Lines online?

I made the mistake yesterday of walking into a Macy's department store.  You'd think they marked everything down to zero and were handing out hundred dollar bills.  I found a shirt I wanted, but didn't want to brave the lines, and the cashiers looked absolutely exhausted, anyway.

Description in hand, I launched my browser, fully intending to buy the shirt, have it shipped to my house, and on my back by the New Year, at the latest.   That was my plan, until the Macy's web site returned this message:

There are many digital analogs to the physical, atom-based world.  The checkout cart.  The password-locked site.  The webzine.   This is not a good example of them.

Years ago, I went to a seminar presented by usability guru Jared Spool in which he described web site visitors as hunters of information.  The hunter will lock in on his goal as long as he has some indication that he's making progress towards his prey.  Spool calls that the "scent of information."  As soon as you block your visitor from believing that she or he will make progress towards their goal by staying on your site, you lose them, and their valuable attention.

Take a look at at your web site.  Is all your valuable information there, available to be found by your eager hunters?  Or do you have a virtual (or literal) "we'll be right with you" there?   How about your customer support line?  Have you picked up the phone and called your own support lately?

You may be surprised by what you'll find.