Yet, while it is acknowledged that someone within the organisation must take ownership of the website mailbox, an estimated one quarter of the UK's top companies do not respond to email sent from their sites.

While we may not all be a bluechip company or high street name, there remains a lesson for all here: visitors, and, by extension, customers, reasonably expect to receive a reply within 24 to 48 hours. The expectation, if not the reality, is that the internet is instantaneous and so should be the customer relations.

If a website is to be a success, and that is ultimately going to be measured in terms of increased trade, then a high percentage of visitors must be converted into customers. An email reply may not be the deciding factor in a purchase, but prompt customer service does play a part in securing goodwill.

Studies have shown that companies who publish clear contact details for different areas of their organisation are able to respond more quickly than those who simply offered a single online form to submit. It also highlights the importance of setting workable response times.

No matter the size of organisation or level of website sophistication, the message is clear that potential business and goodwill may be thrown away by not popping that mailbox on a regular basis.

Email may be a new form of business communication for many of us, but it still should be regarded in the same way as a caller who leaves a message on an answering machine. And email - like the phone - is a sales channel just the same.