Yvonne - I totally agree with you - although personally I pass on many of the things I discover online to others. maybe not bargains in my case, but fun stuff, interesting articles, etc.

I write about women and women’s issues, and I’m confident saying that women are big on word of mouth - especially online. My experience - being connected to hundreds, and through those hundreds to thousands, of women online - proves to me that WOM online has far more power than WOM offline. Honestly? Most women I know prefer email to phone, and blogs to websites.

I don’t dispute Ken’s findings. I have great admiration and respect for the Keller Fay Group - but, when I look at the number of young women on MySpace - and the things they ‘talk’ about, including products and services; when I look at the women in the baby boomer world as they build and join more and more online forums and blog networks, and engage in WOM via those online venues, I have to expect that women have tremendous power - which remains untapped in the WOM world.

In my personal world, and in the personal and business world of hundreds of other women I know, online is our playground. It promises to become a mega-amusement park with each passing day. To be frank, that which we use in our personal lives, we take with us in our professional lives…so, be aware that I was quite serious when I said at Beyond Blogging that women are creating a ripple effect via blogs. What I did not have chance to say is that we all have significant others (usually men) that are standing shoulder to shoulder with us. Often, the WOM they’re passing along came from a Mom, a sister, a girl friend, a wife, or a colleague. Think of it: when was the last time a MAN found a bargain or fell in love with a product, and rushed off to email or phone a buddy about it? How often do you suppose women do that?