Industry giants like Apple have shown us that the key to success in online commerce comes down to human involvement. Let me explain. Apple runs two of the world’s great e-commerce sites: iTunes and apple.com. However, Apple also invests heavily in its brick-and-mortar retail stores as a way to educate, engage and service customer needs post sale. I would wager that Apple retail store sales pale in comparison to what they sell online. Yet, like the iPod and iTunes, Apple’s retail and online stores are tied at the hip.

This was beautifully illustrated in a recent New York Times article about Google’s purchase of Motorola. The article talks about the need for Google to figure out how to put a human face to its digital strategy now that it has entered the world of atoms (ie. physical phones and mobile operating systems). Apple’s ability to fix computers in store--thus delighting its customers--is legendary. As the article states, Apple’s online strategy is defined as "commerce guided by human accommodation." Conversely, Google’s customer service is defined by filling out a web form and letting the community weigh in. This may work in the world of bits, but typically fails in the world of product.