I have just read a marketing article confirming that a female friendly business approach is likely to boost online marketing success, according to IPC Media research. Apparently 97 per cent of female web users research products online (presumably 3% don’t bother) while 74 per cent logged on every day in 2008, up from 71 per cent the previous year.
Some 92 per cent of those questioned said they had made a purchase using the internet.
Karin von Abrams, a senior analyst for eMarketer confirmed that three-quarters of female internet users are online every day, weekdays and weekends, stating that “a phenomenal proportion of women using the net are researching or buying products online, signalling a real revolution in retail.”
You’d be surprised if I was surprised by this as I have been banging my drum for quite some time now about garages and dealers needing to be more female friendly to sell new cars, servicing and repairs to more women drivers. This is because many women motorists feel uncomfortable in garage and car showroom environments whereas if they feel welcome and learn to trust the business they’re likely to be back and perhaps they’d visit garages more often than they do to date…
But some garages may wish to ask typical female motorists what they think of their website because in my opinion many have been designed by men for men – plus ca change in our industry. A few photos with ordinary women (rather than bland models) and cars is a good place to start and it’s equally true of websites and in many business waiting areas.
A surprising number of garages have yet to invest in their own website, shifting from one expensive online advertiser to another without much likely sales effect.
Sadly many are too slow to pick up on email requests that could include valuable servicing and repair work. For example, today I received a most polite acknowledgement to my email from a garage telling me that their email was off-site but they would endeavour to be in touch with me within 7 days. No need to if it had been an urgent request because someone hungrier will have got there before them.
To find out about female friendly garages, MOTs, car servicing and repairs for women drivers.
FOXY
“Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.”
Pablo Picasso