Perceptive posts above, especially the O.P, I had not thought of it exactly this way before.
I still maintain my belief that over the next ten years it will not increase the conversion rate, but close analysis after ten years may well prove that it slowed the decline in the conversion rate.
Certainly any who become JW's because of the Web Site will be either dumb or dumber, thus lowering the intellectual level of the whole thing even more, but the guys who run the Scam are only interested in $$$, not having an intelligent flock.