Online spending

According to a recent study from Cyber Dialogue, women-owned businesses accounted for $18.5 billion of online business-to-business spending last year — 46 percent of the total spending for all small businesses.

The study, “Marketing to Women Owners of Small Businesses,” analyzes shopping behaviors, spending levels, use of online financial and business services, e-commerce initiatives and customer satisfaction. Noting that nearly 2 million online small businesses have women owners, the study reveals that women-owned businesses:

* Are rapidly expanding their use of online B2B channels and are becoming one of the small business industry’s highest-value and most loyal segments.

* Are concentrated in the two highest-value spending segments — retail and business services — which account for 48 percent of all online B2B spending.

* Demonstrate more aggressive use of the Internet and express greater satisfaction with their online experiences.

* Are more likely to order products online, use online financial or business services, operate Web sites and actively sell and advertise online. Source: Cyber Dialogue, www.cyberdialogue.com