Those are politician's facts - meaning I just made them up. My point is, we're living on a planet that gets more wired every day. As commercial says "We're changing everything". Maybe not. Some things never change, or maybe I should say they shouldn't change.

You can buy a pair of designer shoes on web and have them delivered right to your door, or desk. Or, you can go to a shoe store and get personal attention from sales associate, get shoes properly fitted, chat about one thing or another and leave with your purchase. Which is more satisfying experience? Unless you're a serious Type-A personality, it's got to be latter - and maybe even then.

Why? You got personal service from someone who at least seemed to be interested in your wants and needs and took pains to satisfy you. With former situation, if shoes prove unacceptable you have to email vendor for a return authorization and ship them back - about as personal as a parking ticket. At store, you know before you leave how happy you're going to be and maybe how much your feet are going to hurt.

Am I a Luddite advocating abandonment of web as a commercial platform? Not hardly. I'm suggesting there are ways to combine technology with attention to individual. Here are some possibilities:

1. How inviting is your homepage? Is it friendly, easy to read and reassuring? Reassuring? Yep. You doubtless know there are many more people wary of buying on web than there are those who do so fearlessly. So you need to put them at ease from first contact, just as you would greet and welcome people entering your store. Empathize with them regarding their concerns (riptoffphobia, I believe), act accordingly and you will improve your return.

My completely unscientific poll of web surfers confirmed my suspicions: People are put off, even threatened, by an abundance of whirling doodads, flashing thingamajigs, and critters popping in and out all over a site. You won't have a chance to provide personal service if they won't stay a while. You have to set scene in first ten seconds. How about a text-only welcome message that pops up while site loads?

1. Define separation between features and benefits. A simple example would be two grey skirts with almost identical length, cut, style. A feature of one of skirts is that it has two pockets. That particular feature becomes a benefit when one looks at results wearer may achieve through wearing pocketed skirt rather than unpocketed skirt. For example, by wearing skirt with pockets, Shari will receive following BENEFITS from this FEATURE. She will be:

* An Efficient Team Player: Carry post it notes and pencils for quick jotting of notes and reminders as Shari meets colleagues on route to meetings and appointments. * Gleeful and Happy as a Parent: Shari can delight her daughter with a treat at end of day. * Surprising Mate: Shari can tuck her bonus check into her pocket and pull it out to delight her partner with an unexpected windfall. * Warm, Protected, Comfortable: On chilly days, Shari can tuck her hands into her pockets as she jets from her car to her office with speed and agility. After all, a woman with pockets can do it all!