Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504180083
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short
A Norfolk funeral home director advertises discount coffins on the World Wide Web, a portion of the global Internet computer network
Carlos A. Howard's cyberspace cemetery features electronic pictures and descriptions of caskets, from the stately Motrachet Mahogany with Champagne Whitehall Velvet ($4,100) to the more modest Thacker 20 Gauge Non-Seal ($492).
Howard said customers may feel more comfortable contemplating funerals if they can use the computer as a filter. ``No one really wants to deal with death anyway, and as many barriers or cushions we can have between us and it...''
Howard's cousin, Rodney Jordan, suggested the idea two months ago. Jordan creates Web advertisements for small businesses.
So far, Howard has netted two customers, one from Pennsylvania and another from Delaware.
But since his virtual funerals were written up in the current issue of Newsweek, the ad has attracted about 390 ``hits'' a day. A hit is counted any time someone clicks on the main advertisement page or one of its sublevels of pictures or text.
Howard said he would like to expand the service into an information source that would help demystify funeral arrangements, including a section with the 10 most frequently asked questions.
by CNB