E-Commerce: Men spend more than women

The possibility of buying from anywhere, at any time and from multiple devices has favoured the rise of online shopping in our country. But online sales are not homogeneous in both men and women, which is why we have ventured to review how men and women buy online.

When carrying out your eCommerce strategy, you need to know who your product’s target is. Buying decisions change according to the gender of consumers. For example, what women may find amazing, men could find it a normal object. That is the reason why we should establish a different strategy for our campaigns, depending on the target.

It is therefore important to understand the characteristics that differentiate men and women and their needs and purchasing decisions, since in many cases varies according to gender.

Overall, the average Internet buyer is predominantly male, aged between 25 and 49 years. A recent study by Affilinet reports that 84.3 % of men buy online, compared with 77 % of women.

While women buy on average about 7.1 times a year and men only about 5.4 times; they spend more money on the Internet: Men spend 10 euros more on each purchase than women.

At the time of purchase, men are more direct and only buy at the time they need something. They focus on what they want without making additional purchases. Men are information seekers, research each product they want in depth and look at all the features of the product.

Men perform many more product searches on the Internet than women, 70 % versus 30%. They tend to be more rational and logical at the time of purchase and often seek compelling reason why they should buy this product: Why do I need this?

On the other hand, women tend to try more items than men and are more likely to make impulse purchases.

According to the VII Social Networks Study conducted by IAB Spain and sponsored by Adglow: clothing, footwear and accessories are the products most purchased by female users.

Women are more emotional so it is advisable to offer products that appeal more to emotions and let them see the experience lived with the product, rather than the product itself. Women buy 7% faster than men and prefer to see more images of what they will buy than product descriptions. Women ask: How will make me feel this product?

Social networks have become a very useful tool for online commerce, specifically, 62% of men and 50% of women compare products on social networks before making purchases over the Internet.

According to IAB Spain’s study, there is a high ratio of click advertising on these platforms, and it increases in women. Fashion and travel sites are the categories that get more clicks from women, while men prefer those related to electronics and gaming products.

Women (76%) use social networks more than men (72%). You can consult an infographic very complete here. In addition, while men tend to use them for business-related issues (networking and making contacts) and to be informed; women use social media to talk more about their personal life and post their personal experiences, opinions and stay in touch with family and friends.

There are also differences in social networks used. This is important for your eCommerce strategy, and gets better results if you're promoting in those social networks where your customers are most active.

Según un estudio realizado por Pew Research Internet y American Project las redes sociales más utilizadas por las mujeres son Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat y Twitter mientras que los hombres usan más frecuentemente redes sociales profesionales como Linkedin.

According to a study by Pew Research Internet and American Project social networks most used by women are Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter while men used more frequently professional social networks like LinkedIn. And now that you know how men and women differ in Internet shopping, have you already decided who you're going to target your strategy?