B2C e‐commerce web site quality: an empirical examination

Abstract

Purpose: To identify what constitutes web site quality or what makes a web site effective. Design/methodology/approach: This article examines and integrates four sets of factors that capture e‐commerce web site quality using an IS success model: system quality, information quality, service quality, and attractiveness. A questionnaire survey was conducted to verify the measures of web site quality. Based on TAM, a framework is also developed relating web site quality to customers' beliefs (perceived usefulness and ease of use), attitudes (preferences for the site), and intentions (to revisit the site). Findings: A set of instruments of web site quality has been developed and empirically validated by factor analysis. Research limitations/implications: The research is based on a sample of students browsing several book web sites and they may not sense the web site quality across different B2C commercial web sites such as music, computer, travel, clothes and flowers. Data in these domains should be collected in any future research to examine further the measures developed here. Practical implications: Guidelines for web interface design are proposed. Originality/value: This paper fulfils the identification of web site quality and the development and validation of its measures and offers a framework and practical guidelines for e‐commerce managers and web designers.