At the risk of sounding sexist, I am going out on a limb and say that it is probably a unanimous consensus that women enjoy shopping much more than men.

I am aware of this firsthand, as my own mother would drag me along, as a child, to the mall. There, spending as long as an eight-hour period "shopping," she would return home having purchased only one pair of shoes. A regular occurrence of this act almost qualified me for the Alan Bates Hall of Shame.

But, in regard to the Internet, as marketers, I feel we 'miss the boat', so to speak, when it comes to aggressively marketing our goods to the female gender. And, part of the reason is that we have been conditioned and painted a picture of the proverbial nerd, or computer geek, being male.

However, statistics reveal that women account for, practically, one-half or more of all sales, online or offline, at any given time. A review of various online support groups, news groups, bulletin boards, and women "communities" further seems to substantiate this fact.

That, being as it may, should cause online merchants to strongly consider products, services, and information that will be appropriate for the female sector.

However, not just any product, service, or information will do. Marketers should become creative in their search for unique and rare items, such as new inventions.

Marketers should also consider approaching manufacturers in an effort to obtain exclusive licensing to such products, services, and information focused toward the female population. A search on the Net, or a review of the Thomas Register in your local library will reveal manufacturer contacts.

Yes, indeed, women are fast becoming a strong niche online market as they are realizing that they are no longer required to tow along 'Little Johnny' to, what for them, is considered an enjoyable outing.