Females account for over half U.S. online population

Of the millions of internet users in the U.S. in 2007, just over 97 million, or 51.7 percent, will be female, says eMarketer’s recently released study. Although eMarketer’s past data has suggested that females have long outnumbered males online, it is only now that other researchers, such as Arbitron and comScore, are posting similar results.

Recognizing the revenue potential from increasingly active female audiences, many businesses have launched sections of their websites devoted purely to their female users.

American Airlines recently unveiled its new women-only website feature called “Women Travelers Connected”. The site features tips on travel, safety and money-saving offers. It joins their existing suite of dedicated websites for gay/lesbian and Spanish-speaking users.

American Airlines estimates that if they can raise their numbers of female travelers, at $100 per segment, they would see an increase of $94 million in annual revenue, while at the same time providing the women with an improved information and travel service at no extra cost.

This trend in female internet usage will, according to eMarketer, continue for at least the next few years. They predict that the U.S. online female population in 2011 will be 109.7 million, or 51.9 percent of the total online population.

Tags: American Airlines, eMarketer, females target group, internet population