The Power of Women Online

I learned a powerful lesson from my first web design client eleven years ago that has propelled my business ever since. Let me tell you first of all how that lesson was learned. Web design was a hobby I was drawn to in the early years of the Internet because of my background in advertising and print design. At about the same time, I visited Paris, France for the first time, and was overtaken by her charms. The food, the old-world architecture, the style, the jazz, the cafes, it was all so beguiling.

Flush with my new infatuation, I returned home, and in a burst of creative energy created "Paris, My Love." It began as an eight-page web site filled with my photos and impressions of Paris. As others discovered "Paris, My Love" online, they would send brief essays, poems and photos expressing their affection for "The City of Love." My tiny web site now became an ongoing labor of love that maintained a small yet steady stream of visitors.

At that time, Netscape.com was the source of the most popular web browser, and, the most heavily visited web site online. They had a small feature on their news page entitled "Web site of the Week." where a web site considered noteworthy was chosen and promoted for a week. Much to my surprise, "Paris, My Love" was awarded that honor! Suddenly, my tiny web site grew from 80 visitors a day to tens of thousands! I received lots of complimentary email, and, a window of opportunity for starting my own business. Many called, asking me to build web sites for their businesses. I quickly developed a part-time web design business which became full-time in less than six months to keep up with the demand. "Paris, My Love" was indeed the start of Newark1.com and Donald Peterson as a web designer.

My first client was a small, local savings bank that taught me a wonderful lesson. The male bank vice-president that had the authority to hire me was not the real decision-maker in that process. The person who had enthusiastically sold my services to that vice-president was his female assistant. She was a fan of my "Paris, My Love" web site and was convinced that I would be the perfect candidate for their project. Her response to that web site was the most powerful salesperson I could ever have. She had convinced her boss to call me and pretty much insured that I received the assignment.

That taught me a lesson about marketing that I've never forgotten. While men may be in control of the "purse-strings" in most businesses, the women in the office can exert enormous influence in how those dollars are spent. Therefore, I have learned to listen very carefully to how women respond to my web design, reflecting their preferences in every consumer based web site I create. Their attention to detail and the emotional components of design have made my work better as a result. Also, in most cases, they do a masterful job of convincing decision-makers in the companies I serve to hire me. They are the secret to my success!

Beyond that, women make up the most powerful consumer group online. Any buying decision that involves the family, be it real estate or chocolate truffles, will be propelled by the women's viewpoint. Ignore that, and you will have underestimated the power of women online!

Donald Peterson