NFIB

E-shopper Profile
04/ 15/ 2002

Unless your Web site (or projected Web site) targets a specific niche market, you may not think that information about eShoppers is of much importance. But the more you know about the vast and rapidly expanding world of web shoppers, the more you can adjust your overall site contents to maximize repeat visits and sales. In today's Workshop, Jeffrey Moses discusses some fundamental eShopper demographics.

During the early days of the Internet, men dominated web usage and sales. That's shifting rapidly. Today, women account for over 45% of Internet users in the United States, with a somewhat lower percentage worldwide.

Women have financial clout, too, and this is translating into e-commerce sales. In general, women make more than 75% of all major household purchases. The multi billions of dollars worth of goods they purchase is beginning to find its way to the Web: during the last several years, nearly 20% of all women are doing less catalog shopping, buying via the Internet instead. And in general, retail shopping is down nationwide because of Internet buying.

Do you think that Internet shopping is dominated by kids? Not so. The average age of eShoppers is about 40. Baby boomers (ages 40-55 or thereabouts) make up the single largest sector. Boomers have money to spend, and are getting more used to buying online. The purchasing power of kids should not be overlooked, however. They know how to use the Web, and never have became accustomed to shopping by catalog as have their parents. Many among this age group, including even kids 12 and under, know how to scan the Net for the best price before tapping mom or dad on the shoulder for the cash to make purchases.

Senior citizens (55 and over) are one of the strongest growth sectors for online retailers. Seniors have special interests online -- and special needs from a site. For increasing readability of text, type should be kept large enough and should be dark on a light background rather than the other way around. Sites need to be designed logically for easy navigation. Also, research by online consulting groups has shown that seniors remain wary of financial security issues online. So make sure that your security is indeed top quality, and tell people about it so they'll know you've taken every possible precaution for eShopper safety.

Annual income of eShoppers? About $45,000, a little higher than the overall national average. Online shoppers are much more likely to be college graduates, however.

Articles relating to eShopper demographics appear frequently in many major publications, including newspapers and magazines. When you see an article on the subject, read it. You never know when a little information could help you tweak your site to make it more attractive for a specific age, gender or financial sector.

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