• by August 9, 2000

Media Metrix, Inc. and Jupiter Communications today released a report about women's online behavioral patterns across various age groups and life stages. Media Metrix and Jupiter analysts examined websites with the highest percent composition of females in each stage of life - from schoolgirls to older women enjoying their senior years -- yielding compelling insight on usage patterns within each age group.

According to the report, the number of women online surpassed that of men for the first time ever in Q1 2000 in the U.S. and the population of women online is growing more rapidly than the online population overall. Also, girls 2-11 are most heavily concentrated within television-related sites, licensed merchandise, music, and yes, learning. The report says the most notable increase by age group from 1999 to 2000 was among teen girls 12-17, which increased more than 125%.

Sites with the highest composition of females 12-17 remain firmly clustered around several key user interests: teen-targeted fashion magazines, shopping, and music. The number of teens increased 126.3% over the past 12 months. The number of females aged 18-24, on the other hand, decreased slightly during the same period.

The report states that women 55+ have the highest audience share within family, health, genealogy and joke/fun pages and online behavior among women in Europe reflects the U.S. in that European women also use the Internet to gather specific information to make their lives easier, rather than indiscriminate surfing across many different sites. Among the most popular sites for women in Europe are those with information on retail, careers and travel.

“As Internet users establish a distinct presence across virtually all age and gender lines, content providers continue to develop targeted websites that mirror the needs and interests of specific populations,” said Anne Rickert, data specialist at Media Metrix. “Niche sites may not draw the most significant number of unique visitors overall, but they often boast a heavier concentration of users from key demographic groups. For example, women in the 24 to 35 age bracket are most highly concentrated among sites offering content, advice and community focused on childcare.”

“It's no longer enough to think of women as the target audience,” said Anya Sacharow, an analyst at Jupiter Communications, “to reach the women's market sites must pursue deeper relationships, based on interests, personal identities, and affinities. The sites that will be most successful in capturing future potential revenue from this market will target women through deeper segmentation.”

MAJOR 12-MONTH SURGE IN NUMBER OF WOMEN ONLINE

The study found that the number of female unique visitors increased dramatically over the past 12 months in all but two age groups, females aged 18-24, which decreased by 4.5% and women 35-44, with only minor growth of 4.6%. All other female age groups outpaced the Web's overall 12-mont