Take what Paco Underhill, CEO of consulting firm Envirosell and author of “Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping,” has recently remarked to Time: “The retail world has historically been one owned by men, designed by men, and managed by men. Yet, we expect women to shop in these stores.”

In 2005, the retail world discovered that women not only made 53 percent of primary purchases, but they also made 80 percent of all consumer purchases. This finding prompted major companies to address their needs directly in their storefronts.

More than seven years ago, Ace Hardware began implementing a more female-friendly store design, in about 300 of their stores. Soft track lighting and oval-shaped signs spotlighted products corresponding tips, while photos of women working on home improvement projects reflected the customers they were seeing more often.

Last October, Best Buy created and tested out a trial store based on the input of 40 Colorado female customers. Skylights spotlighted flat-screen TVs and appliances placed in model rooms with blue and earth-tone carpets, to make up a model room that mimicked their ideal living space.

Other experts have also figured out how to create a shopping environment that both genders can appreciate:

• Train store staff to allow for longer purchasing processes and supply additional information, with both willingness and patience. Studies show that women prefer a minute to themselves before being greeted.  Be sure first to leave them space once they enter, for studies show that women prefer a minute to themselves first before being greeted. In addition, women and men both know that no purchase has to be immediate – especially when they have the Internet to research and comparison-shop, said Andrea Learned, a gender-centric marketing guru.
• Keep your storefront tidy, in every sense. “Loud noises, unpleasant smells, a dustry store – these annoyances will tend to wash over men,” said Charlotte Hardie of London-based Retail Week. Women will also keep themselves away from any store front that is overstylized and overcrowded, which can both “detract from the supposedly simple task at hand – that is, finding products and spending money.”
• Establish relationships. Independent retailers especially hold an advantage, since they are most likely able to provide the extra attention that women crave. But with that comes a potential consequence, as they are three times more likely to recommend a product or a store to another, as ImagingInfo.com reported. Once they purchase, be sure to collect their e-mail addresses for a follow-up gesture.
• Place products together, throughout different parts of the store, categorizing on the basis of functionality rather than specifications. Ultimately, female customers must be able to visualize how such products can fit into their lives. “Lifestyle details serve as filters for women, who will then look into tech specifics,” Learned said. “Men, on the other hand, may filter on the technical specifications, but find it helpful to consider the lifestyle aspects as well.”

Bottom line: if sales are slumping, a gender-based assessment of the storefront may be in order. Not only can it broaden a customer base, but it can also inspire many follow-up purchases. As Learned said, “Male consumers will find themselves returning to a brand that tends to a woman’s often higher buying standards.”

But so many options for consumers could bring too much competition for small business owners – that is, unless they properly prepare their Web site for the holiday season. Not only must they provide a reason to shop, but they must also promote that reason extensively.

Small business owners should first create a list a keywords that will lead customers toward their holiday specials, whether they are particular products or special sales. These can be placed anywhere on the Web site for optimization, and in a number of forms: with pictures as alt tags, embedded in the Web site coding under meta tags, or simply included in a written blurb.

Regardless of what they are, returning and even prospective customers will always be drawn to something new, said Maria Perilli, online marketing manager for Deep Blue Interactive , a web design and Internet marketing company. Furthermore, “the more content you have on your page, the more your Web site is promoted on the search engine,” she said.

For a richer shopping experience, online retailers now have improved site searches, customer review features, and product videos. JCPenney’s Web site has all of this, while also highlighting limited-time offers. Small business owners can do this, or even create a separate page for longer-term deals.

Such microsites, like Best Buy’s Project Holiday , can also demonstrate how company products can lend to unique gift-giving. If the holiday budget permits, small business owners can even take one step further and create a pay-per-click campaign for that page, Perilli said.

As for the main web site, what should also be prominently displayed is “a call to action” – a phone number, e-mail address, or even a link to a contact form, whatever prompts more than just browsing. As for the rest of the shopping process, small business owners should first obtain, then display an updated security certificate.

“Customers are not going to buy anything on a unsecured site that’s taking credit cards,” said Matt Warnock, creative director and producer at Daisy Interactive .

Small business owners should update shipping and handling information periodically – making fees and expected delivery times extremely clear. “They need to be concerned with orders getting out in a timely fashion, especially since customers can get so panicky about getting their Christmas gifts,” Warnock said.

Finally – no matter how they may choose to update their Web sites this season – small business owners must aim to provide a shopping experience as personalized as customers may find in brick-and-mortar storefronts.

“Make sure you put your message out as much as possible … making sure the customers feel happy and positive about shopping,” Warnock said.