لطفا منتظر باشید ...
Introduction
Web sites are being widely deployed commercially (Liu & Arnett,2000; Robbins & Stylianou, 2003). There is ample anecdotal evidence that suggests the Internet
is a fruitful tool for commercial purposes (Huizingh, 2000). However, just starting doing business
on the Internet does not necessarily guarantee competitive advantages. On the one hand, electronic
commerce (e-commerce) companies are dependent upon people visiting their Web sites, purchasing
their products, and more importantly, being a repeat customer (Smith & Merchant, 2001). On the
other hand, customers have too many Web sites that they can use as alternatives. There are almost
no barriers for them to switch to another site if the performance of a Web site is unacceptable
(Bhatti et al., 2000). So, in order to communicate with the potential customers through the
Internet effectively, a well-designed, quality Web site is needed.However, the implicit assumptions about the quality and usability of a Web site and the
factors that influence the customer’s perception on the acceptance of a Web site are unclear (Lin
& Lu, 2000; Dhyani et al., 2002). In their work, Pollard and Blyth (1999) are much aware that
it is often difficult to define what gives a Web site something extra that keeps people coming back
for more. As Hoffman and Novak (1995) note, little is known about how to develop commercial Web
sites to maximize profit. Berthon et al. (1996) call for research to reveal the nature and
effectiveness of e-commerce (Huizingh, 2000). So, it is necessary to assess the factors that an
e-commerce Web site must have to attract potential customers (Smith & Merchant, 2001). The
purpose of this chapter is to explore these factors in the context of B2C e-commerce.Most studies have focused on either the basic content management of Web sites or a specific
set of functions of Web sites. In analyzing the Web site content, researchers evaluate the quality
(Bhatti et al., 2000; Huizingh, 2000) and the relevance (Perkowitz & Etzioni, 1999) of online
information. In exploring Web site functions, there are studies on search engines (Thelwall, 2000),
waiting time (Weinberg, 2000), response time (Lin & Lu, 2000), and interface (Slatin, 2001; Wen
et al., 2001). Some studies look at the level of customer feedback (Pollard & Blyth, 1999;
Light & Wakeman, 2001). Most existing empirical research on the success factors influencing Web
site quality is exploratory in nature (Liu & Arnett, 2000; Simeon, 1999). While there should be
many factors associated with e-commerce Web site success, little effort has been done to combine
these factors (Liu & Arnett, 2000). To paint a full picture of e-commerce Web site quality,
this chapter examines and integrates four sets of determining factors: system quality, information
quality, service quality, and attractor.
Measures/metrics are the sine qua non of solid, scientific
research (Straub et al., 2002). Measuring attributes of a quality Web site in precise terms can
enhance our understanding and advance our thinking of the state of science. The goal to be achieved
by this chapter is to determine a subset of the many variables that define a quality Web site.
First, the literature on different theoretical perspectives on user acceptance of information
systems (IS) and dimensions of IS success model (including ServQual and trust) is reviewed. Second,
a conceptual framework is developed relating e-commerce Web site quality to customers’ perceptions,
followed by a discussion on four essential factors capturing the Web site quality. Third, the
implications are discussed and a guideline is set for Web interface design.
