Women of the Web Unite: iVillage believes...

Women of the Web Unite: iVillage believes less really is more.

The pioneering online community builder opened ParentSoup and six other Web sites over the last two years, but it’s corralling them all into one big women’s network under a single name: iVillage.com, the Women’s Network, which officially opens next week.

At a time when Internet brand names are everything, having seven brands was six too many, said Candice Carpentar, chief executive of the private New York company. Consolidating also makes it easier to sell advertising space and is more appealing to users, she said.

“Generally, consumers don’t want one-stop anything, but women want to use the Web to solve real-life problems. They like things all together,” Carpentar said.

iVillage launched ParentSoup in January 1996 to help baby boomers cope with ‘90s family life, but it soon discovered that the lion’s share of visitors were women. Today, iVillage properties on the Web and America Online receive about 51 million page views a month, traffic that Carpentar says makes it one of the most popular women’s enclaves online.

iVillage began tinkering with a consolidated Web site last fall but saved finishing touches until now. Those include new content “channels” on subjects such as food and working from home, and free e-mail addresses. As part of its new strategy, iVillage is negotiating with an Internet service provider, though Carpentar wouldn’t provide details.

iVillage isn’t the only company looking to capitalize on the legion of women coming online. Last week, Women’s Connection Online, a Web site for executives and small-business owners, said it teamed up with 30 women’s organizations representing 440,000 people. In August, the culture e-zine Salon started a section called “Mothers Who Think.”