Carriers Try To Hook Customers Online

Buying wireless service can be confusing given the myriad of service plans, add-on features and handsets. That's why 40 percent of sales happen through carriers' own retail locations. Over time carriers see the web becoming a more important sales channel. At the moment carriers' web sites account for less than 6 percent of new subscribers. The web could be a great high-margin channel for carriers. But to get to that point they need to develop a better understanding of creating an Amazon.com-like buying experience.