Technology – do you love it or hate it today? When it’s functioning as programmed, it slips almost unnoticed into life’s kaleidoscope of activity. When it fails us, don’t we often feel bantered about by its promises of reducing workload, making menial tasks almost effortless and improving our communication skills? Add that to the paltry performance of some favored retailers and service companies and we may find ourselves wondering just how “personal” the Worldwide Web can be.

This problem has sparked opportunity for personalization companies touting the newest technology as a means to entice customers with customized Web pages, specialized experiences and within-reach communication features.

Personalization technology costs retailers big dollars to implement and its ROI is questionable. But if you’re like most Web users, you’re not looking for a talking icon to keep you at a site, but rather just something really simple: the simplest and fastest way to find what you’re looking for.

"Notwithstanding concerns about price and shipping-and-handling costs, the number-one factor for consumers considering where to purchase a product online is ease of finding products," says Matthew Berk, senior analyst of Jupiter Research in a recent report, “Beyond the Personalization Myth: Cost-effective Alternatives to Influence Intent.”

According to the report, companies could improve conversion rates and customer service performance just by putting a little time into the simplest tactics like improved site usability. "Focus on flexible navigation and improved search to help visitors become their own personalization engines," the report states.

So while technology alone can cause your customers to leave your site empty-handed and unfulfilled, technology plus a little human interaction is your customer satisfaction and sales conversion formula for success.

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