It’s a Women’s Web .

Is the Internet reaching a tipping point?

“In its early days, the Internet was a man’s world. People wondered if women were ever going to be ‘techie’ enough to come online. As late as 1997, males made up 65% of all Internet users. But things have shifted, and quickly,” says Debra Aho Williamson, eMarketer Senior Analyst and author of the just-released report, Women Online in the US. According to eMarketer estimates, females made up 51.6% of the US online population in 2004, which closely resembles the US population at large, where 51% of the population is female.

“While the ratio of females to males in the general population is expected to hold steady through 2009, that won’t be the case on the Internet,” says Ms. Williamson. “Cultural, societal and Internet business trends are combining to shift the balance toward women. Because of these factors, eMarketer projects that the female majority online will become more pronounced over the next five years — and that will have a transformative effect on content, commerce and marketing.”

“The Internet allows women to get more done in a shorter time; shop, plan trips, look for homes. And it also gives them another way to communicate besides the phone,” says Mary Hunt, New Media Catalyst, Interpret-Her. “The Internet allows women to be social and pro-active at the same time.”

Ms. Williamson adds, “The rising influence of females online is something that can’t be ignored.”

Females have long embraced the Internet as a communications medium, and have shown a strong interest in online games, health content and music. Now adult women, who dominate consumer spending offline, are shifting more and more of their shopping online. As the female influence grows across the Internet, companies will need to use techniques that appeal to females, including word of mouth marketing, e-mail and relationship-building.

Are online sites and retailers ready for the new Women’s Web?

“For online retailers, the challenge will be to develop shopping tools that mimic – or ideally improve upon – the offline shopping experience,” says Ms. Williamson. “That means instead of offering a page of thumbnail images of blouses, retailers must use the power of the Internet to build customized shopping experiences tailored to a woman’s browsing or previous buying patterns.”

Content and news sites, marketers and agencies must also be prepared to make changes in how they interact with women online. To see where the new Women’s Web is heading, and what it means for your business, read eMarketer’s new report, Women Online in the US.