Writing copy for women...

Do we standardize on men? How do you sell to a woman?

[tolachi]

I guess that a truly transcendental writer would appeal to such fundamental aspects of the human condition that this might apply, but I'm not that person. Maybe you sell apparel that is gender specific or you know that show that a majority of the users of a certain part of your site are women.

In my case I'm trying to sell something to women that is made for women. When trying to think of what aspects of the product to emphasize I find myself falling back on stereotypes and trying to remember what Paco Underhill wrote in "Why We Buy."

What I come up with is to emphasize sensuality and make more of an emotional play rather than hitting the facts and being a little gadgety. Where for men I might focus on the mechanism of how a neat feature works I might focus more on describing the experience of that feature for a woman.

I couldn't find anything on this topic when I searched and I was hoping other people might have something to add.

[2_much]

When we target women, we focus on 3 key elements:

1. Images - we use pictures of woman that look happy and content. Typically we don't use the model, perfect woman, instead we use womem that look "wholesome" and happy.

2. Colors - they tend to be softer, pastels for example. A soft, gentle feel tends to work better.

3. Emotional Appearl - instead of writing about facts, we focus on benefits. Instead of a list of requirements, we write about why this would make them, or their kids, or their husbands, happy. ALso, we work more with the "impulse buy" and try to add time limits.

Those are some of the things we consider.

[BlueSky]

I don't know what product you're trying to sell, but I hope you realize some things don't sell well over the net. Women like to try on or physically touch certain items so selling things like clothes, cosmetics, shoes, perfume, etc are not a good idea unless they are very well-known brands. Sex works in selling products to guys and to a much, much lesser extent for women. Women like to shop and compare things so adding some sort of feature like this is a big plus. Women also tend to be more impulsive buyers. They also will spend more just to get an item on sale. They are more interested in benefits but don't completely leave off the details. These can be placed on a separate page for those interested in reading it.

The best way though to see if your site is really geared towards selling to women is first do an initial design and then have some of the women in your life (mother, sisters, girlfriend, wife, etc) review and honestly critique it. They can tell you right up front whether you hit the spot or missed by a mile. I've seen too many sites designed by men who totally miss the mark. One in particular had a product for new mothers but came across as a porno site.

[tolachi]

I admit it, I sell a certain kind of apparel. We sell much more to men than we do women.

I'm having a go at the writing style that the two of you mention. It requires me to put my head in a different place, and takes considerably more effort.

There definitely does appear to be a hurdle in appealing to the sensual emotional side of someone through a computer screen. I noticed at one point that Lands End offered to mail you a free fabric swatch. I think that this appears to be the best attempt by an apparel etailer to get arround this barrier. My company tried this at one point and abandoned it after a short period of time because it was perceived to be a hastle.

Does anyone have experience with whether or not swatches are effective for getting around the sensuality barier?

And are there any other ideas?

[Hawkgirl]

Sometimes ... to write like a woman, you have to be a woman.

I'm assuming you're a fella ... in which case, perhaps you might hire a woman to do the writing? :) Might be more time-efficient in the long run.

Otherwise, I'd suggest checking out sites that are geared toward women to see how they do it. Places like Oxygen, Oprah, and iVillage might have some of the voice you're looking for.

[Web Footed Newbie]

My wife shops online almost daily, and she is a buyer. The reason, she is a petite size, and their are very, very, very few sites that cater to that market that are also reasonably priced - petite sizes usually go for a premium, less material, but not as many consumers - sounds like a new site to me!

To accomplish what you are trying to do, get a girl friend or a female copywriter to do your writing - unless you have a masters degree in psychology of women.

Also, look at sites like (names changed to protect the innocent) victor's secret, hotwater creek, oceans' end, etc.

My wife ordered patches too, but the samples are never the same as the color on the monitor (don't we all know that?)

And expect, without exception, returns for sizing that is not correct. My wife returns about 40-50% of what she orders, due to color, or size, whatever. I sold athletic shoes in college in a mall, and the most peculiar thing: women almost 80% of the time asked for the size smaller! I'm not ranting, it was just the psychology of asking for what they needed versus what they asked for that was within earshot of another female.
HTH, WFN :)

[tolachi]

Hmmm, so what I'm hearing web footed dude is that women are more size/fit conscious than men. A fit that a man calls OK may be lousy to a woman. Interestingly enough a certain company (shall we call them Ocean's End?) has addressed this rather brilliantly with their custom fitting option. In fact their current headline is "Widgets that fit," or something like that anyway.

Thanks, this feedback this is making me think.

Hawkgirl, you may have a point, but I think that a man can write brilliantly for women. Regardless, I'm the only option at my company so I'll just need to make heavy use of my female friends for proofing. I will check out the sites you mentioned.

Now if I could only find time to write...

[Marcia]

Depends on the person, too. I was with iVillage for over two years and I'd never buy anything the way they do it. It might depend on the particular niche or type of product - or the person likely to buy the product.

Maybe product specific is the answer. Some women buy motorcycle gear - I see them up at the corner store all the time, especially on one week-night when there's a club that meets in the shopping center parking lot down the street. No fluff, no frills. Yet if one of thoose gals is getting married - for lingerie or wedding accessories there *may* be a whole different approach that would work.

Then there's the "mommy" market that was very big at ivillage (still is) and an uncountable number of other sites and groups. What might work with most won't work with all - and there's no way to know if the mommy talk is actually working. Click-throughs were pathetic and most complained about the banners, especially in chat - ignored them or got pop-up/banner killers. They had to eliminate chat altogher except for scheduled, it was so dismal. It may be that women frequent sites in spite of the type of writing rather than because it appeals to them. I bet they'll do better with AdSense, which is a whole lot less mommified. Even when my daughter was a baby - I was never a "professional mommy" - most of the ad materials around were intolerable.

If I'm looking to buy a motherboard I need to know whether it fits into an AT or an ATX tower and what kind of memory is compatible - a simple bulleted list is fine. If I'm browsing sites I love to - housewares and decor, especially dinnerware and glassware, I can't even remember reading the text - it's the photos that get me. And the color scheme, the general look and feel.

What's interesting is that the professional copywriters write one way for the ad market - like in appealing to the mommy crowd. But when you look at sites that they themselves do, which I do just about every day, and that they write text for, for each other, they're mostly nothing like that.

[Fairla]

I am a woman and I do buy clothing online. The clothing in offline stores tends to be very standardized -- if you are too tall, too short, too skinny, or too fat, forget it, you'll never find what you need.

Or if you're over the age of 18 and you don't want to dress like Britney Spears -- or if you want to buy a simple item that isn't in style this season -- again, forget it. I remember once searching through a huge mall for a long-sleeved white shirt. Sounds simple, right? No such thing was available for women. Another time my mother wanted a red sweater -- and yes, again, forget it. No one was selling red sweaters for women that year.

This is why, these days, a woman shopper will turn to the Internet. You can search the whole world at once and get what you want, not what the stores think you should want. So I wouldn't worry so much about emphasizing "soft, happy, girly" words and images so much as convenience. The customer knows what she's looking for, and she'll shop with you if you help her find it.

Yes, I am saying appeal to a woman's brain, not just her emotions.

[tolachi]

I will not mommify things, I'm not sure I really could anyway. We're definitely geared more towards the no frills crowd.

I guess a major thing to do is acknowledge that the average woman is much more conscious of how well something will fit her. Acknowledge in the text this importance through language that addresses the fit/hang/line etc of an item. And don't skimp on sizing information as women are likely to be more interested and less intimidated by it than men are.

And pictures of course. I feel that this is something most etailers just don't get yet. Maybe it is because so many product categories are relatively well defined and the products that inhabit them interchangeable except for minor styling details.

Thanks for all the advice, it has been tremendously helpful.

[lesleyann]

Hiya
Don't discount the fact that women like gadgets, we love them as much (if not secretly more than) as men. Maybe because our feminine brains are structured diffently - scientific fact - people assume that we cannot give gadgets a good work out.

Wait a minute though...aren't women out there flying and navigating jet planes?

I rest my case.

[shelleycat]

And pictures of course. I feel that this is something most etailers just don't get yet.

I would be adding not just pictures but, if possible, closeups. When I buy clothes I want to see the weave of the fabric and the stitching of the seams. Try to add at least one closeup of each garment that allows the fabric and construction of the garment to be clearly seen. If there is a print or embroidery or something on there, give a closeup of that too. I hate buying from online clothing stores which only give a small, overall picture of the merchandise because there's no way I can judge quality.

Just because I'm female doesn't mean I don't want specifications and details, it's just that the details I find important probably aren't the same as those my boyfriend finds important. For example, he cares if the shirt is a good colour on him, I care if the sleeves are attached properly. Talking about correct fit is definitely on the right track, closeups of the clothing can be used to enhance this area :D

[dragonlady7]

I read somewhere (can't remember where, d'oh) that roles are reversed when shopping on the Internet. In real life, a woman will go shopping simply for the experience, and will often return home happy after several hours of shopping having not purchased anything. While a man will only go into a mall under duress, and will make every effort to find what he needs as quickly as possible and purchase it immediately.
However, online, women prefer to go directly to what they want to buy, ascertain that it is indeed what they want to buy, buy it, and get offline, while men are more likely to shop around, browse, compare, read up on the widgetry behind it, do more research, poke around, compare prices, compare styles, compare anything that can be compared, and only after a long and enjoyable span of shopping, they'll buy the thing they want.
Now, there are some key differences between shopping online and offline that account for this-- such as the pleasure of shopping for women being largely in the looking and touching and smelling, and the fact that the sorts of things men are buying online are the things that men do like to shop for and compare, like gadgets as opposed to grapefruits. But, the fact remains, looking at what appeals to women in the offline world may well be counterproductive.

As a woman and a writer, I would advise several things. One would be not to be too blatant. If I'm reading a webpage and it's all in shades of pink and has lots of glossy pictures of wholesome and happy women, and is all about my feelings, I'm probably going to leave and feel insulted. If I'm shopping online for clothing, especially of a certain sort, what I'm mostly going to want is pictures. Front, back, details esp. if there are unique features (a different sort of fastener, a novel decorative accent, a closeup of the texture if it's made of, say, vinyl or crushed velvet)-- and how it looks on a woman. One thing one company does is they'll let you make a virtual model of yourself, with your general measurements, and you can try the clothes on it. That would be much cooler if you had more control-- I tried it, and since it didn't incorporate my actual measurements it just ended up looking really fat with no bustline to speak of. So that backfired, but I could see how it would be really, really, really successful for a lot of shoppers who miss trying on clothes.

Anyhow. In writing for women, you just want to remember that they're not, on the whole, interested in being wowed by the gadgetry. They want details, not tech specs-- there's a difference.
But, again, don't go overboard. Simply good writing will appeal to men and women alike. Really, truly.

[too much information]

I never thought to ask something like this, thanks tolachi!

But what if you are trying to sell something other than clothing, like a service that would appeal to women? I get the point about pictures, I think that helps a site anyway, but how to you approach the copy?

Is it better to be descriptive or to the point? I tend to be overly descriptive (due to my engineering background) but that's ok when it comes to density. However, do people (particularly women) really want in depth details, or is it better to state a fact and move on?

[tolachi]

Wow. Thanks again everyone.

too_much, I have to deal with the problem that there are a lot of details or terms that need explanation on my site. If I go into too much depth it affects the, dare I say, eloquence of the writing and bores people who are familiar with the subject. My solution is to have a suite of popup windows that I link to whenever a certian term appears in the text. for example "gnarled arabian widget" would link to a description of what it is why it is used and probably pictures of the different types or important features of a "gnarled arabian widget."

Closeups and pictures are one place where my company is getting it right and I definitely agree with everything you say shelleycat.

I get your point about details not tech specs. Thanks.

What about the format that information is provided in? For example the classic table with yes and no next to features that can be used for comparisons. It strikes me as more of a guy thing. Women would want to be able to actually look at pictures and ascertain most of the info for themselves perhaps?

[Fairla]

In my opinion -- and I don't know whether this is representative of most women -- lots of text is good, if it is broken up into short blocks or lines for easier reading online.

I do want pictures if they provide relevant information and aren't just for decoration, but I am not a visual person so I also want written details. And I definitely want to-the-point, objective details, not subjective description -- don't tell me it's "beautiful," or "elegant," or whatever, just give me facts.

Personally I have difficulty reading complex charts and tables, but a simple yes/no thing would be useful.

I think what Dragonlady said is very true -- women get online knowing exactly what they want to buy. Example, recently I bought a pillow online. I was looking for something (1) of a certain size, (2) non-allergenic, (3) that could be washed in a home washing machine. I found one that fit this description and I bought it, even though it was a bit too expensive. If the site had not provided these precise details, I would not have made the purchase.

(Also, for whatever it's worth, I put a lot of credence in online shoppers' reviews, such as you'll find at Amazon and epinions. I'm much happier buying a product online if I've read what several customers have to say about it, both good and bad.)

[BlueSky]

Well, since you're selling women's clothes, I'll tell you they're usually not made as well as men's clothes. That's why women want to see and touch them to examine the construction as well as how it looks. A guy for example doesn't have to worry about a pair of shoes falling apart in a couple weeks where a woman does. Even though the sizes are the same, often the cut and fit of clothes are different. When shopping in the privacy of their own home, I would say most women will try to purchase their real size but the differences in cut/fit may lead to a lot of returns initially. A woman could be say a size 12 but when she purchases one of your clothes line, she may end up needing an 8, 10, or 14 instead.

I disagree with dragonlady's comment about women preferring to go directly to an online product, buy it, and get off. Maybe some do that but my friends and I don't. We do comparison shopping just like offline. There are products though I will not buy at all online. I think generally though women prefer shopping offline, but often times, I'll look on the net to see what's being offered and where before going to the physical store. If you're offering a clothing line not available elsewhere or at very few places, obviously comparison shopping is reduced to do I want it or not.

Pictures are fine. Close-ups are a good idea. Having someone model the clothes to give an idea how it would look is good. Not a supermodel, but someone in that size range. Doing a classic table is fine too. Give some details though like what is the fabric, how do you take care of it (throw it in the washer or dry clean), colors, size ranges (US and international), etc. You may be able to decrease returns if you translate each size into actual measurements -- e.g. bust between xx and xx, waste between xx and xx, hips between xx and xx, or whatever.

But what if you are trying to sell something other than clothing, like a service that would appeal to women? I get the point about pictures, I think that helps a site anyway, but how to you approach the copy?

Your audience will range from complete bimbos to highly educated. Don't treat women like they're all idiots and don't flood them with tons and tons of details. You may be able to sell your service to those at the lower range with just pictures and fluffy words while those in the middle will want some details and those at the higher range even more details. Women though don't generally need as much details as men do. If there is a possibility that a man would purchase this for his wife, girlfriend, or whoever, then include that detail on another page or on the side. Hard to say if you should be descriptive or to the point not knowing what the service is.

[tolachi]

I just got my girlfriend to proofread some of what I have written based on what people have said over the last few days. She said she thought it did a good job of be centered more on what women are looking for yet not in an overt way (mommy language etc...). So thanks everyone!

We have a theory that displaying the garment on a specific person can be exclusionary. Just as far as race, ethnicity and body type goes. We opt for the invisible woman wearing the garment instead. I don't know if anyone else has thoughts on that theory. The expense of getting good models and doing a really professional job has also bolstered that arguement where I work.

Fairla, I went back a stripped out a few of my flowerier words and it definitely read better for the change. I also agree about epinions and reviews in general.

[Fairla]

In my opinion, a picture of a model wearing the garment isn't necessary if the pictures are otherwise good; sometimes it's even detrimental if it doesn't look good on her (you often see this in ads for cheaper clothes). Women do want to know how long the sleeves are and so forth, but you can tell them that.

It's so true what someone said above about women's clothes often falling apart quickly. I once had a pair of jeans that disintegrated the first time I washed them! I suppose this is obvious, but I always want to know exactly what things are made of, so I can guess whether it's durable, whether the dyes will run in the wash, whether it's something I'll be allergic to, and so forth.

OK, that's enough of me and my opinions! But I think it's great that you care enough to put so much effort into this and treat female shoppers with respect; I wish all marketers did the same.

[rcjordan]

Simple algorithm suggests words and syntax bear sex and genre stamp. [nature.com]