Web Use on the Rise Among Women in China

A study released today said the proportion of women's Web use in China is growing, and that women represent great potential for a booming Chinese e-commerce sector.

The survey, conducted by NetValue, noted that as the number of households connected to the Internet continues rising in China, the online behavior of women is becoming an increasingly important factor to marketers and e-commerce players.

From November 2000 to March 2001, home Web use by women in China rose 6.7 percent. During March, women comprised 39.8 percent of home Net users in China's four main cities, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Compared to men, women prefer to visit community, medical/health and "everyday life" Web sites, the study said. In China, 31.4 percent of women used instant messaging protocols compared to just 18.9 percent of men. And, 6.1 percent used chat, versus 2.7 percent of men.

The average time connected to the Internet and the number of sessions per user are almost identical for men and women, NetValue said. Interestingly, men visited 73.9 percent more domains, while women viewed 25.3 percent more unique pages than males.

The study concluded that women are more likely to purchase online and visit Internet shopping malls. The study noted that popular shopping sites for women during March were 8848.net.cn and 800buy.com.cn.

Women displayed 25.5 percent more pages than men and spent 18.4 percent longer at these sites. Additionally, the percentage of male and female users visiting e-commerce sites was close, with 59.3 percent of the women and 58 percent of men. Of these visitors, NetValue said, women were 15.8 percent more likely to enter into a secure connection.

--Reported By Newsbytes.com, http://www.newsbytes.com .