But there is much to dislike too. Online customer support can range from great (think Amazon.com) to mediocre (think most other Web sites) to downright scary (think Web sites that track and trade your personal information for profit). And easy returns processes for consumers are still in their infancy.

However, according to tech consultancy Answerthink (Nasdaq: ANSR), the customer experience at online stores is in many ways on par with the level of service that brick-and-mortar stores can provide.

Room for Improvement

There is still room for improvement, of course: Answerthink found in a recent survey that underutilization of technology still persists among many of these Web sites, and delivery, while reliable, is still pricey.

"It is gratifying to see how hard so many retailers have worked to make their Web channel worthy of the brands they have built in other channels or on the Web itself," said Ken Goldberg, managing director of Answerthink's retail solutions.

"Now, it is time for these companies to "connect the dots,"" he added. "They need to ensure that they have executed a consistent customer-facing strategy. Additionally, they will need to do some work behind the scenes to address the common issue of disparate systems, lack of integration and determining the role and method of Web presence in the stores themselves."

Following are some Web retail industry trends and changes recommended by the consultancy, which rated and compared 200 retail Web sites to evaluate functionality, sales fulfillment and customer service.

It's All About Content

Overall, Web site content has been a big area of improvement across a large proportion of sites, according to Answerthink. Product descriptions were more robust in 2001 (88 percent of studied sites provided very detailed information about their products, versus 50 percent the previous year), and there was significant improvement in advanced searches (73 percent of shopped sites offered it, compared with 59 percent in 2000), gift finders, gift recommendation tools, and product and buying tips.

Help tools -- such as sizing and warranty information, expert advice, beginners guides, manufacturer rebates, customer ratings and item specifications -- have been incorporated into many more Web sites, Answerthink said. (continued...)

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