According to a recent eMarketer article, marketers need to be aware of the changing US Internet population. In 2010, eMarketer predicts that 71% of the total US population, 221 million people, will be online. By 2014, that number is expected to grow to 77%.

The characteristics of US Internet users are beginning to resemble those of the US population in general. The average age of Internet users is rising. In addition, growth is occurring among all races and ethnicities of online Americans, with racial and ethnic characteristics more closely mirroring the population as a whole.

According to Lisa E. Phillips, eMarketer senior analyst, “Marketers should use multicultural marketing campaigns to target Asian, black and Hispanic audiences, because most are proud of their heritage and appreciate marketers who reach out to them with cultural messages.”

As a mom to two elementary-aged daughters, my time is constantly divided between work, the girls’ activities, family events, household responsibilities and everything in between. How is an online marketer supposed to garner my attention? Today’s busy mom, the person in charge of 80% of all household spending, is someone marketers need to know intimately.

So how should online marketers best approach selling to moms like me? According to a recent eMarketer interview with Laura Fortner of CafeMom, there are several key factors for moms when interacting with a brand online.

• Moms like companies who listen to the feedback they provide. This can be accomplished by offering them opportunities on your website to weigh in on your product and where it may be headed in the future.
• Moms need information at their fingertips. Give them the information they need, which they can then share on Twitter and Facebook. Moms connect on social networks to share coupon codes, offers and other vital information.
• Moms value honesty. Women want to be respected and understood by the brands they choose. The same word-of-mouth connections that allow moms to share deals also make it easy for disgruntled mothers to exploit the viral effects of the Internet if they are unhappy. Staying in touch with moms via social connections provides marketers valuable information regarding how their products are viewed by their consumers.

In order to stay connected to the mommy demographic, companies need to keep these factors in mind, while remaining up-to-date on the latest trends, technologies and communication patterns. Click here to read the full eMarketer interview.