« Estee Lauder Creates a Powerful Social Media Campaign | Main | Why You Need to Be "Her People" »

October 14, 2009

Comments

Jeff

Great post, Holly,

My wife bought a bottle of the wine based on the label alone - Now that's good marketing! Plus the wine was good enough that we'll be buying more. As the parents of 3 girls we know all about the "Middle Sister Syndrome" and its very clear that the website totally fulfills visitor expectations for sassy fun that the brand name implies. Loved your analysis of all the elements that go into making that happen.

- Jeff

Anne

Hi Holly,
I am launching a new online business targeted primarily at women, and I am so glad to have found your site! I really appreciate the wealth of information - some of which has my nodding my head, because it matches my gut - but some of which is surprising.
One thing I'm pondering right now is the style of graphic (line art, like my logo and other little icons) I want to have on my site. I expect most of my customers to be women, but the site is not explicitly for women, like DailyWorth.com, and some minority of customers will be men. Any thoughts?
Anne

Holly Buchanan

Jeff - you definitely have your hands full with those lovely daughters of yours. Glad you like the wine - it really is a fun brand.

Anne - I always say design your website and your brand based on your company values. Just because you're marketing mainly to women doesn't mean you need to "paint it pink." But there are many design elements that will appeal to both men and women - good use of white space, having a real voice/personality, answering your customers questions, using colors that evoke the emotions you want your brand to convey.

I'd just stay away from proven elements than can hurt conversion for women - for example black backgrounds, reverse text,logos that have lots of sharp lines and are very mechanical-looking, use of techno-jargon, language that can be considered boasting, bashing your competition, not having enough of a personal connection in your About Us section.

Hope that helps. Good luck with your venture!

Holly

Susan Lombardi

Holly - thanks so much for featuring our website! We really appreciate your comments and respect your opinion. We are flattered that you respect our marketing approach and we will keep you posted on our future successes. Cheers! Susan

compléments alimentaires  

Hello
You have given really very nice information about middle sister wine.Thank you very much for giving such a good information.You have done a good job.Keep up the good work.

Online backup

I recently came across your blog and have been reading about Online marketing. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Tracy

Hello Holly

I came across your website today, very helpful and informative.
I was wondering whether this topic comes up alot amongst your readers.
Do they have many issues with online fraud and women hesitant to purchase online regarding the safety of their financial transactions or opening themselves to possible ID theft not with the particular business but what happens on internet in between wanting to make a purchase and their information transmitted across the internet ?
Have you any insights ?

Thankyou
Tracy
[email protected]

If this is an issue for readers could you please share how they overcame this

Jeanette - UK wedding photographer

That explains so much about why I'm not comfortable with my own website - its about weddings, so its 90% aimed at women! I need a test group now!

Website design

I really liked reading about your example.Women do get attracted to a website by the points you have mentioned over here.Middle Sister Wine Cases study was an explanation of that.Thanks a lot.

Chynna

What a joy to find soomene else who thinks this way.

Chanel Wallet

Just wanted to send a big shout out and THANK YOU to everyone responding here and through email.

Your responses are FABULOUS. I expected nothing less.

Keep them coming.

Holly

Sofia

Could just be the lack of chocolate and wine in this house right now, and the ranmapt PMS, but I did get one thing from that article I now know which wine company to avoid like the plague. Way to dump all over the consumers you are trying to attract.

Elisa

many times to university adntrisiratoms; students at all ages need role models that look like them so they can imagine themselves in the same roles. Male Ceos, VPs, deans of colleges, superintendents are all the norms that cause young women to view their chances of gaining such positions as slim. Once in the job market, young women I speak to still express dismay at being ignored in business meetings, having their ideas claimed by males that are not called out by colleagues, dismissed openly or just not given a chance to make an impact with poor assignments or no chance to shine a light on their capabilities. It makes me so sad that these things are still occurring 40 years later. I was at a meeting yesterday full of volunteers. There were four women and 14 men, the two leaders were men. The women spoke up fairly well but the men's comments were more often noted. I will give kudos to the male leader who caught a comment from a woman that was tread upon by a man and made note of it for the group. Such behavior can encourage a woman to continue to contribute. However, it is still daunting to be in the minority and feel as though you have to fight for attention to your contributions. Perhaps EMBA programs need to focus more on the benefits of having women in your team for MEN, rather than trying to make special help programs for women. Such special programs make women feel like they are in the slow class rather than being given something more that will elevate them. In the end it will have to be men who make room for women and value them on their team, give support for attempts to contribute and encouragement for those smart women to really succeed. One of the comments after the referenced article about the percentage of women in MBA programs indicated that women are more likely to leave for having children and choose a major that is less likely to view this negatively, overlooks the issues that arise in making room for women in the workforce. I find it odd that men see women who leave to have children as a liability. It is a short trip to then understand why women choose not to strive for the higher ranks, when having a child is viewed as an impedence to good business. Why would a woman who wants a family ever sacrifice this for a job that is probably out of reach? A loss of hope results and women just say I value my family over this company, feeling forced to make a choice. One department chair at a university where I worked once told a woman that she had chosen an inconvenient time to have a child for the university, pressured her to stay in an organic lab during her pregnancy and then pressured her to return to work when her child was in intensive care. I can bet that no man who announces the impending birth of his new child is neither told that nor given anything but congratulations upon the arrival of that child. The data in this article make it clear that women are a major positive force for companies that open the doors and help women be contributors. MBA and EMBA programs need to emphasize that for the new men entering the workforce and educate them to understand that helping women be successful not only will advance their own career but also the fortunes of the business.

The comments to this entry are closed.

My Photo

My Other Accounts

Buy the Book: Selling Financial Services to Women