Editor’s Corner:
THINK CONVENIENCE, NOT COMMERCE

This week I tried something new. I needed to get a prescription re-filled and I decided to log on to Rite Aid's web site to see just how the new service worked. I was completely and happily surprised! The page is designed clearly. In less than two minutes I entered my Rx number and the pharmacy code (information from the pill bottle). I was asked to wait for verification that the request had made it to my local pharmacy. I was also asked to choose a pick up time. I gave Rite Aid sixty minutes.

I went out and did my errands, arriving at the pharmacy counter about fifty minutes later. I proudly announced that I had sent in my refill request in over the Internet. And the prescription was ready! I was so flustered by the whole process I dashed out of the store to tell my husband about it and forgot to pick up an over-the-counter medication for him.

Let's face it - Rite Aid had my prescription business before I even logged on to their site. I was bound to return. But ordering refills is a clumsy procedure - involving phoning the pharmacist or waiting on line in the store just to make your request.

A Web application like this really builds consumer loyalty. It also makes the pharmacist happy. The fewer phone calls he has to take, the fewer interruptions and the more work he can get done.

I know we've heard that the "if you build it, they will come" approach is not a winning strategy on the Web. But the truth is, "if you create a convenience, they will surely come." That's why people use drive-by windows for burgers and bank deposits. Or why people set up stock portfolio pages on Excite or AOL.

You may be reaching to find new customers and new markets online but ignoring the gold mine right in your back yard. What electronic conveniences can you offer your customers? How can you make sending in repeat orders an upbeat experience for them that saves time and speeds up fulfillment?

When you work through the convenience features you have to offer, marketing them to your customers is easy. And word-of-mouth and referrals may do more for bringing in new customers than banner ads and direct marketing. After all, look how much time I spent telling you about Rite Aid!