Why Moms Go Online

There's an old saying that it's easier to market to existing customers than to recruit new ones. One way we do this is by promoting our brands' websites to our end users as often and as prominently as possible. But does it work? Are mothers visiting your site? If so, what are they doing there? And how can you better capitalize on their visits? A recent survey conducted by product design and marketing firm Funosophy Inc. asked 200 mothers of 3-5 year olds why they would visit a toy product's website after buying a toy. Their responses highlight some real opportunities.

Downloading product instructions is the number one reason mothers visit a manufacturer's website post-purchase. So, be sure to announce on your packaging that instructions and other product information is posted on your site. Then fill your site chock-full of cross-promotions, games, contests and other reasons to keep Mom coming back for more.

Finding safety and recall information is Mom's second most popular reason to visit a manufacturer's site. As long as last year's unfortunate events have trained Mom to check product websites for recall information, you might as well take advantage of her visit to build a relationship with her.

Purchasing parts and accessories are the close third and fourth reasons to visit a site post-purchase, so make these items easy to find and order. You might consider advertising parts and accessories on their correlating products' instruction download pages too, since those pages are getting so much traffic.

Interestingly, only 4 percent of Moms cite online games as a reason to visit a manufacturer's site after purchasing a product. Given Mom's willingness to check out your site for less intriguing reasons, make sure to provide positive reasons to get Mom browsing your site, such as interactive content, games, discounts and other promotions.

Redirecting customer care calls to online support centers is a growing trend (and a big cost savings). Of those Moms who list customer care as a reason to visit a manufacturer's website after purchasing a toy, more than half of them are looking for help ordering replacement parts. Interestingly, fewer Moms are visiting sites for help troubleshooting a malfunction with the products they've purchased.

Many mass market retailers don't have the space to carry your brand's full line of SKUs, but given Mom's willingness to go online for other reasons, your website is a good opportunity to build depth of purchase. Take advantage of her presence on your site—whether she's there for downloading instructions, ordering replacement parts or checking for safety recalls—to market the rest of your product line.