"Today, e-commerce sites looking to turn browsing visitors into repeat buyers must move well beyond the basics of design, pricing and good salesmanship. In a competitive environment, companies must also go the extra mile to make the purchase experience convenient and stress-free for their time-strapped customers.

"Satisfied shoppers spend more, they tell their friends, and they are more likely to return.

"A company cuts its chances of winning repeat business if a first-time visitor finds a site too slow to use or too hard to navigate.

"Companies that offer highly personalized services, incentive-based programs and multichannel options -- all designed to make the purchase experience easier and more valuable for consumers -- are proving that first-time buyers can be converted to frequent purchasers.

"Experts agreed that Amazon has long been a leader in terms of features that encourage repeat business. For example, the company not only introduced one-click shopping, but also lets customers choose among multiple credit card numbers that can be stored for various purchases.

"But not all sites can afford the personalization technologies that have helped propel companies like Lands' End, eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) and Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) to the top."

During the 2001 holiday season, online sales were lost to phenomenal discounts offered at physical stores. Online retailers will have to come up with new methods to entice consumers to purchase online in during the forthcoming holiday period.