Think of this scene: A woman walks into a high-end department store on Fifth Avenue. As she enters, a salesperson rushes up to her, shouting: "Welcome back, Ms. Smith. Last time you were here, you bought some makeup. I bet you want to buy some perfume today, right?"
Web-based commerce has made massive strides in the past 10 years. The leaders in the space are using manifold technologies in an effort to attract qualified customers -- and to keep them returning. However, simple examples like the one above in which e-commerce best practices are compared with those employed in traditional stores lead some behavioral experts to wonder if something is missing.
