Can McCain compete with Obama online? Politico

Members of both parties agree that while candidates' websites have heretofore been transactional in nature, Obama has successfully built a relationship with his supporters.

"Other candidates' websites immediately ask you for money," Henke explained. "Obama's website builds a relationship with a user before asking for money."

And that relationship has paid off. While neither campaign separates out online contributions, the Obama campaign told Politico that “93 percent of all contributions were $200 or less.” (Such smaller contributions are especially likely to be made online.)

Obama's new media director, Joe Rospars, formerly of Blue State Digital, a Web developing firm that grew out of the Howard Dean campaign, agrees that relationship building has been the secret to the campaign's fundraising success.

For example, the Obama website asks donors to give again if the campaign can find them a matching donor. The system will give them the name and town of the person who is matching, and even let them exchange notes and e-mails about why they are donating. "It gives you the sense of being part of something bigger than yourself," Rospars said