Do women prefer 'prettier' products?

Today we're bringing you another dollop of marketing wisdom to turbocharge your sales in just 60 seconds flat. Ready? Let's unpack something you might not have considered yet.

👉 But first, here's a 60-second example 📺 of a candle quiz for this past Mother's Day. Try the quiz here to see what recommendation you get. I made it with our Shopify quiz app for some marketing inspiration. Ok, onto this week's insight! 👇

This week, we're diving into the risky waters of product design and marketing, specifically when it targets women. Think this is about making things prettier? Think again!

TL;DR 🎯

Stop glamming up your products for women at the cost of functionality. Turns out, women value how well a product works more than its looks. Shocking, right? 🤯

Here's the real deal: When you're designing products like sneakers, don’t just give them a style makeover. Make sure they're comfy too!

Wait...but why? 🤔

We're all a bit trapped by stereotypes. Many think that women are all about the glitz and glam, but hey, that's not what the data shows. Women prefer functionality over fancy designs, especially when choosing for themselves. So, if your product shines on the outside but falls flat on performance, you might just see those sales dip.

What to watch out for ⚠️

This isn’t just speculation, it’s science! Studies have shown that both men and women are guilty of choosing style over substance when picking products for women—even though women don’t do the same when choosing for themselves.

For instance, in a series of experiments, people were:

• 2.8 times more likely to pick a prettier USB stick for a female rather than a more functional one.
• Twice as likely to emphasize looks over functionality when designing products for women.

Even when aware of potential biases, people still leaned towards prettier products. Talk about hard habits to break!

How to do it ✅

Here's how you can avoid this pitfall and maybe outsmart your competitors while you're at it:

• Audit your product line: Check if you're guilty of prioritizing design over function in products marketed to women.
• Focus on functionality: Make sure your products deliver on performance. Women appreciate a product that works well, no matter how it looks.
• Educate your team: Ensure your marketing and product design teams are aware of these findings. No more designing just with the eyes—think about practicality!

If you want your products to be as compelling as a surprise vacation, let's start valuing what they can do, not just how they look. Give these insights a spin and watch your products resonate more with all your customers, not just the ladies.

That's it for today folks. Keep pushing the boundaries, and let's make marketing smarter, one week at a time!

Want to learn more? 🤓

If you want to learn more about this topic, you can dig into the nerdy details in the original marketing study.

Quote of the week 💬

"Never sacrifice functionality for beauty. A product should be as useful as it is appealing."