This Week's Herman Trend Alert

Nail-Painting Robot Coming
to a Salon Near You

 

  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 Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurist. 1.336.210.3548 or https://hermangroup.com. To sign up, visit https://HermanTrendAlert.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc."

HEAR JOYCE SPEAK TOMORROW AT 11:30 AM EDT
Tomorrow morning, Joyce will be a Fireside Chat Speakers at the Brightside Business Women Empowerment Virtual Conference where she will talk about how business women can use the insights from her new, groundbreaking book, EXPERIENCE RULES, to be successful. Register for FREE at https://brightsideglobaltrade.org/women.

GET COACHING FOR YOUR PEOPLE FOR LESS THAN $1/DAY!
Gain access to dozens of coaches for the same low price. Find out more by visiting https://ingomu.com/joyceg

JOYCE IS ON THE RADIO EVERYDAY NOW
To listen to Joyce's TV shows on the radio, simply visit RadioFutures.com. Joyce's show is streaming every day at 3:00PM Pacific Time.

To read this Herman Trend Alert on the web: https://hermangroup.com/alert/archive_3-29-2023.html.


Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers.

New subscribers are always welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is read by over 30,000 people in 90 countries, including other websites and printed periodicals. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert.

Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Herman Trend Alert service.


Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert
View this week's Herman Trend Alert
Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         


[ Home · About · Products · Resources · Media ]

 

7112 Viridian Lane
Austin, TX 78739
Voice: 336-210-3548
Toll Free in US & Canada: 800-227-3566
E-mail: info@hermangroup.com


  © The Herman Group. All rights reserved.

Web site design by WebEditor Design Services, Inc.