Thinking Outside the Box

As for what else lies ahead, Howard says the Web is vast with potential. “With the ability that technology gives us to do faster, more frequent updates comes the desire to do more—and that means more work.” He adds, “Ironically, it opens up a whole new world of everything we didn’t know!”

Ross-Simons is in the early stages of doing e-mail promotions to customers. During National Online Shopping Week, for instance, it e-mailed a free shipping offer to 30,000 people who had bought or requested catalogs through the site. The promotion was very successful, Howard says. He quips: “You thought direct response was fast-paced. This is light speed.”