nwaMotherlode.com: Local Entrepreneur Taps ‘Word of Mom’ for Business

It’s no secret the mom-to-mom conversations that used to take place over the back fence now occur online. Time constraints mean strong connections are being formed online. This might not be remarkable to business owners, until they realize this: when one plugged-in mother “talks” there are many others in cyberspace who are listening.

Women are making most of the purchasing decisions–not just for themselves or their families, but in business, too. As a current study notes, when women talk to each other, they put a lot of stock in each other’s recommendations. And that can mean financial gains for businesses that earn a positive “word of mom” endorsement.

Recently, Mom Central Consulting, which works with over 100 national brands, surveyed mom bloggers on, among other things, the influence they have over corporate America.

The conversation just keeps grow¬ing. So-called “mom blogs” and Web sites catering to women– like locally-owned nwaMotherlode.com– are part of a growing trend.

A recent New York Times article reported that women-centered Web sites grew faster than every other category on the Web except politics.

“I wanted to start Motherlode because it combined my two passions: motherhood and the Internet,” said Shannon Magsam, co-founder of nwaMotherlode.com, a site based in Northwest Arkansas.

“I was burning the midnight oil reading my favorite bloggers and women-centered Web sites, but there wasn’t a site like Motherlode that catered to women in my community. I wanted to connect women in Northwest Arkansas in a social media setting.”

Magsam, and her business partner, Gwen Rockwood, offer more than an avenue for advertising. NWAMotherlode.com affords businesses a foray into social media through advertising and that coveted mom-to-mom recommendation. The two entrepreneurs discuss local businesses, products and non-profits on the site and all advertisers receive a “welcome to the website” article.

With time a precious commodity, moms enjoy being able to research products and services on the Web and they especially like hearing about the merits from someone like them – another busy business mom.