This Week's Herman Trend Alert Purpose Emerging as Important Driver of Engagement

The Herman Trend Alert February 10, 1999 The Trouble with Shopping on the Internet We received a response a recent Trend Alert from a frustrated subscriber. He had wasted hours trying to place an order for his wife’s holiday gift. Finally in desperation, he gave up and drove to the store to brave the crowds. Most of us have encountered the frustrating experience of waiting for an internet site to appear on our screens only to be told that the computer had "timed out." And if you’ve tried to place an order on the web, you’ve also endured the frustration of the order that won’t go through. You go through the right steps one at a time, yet the system will not accept your order. A while back, we personally ordered airline tickets through an airline’s web site. But when we got to the airport, there was no record of the ticket whatsoever. Luckily, the ticket agent knew us, but what if he hadn’t? Unfortunately, these maddening experiences will not improve soon. According internet marketing guru, Wally Bock, the internet experienced a seven-fold increase in sales this holiday season. Since most direct marketers were expecting a two to three-time increase at the most, they simply weren’t prepared. When you combine the lack of capacity on the part of retailers’ sites with the finite nature of the net, you have a recipe for lots of stress for shoppers. There’s also a problem with the lack of bandwith. Literally millions of people want to access the internet simultaneously. And while it is equipped to handle thousands of concurrent visitors, the amount of use of the internet is exponentially greater than it was originally designed for. Internet service providers are struggling to keep up. A saving grace will be advances in technology and their ability to afford us the opportunity to do more with less. But although technology is speeding along, it hasn’t caught up to the demand. Expect internet delays to get worse before they get better. Faster modems can help. If you can, get a cable modem or a T1 line. They are amazing in comparative speed. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." WHO SENDS OUT YOUR NEWSLETTERS? We are convinced there is no better choice than ours! We have happily used DataBack Systems to deliver The Herman Trend Alert for over 10 years and. Visit their website (http://www.databack.com) or call Byron directly at 503.941.0427. You'll be glad you did. IS YOUR EMPLOYER AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE®? Our effective, onsite seminars, workshops, and consulting can help you get there. We offer 1-, 2-, 3-hour, and full-day programs to help you communicate what it takes to become an Employer of Choice® and inspire your folks to get it done. In the future, being an Employer of Choice® will not be optional. Call Carol at 336-210-3547 to arrange a no-obligation conference call. Or order the electronic version of the Employer of Choice book on your desktop for only $17.80 @ http://hermangroup.com/store/books_all.html#2. STRUGGLING TO FIND THE PEOPLE YOU NEED? VETJOBS CAN HELP! Recently, hundreds of thousands of jobs remain unfilled due to a lack of capable people. If you are looking for qualified candidates, you need to hire a veteran using VFW-sponsored VetJobs, the largest military employment site on the Internet. Thousands of returning veterans are looking for good jobs now. Mention this ad in The Herman Trend Alert and receive a 10% discount on job postings. Call Ted Daywalt at 877-838-5627 or inquire at info@VetJobs.com. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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