A joint research project from handbag, iVillage and Generator explores just how important the internet is in women’s lives.
A joint research project from Handbag, iVillage and Generator exploring the online habits and attitudes of women has revealed just how central the internet is in the lives of the UK’s females. Despite the fact that 48% of regular internet users are female, with 14.4 million women accessing the internet every month, most statistics into online behavior discuss the ‘general user’ and the female online insight has been limited.
IVillage and Handbag’s combined reach of 26% of UK women placed them in an ideal situation to assess what women want, why and how. Generator was responsible for the methodology as a digitally focused independent research consultancy.
The opinions of just over 1000 women were surveyed over 12 days at the beginning of 2006, revealing some extremely interesting insights:
- Compared with other media the internet is regarded as the most important, achieving a 37% share. TV followed, only managing 24%. 63% of those surveyed ranked online first or second in terms of importance
- 45% considered the internet “very important to me” with 28% of women going as far as to say they couldn’t live without online
- Women are fanning the flames of the ecommerce revolution. 92% of women identified shopping with their use of the internet, over nine times as much as its nearest rival. Buying fashion online is now as important as booking travel, with 63% of women claiming to do both. The convenience of being able to research products before purchase online or in the highstreet is also valued with 75% of females identifying this as important
- The internet is enhancing women’s lifestyles. 67% of women considered the internet to be strong on community, with 84% using the internet to keep in touch with friends and family. Two-thirds of those surveyed said that the internet puts them in control
- Online advertising is effective amongst females. 73% of women say that they are “more likely to buy” a product or service if they had seen it advertised online. 63% said they would respond to an online ad if the advertising was relevant to the site
Guy Phillipson, chief executive of the IAB said of the findings of the study; ”This research proves that the internet suits the lifestyle of the ‘modern woman’ perfectly. They love the convenience and sense of community the medium offers, whilst enjoying the opportunity to shop, read reviews and compare prices. These results will be invaluable for advertisers, who now know that relevance and compelling content are essential when targeting women online.”
The full presentation given by iVillage, Handbag and Generator at the IAB’s Women Online seminar at the IAB with further details of the survey is available below.
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Women online presentation
