Critical review of the e-loyalty literature: a purchase-centred framework

Over the last few years, the concept of online loyalty has been examined extensively in the literature, and it remains a topic of constant inquiry for both academics and marketing managers. The tremendous development of the Internet for both marketing and e-commerce settings, in conjunction with the growing desire of consumers to purchase online, has promoted two main outcomes: (a) increasing numbers of Business-to-Customer companies running businesses online and (b) the development of a variety of different e-loyalty research models. However, current research lacks a systematic review of the literature that provides a general conceptual framework on e-loyalty, which would help managers to understand their customers better, to take advantage of industry-related factors, and to improve their service quality. The present study is an attempt to critically synthesize results from multiple empirical studies on e-loyalty. Our findings illustrate that 62 instruments for measuring e-loyalty are currently in use, influenced predominantly by Zeithaml et al. (J Marketing. 1996;60(2):31-46) and Oliver (1997; Satisfaction: a behavioral perspective on the consumer. New York: McGraw Hill). Additionally, we propose a new general conceptual framework, which leads to antecedents dividing e-loyalty on the basis of the action of purchase into pre-purchase, during-purchase and after-purchase factors. To conclude, a number of managerial implementations are suggested in order to help marketing managers increase their customers’ e-loyalty by making crucial changes in each purchase stage

Globalization or Localization? A longitudinal study of successful American and Chinese online store websites

This paper reports the results of a longitudinal study of 2562 images on the homepages of successful American and Chinese online store websites,with the goal of determining whether cultural factors impact their visual presentation and evolution. Descriptive and statistical content analyses reveal that the U.S. and Chinese online store sites showed significant cross-national image differences from their inception; moreover, the Chinese sites diverged further from the U.S. sites over time, strengthening their own cultural identity and suggesting a trend towards localization in a diverse and dynamic world market. These findings support the view that although English-speaking Western culture is widespread in today’s Information Age, other cultures are not necessarily undermined

Benchmarking the Complementary Features of Online Auction Sites – A Survey

The functionalities required for successful deployment and operation of online auction site can be broadly classified into two categories: core features and complementary features. Core features are essential for the existence of a site, whereas complementary features enhance a users experience with the site. Since a site has to have the core features, it is the complementary features that contribute to the popularity of the auction sites. We have conducted a survey of 100 auction sites to study 23 features. We found out the similarities among these sites based on their feature vectors. Three distinct groups are formed in the process. The groups are found to be distinct with respect to the core features. We also compared the complementary features of these sites. The results of the chi square tests revealed that the groups do differ with respect to most of these features. We propose a model to assign weights to the features distinctly for three auction site categories. Pareto analyses show important features that contribute to eighty percent of the weights in each group. We next define Site Evaluation Index based on these weights. The analysis shows that the sites with higher site evaluation index are indeed the popular ones, as per their ranking in the results of search engines. The highest scored sites can serve as a benchmark to choose the value adding complementary features to guide the upcoming auction sites

Creation of a Conceptual Model for Adoption of Mobile Apps for Shopping from E-Commerce Sites–An Indian Context

The changing marketing landscape has seen the advent and adoption of new tools like shopping apps for consumers. The conventional models which have studied Information Technology (IT) acceptance and adoption by consumers have found that adoption is a function of perceived usefulness and ease of usage. Other models have emphasised Quality, Enjoyment and Trust as significant determinants of the adoption of IT by consumers. Evolution in IT, changing consumer habits, changing demographics and consumer traits make it imperative to rethink pre-existing theories of acceptance and adoption of IT in the context of e-marketing. This paper focuses on the growth of the usage of Apps by consumers in India, explores their functionalities and proposes a new conceptual model for the adoption of Mobile Apps by consumers shopping on e-commerce sites in India. Convenience, Collaboration, Hedonic Motivation, and Habit are the significant constructs outlined in the proposed model, which focuses on the usage of apps in the wake of task directed and experiential consumer behaviour. We propose that Degree of Internet Savviness and Individual Internet Worth are additional moderating variables which impact the effect of convenience and collaboration on App Usage. Implications of the proposed model for research and practice are discussed

Factors Influencing Trust in Online Shopping: An Indian Consumer’s Perspective

With deeper proliferation of Internet, the traditional ways to do business have changed significantly. Organizations across the globe have started practicing ecommerce as a primary way to conduct business. Thousands of Internet users and shoppers from all over the world, particularly in growing economies like India and China, are joining the ranks of digitally connected. With the unprecedented growth of e-commerce, the significance of trust (it being the most important factor for any exchange to take place) cannot be ignored. Consumers are bothered about the product quality, credit card frauds, availability of returns, product delivery, security and privacy of their information etc. Though significant research has been done on the trust factors pertaining to e-commerce in developed countries like US and UK, researchers and practitioners are yet to fully comprehend the trust factors influencing Indian Ecommerce space. Indians share a different culture, different psychology, different characteristics and obviously a very different online shopping behavior. Consequently, the factors attributing to the trust by an Indian consumer will be very different as compared to the trust factors exhibited by the consumers of a developed economy. This paper describes the factors influencing the trust and subsequently the willingness of the Indian consumer to buy online. This research is based on the study conducted on Indian consumers through surveys and interviews. Keywords: Ecommerce Trust; Trust; Trust Factors; Indian Customer’s Trust; Indian Consumer’s Trust; Online Trus

Information and communication Technology and Poverty: An Asian Perspective

The emergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), in particular the Internet, has generated new enthusiasms about the development prospects for poor economies. Many now think that new technologies can provide a faster route to better livelihoods and improved quality of life than the one afforded by the standard process of industrialization. The opposing view holds that the focus on ICTs will detract attention from the more fundamental task of addressing the basic problems of economic developmentICT; poverty; growth

Destination Online Communication: Why Less is Sometimes More. A Study of Online Communications of English Destinations

This research investigates the relationship between Web site design and the Web site end-user experience of a vast number of English tourism destinations, both local and regional ones. Following recent research in the field, this paper evaluates destinations' online communication based on the implemented Web site features and on the effectiveness of the communication itself, borrowing its research methodology from different domains. After content and functionality analysis, a user-experience, scenario-based investigation has been carried out, which demonstrated that complex Web sites do not always serve end-users' needs properly; in other words, Web site complexity is not directly related with good user experience. This research may help destination managers to foster their online communication if they have fewer content and functionalities but are better focused and clearly user-oriented. © 2014 Taylor & Francis