing books on Amazon.com or participating in a purposeful survey, there are many clues to be gathered about women online that can guide your product and marketing strategy development.

Because "everything matters," especially to women, we should all remember to take that same approach as we explore the best ways of reaching them. How women behave online, including how they respond to and interact with polls , quizzes and surveys, is definitely something that should matter to us as marketers.

The clearer our marketing viewpoint, the better we can see what she sees. Online research will help keep our viewpoint, and our awareness of what interests and motivates women consumers, clean and clear.