Do Open houses still work?

Like many realtors I spent my Sunday afternoon hosting an open house just outside Memphis today.  The weather was sunny.  It was a glorious day and NO ONE walked through the door.  Advertising?  Yes.  Signs from the main highway?  Yes.  On-line advertising?  Yes. Flyers to the neighborhood?  Yes.  With this said, I have to ask...do open houses still work?

With today's technological advances in which one can "fly-inside" or take a virtual tour, do we still need to host open houses?  When homes are selling more slower than normal, agents tend to grasp at straws and to pacify owners will agree to host open houses.  But, do they work?

  I am still fairly new at this with two years under my belt, but I have to say that an open house has yet to produce for me either at the open house itself or from leads I acquire at the open house (at least not yet).  It's almost as if viewing open houses has become a national past time brought on by the HGTV mania.  The serious buyers are not out driving around on Sunday afternoon shopping for homes.  However, the curious and nosey at heart are, and these are the people that come through the door.  At least that has been my experience.  If anyone has any suggestions on how to host a successful open house, please share the knowledge.