Is Your Website Appealing to The Average Englishman?

Men who live in the UK could be high on your list of potential customers and visitors you would like to attract to your website and online business.

by A.Howse

Do you know who the average Englishman is and what his behaviours and interests are likely to be?

The average 38 year old Englishman in 2013 is likely to expect to live to at least 79 years of age according to a recent BBC news article. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) states: “The average man in England is 5ft 9in (175.3cm) tall and weighs 13.16 stone (83.6kg).”

In the UK “The average man works 44 hours a week.” a BBC report advises and earns “£30-40000 depending on his industry and experience” according to Monster a careers agency. When popping to the shops for less than half an hour, the five grocery items most likely to be in the average man’s shopping basket are: “A two-pint carton of semi-skimmed milk, a pack of sliced ham, a box of breakfast cereal, some bacon and a bar of milk chocolate.” the ONS records.

Favourite hobbies for English men include “Rambling in the British countryside and gardening” say the Nationwide building society. The charity AgeUK advises “One of the most popular sports for men of all ages is fishing” and millions of fishing licenses are bought each year in the England. Football is played by a quarter of all men under 25 and a fifth of all middle aged men and is the team sport played by most people as shown by the Football Association’s fact-sheets.

The average Englishman watches more than 3 hours of television per day and is most likely to be watching Sky Sports, BBC2 or the Dave channel says Ofcom. The current abundance of food and home design shows featuring burly male chefs demonstrate, that in 2013, the modern Englishman is comfortable in his castle. Mr Average enjoys both cooking up a feast and creating a functional and contemporary interior at home to suit his manly needs.

As well as watching his trusty television he is happy to listen, on average, to more than 2 hours of radio per day an Ofcom report comments. However he is not unsociable and prefers face to face meetings with people if given the choice. The average Englishman also regularly uses texting and phone calls to communicate with friends and family.

Mr Average Englishman has internet access and is probably connected to superfast broadband. He lives in a house with at least 3 different internet enabled devices and he uses his personal computer or laptop at home for half an hour per day. The average man in the UK regularly accesses email and surfs the web. He is likely to use social media and be on facebook and twitter. He enjoys regularly watching and streaming videos and films online on sites such as YouTube and Ofcom points out that men are keener on downloading videos online than women.

So why is getting to know Mr Average Englishman a good idea for directors of web based companies? This group is very important to most businesses looking for new customers as “In the UK men aged between 30 and 50 have the highest incomes and are the biggest spenders.” says MaryLou Costa at Marketing Week magazine.

Many domestic appliances are more technical than ever and appeal specifically to the gadget minded male. Luke Johnson at TrustedReviews described new products on display at CES an international appliance industry trade show: “LG unveiled a selection of smartphone controlled devices at CES 2013 earlier this year.”

“Men are more likely to enjoy ads featuring humour” said a report by Millward Brown a marketing and communications company. It is a definite advantage that men in the UK have a healthy sense of humour as the age of retirement in the UK is rising, currently from 64 to 66 years, the BBC reported this year.

We can conclude from these facts that independent websites that have links to social media will be the websites that Mr Average Englishman will be most likely to visit. Humorous graphics and features with videos or short films are key to capturing men’s attention.

Mr Average Englishman is a busy guy and he has a lot of working, maintaining his home and garden, socialising and hobbies to fit into his leisure time, along with his full working week. So websites and businesses aimed at attracting men must be entertaining, upbeat and simple to navigate. Content that will keep him interested and amused is essential to keep him browsing and returning again as a regular customer.

It is a good idea for an online business to have products with masculine or minimalist looking packaging. Mr Average Englishman “often purchases products online for home delivery” reports Ofcom. The right combination will encourage men in the UK to order and pay online for home delivery, especially if your website includes designer gadgets or meaty delicacies!