Web Systems Design and Online Consumer Behavior [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Discussion and Conclusion

The results provide beneficial insights into differences in user satisfaction with Web
portals based on behavioral and demographic groups.

From this study, we find out that different levels of work experience resulted in different
levels of user satisfaction with Web portals. Based on the matrices, we find out that the users
with seven to 10 years work experience are most satisfied with Web portals, while users with more
than 10 years work experience report least satisfaction with Web portals. We also find that users
that use Web portals the least (30 to 60 minutes per week) are least satisfied with them.

The Web portal type has been the one factor that always results in differences in
satisfaction, and users of vertical (or customer community) portals are always more satisfied than
users of horizontal (or mega) portals. One of the reasons this may have happened is that vertical
portals are sites people go to because they share a common interest with other members or users of
the portal. This may provide a kind of attraction to this portal that no other types of portal can
provide. The sense of community and affinity towards a vertical portal may be a reason for their
users’ high satisfaction scores. Our findings have serious consequences for horizontal or mega
portals such as Yahoo! Horizontal portals should devise ways in which members of their portal get a
sense of community — a number of portals such as Yahoo! provide chat facilities and games to its
members. This can attract users who share a common interest.

There are no significant gender differences in user satisfaction with Web portals. And age
doesn’t seem to be an important factor to influence user satisfaction here, either. This supports
more recent research in information systems.

Any research has its limitations and this one is no different. The use of students can raise
concerns about external validity and generalizability of our findings. Moreover, measures used in
this study were perceptual in nature; actual use of portals was not determined. Although we
evaluated use of portals, we did not differentiate between work-related and recreational use of
these applications or Web sites.

In conclusion, the findings of the present study contribute to a better understanding of user
satisfaction with Web portals. It examines behavioral and demographic factors and their impact on
user satisfaction with Web portals, which is relevant for both academic research and IT
practitioners.