یک مدل پیشنهادی از رفتار مصرف کننده ی آنلاین: ارزیابی نقش جنسیت

This research examined the influence of Internet experience and web atmospherics on consumer online behavior. It developed a model of web navigation behavior where these antecedent variables drove website exploratory behavior and website involvement, which in turn, drove site attitudes and pre-purchase evaluations. These relationships were tested and confirmed in the context of a pharmaceutical website. Further, men and women differed in web navigation behavior, with men engaging in less exploratory behavior and developing less website involvement than women. However, across the two sexes, entertainment, challenge, and effectiveness of information content were the key drivers of website attitudes. The findings provide several guidelines for online communication strategy.

The Internet is becoming an important facet of communication strategy due to its ability to deliver information, entertainment, and e-shopping. Internet access and usage have been steadily increasing in the United States with a corresponding increase in online information gathering and shopping. While men were considered early adopters of Internet shopping (Asch, 2001), recent data suggested that both men and women equally embraced this medium — 82% of men and 75% of women undertook online search for goods/services in 2005 (Pew Internet and American Life Project Survey, 2005). Despite the growing importance of the Internet and its adoption by both sexes, research examining the factors that influence online browsing and consumer response toward online information is sparse. Also, little research investigated gender differences in online browsing. Specifically, although extant research studied gender differences in web advertising perceptions (Schlosser et al., 1999), use patterns (Weiser, 2000), and online privacy concerns (Sheehan, 1999), it did not directly examine how Internet experience and web atmospherics influenced the web navigation behavior of men and women. Hence, this research investigated the impact of Internet experience and web atmospherics on online browsing and if the influence of these factors varied by gender.

The three key variables that drove website attitudes were website involvement, entertainment, and challenge. Further, pre-purchase evaluations were driven by website involvement and challenge. Website involvement, in turn, was driven by effectiveness of information content and entertainment. While exploratory behavior was influenced by antecedent variables, its effect on attitudes was less pronounced. Hence, the most effective websites were those that are entertaining, moderately challenging, and current. In addition, men and women differed in their web navigation behavior. Males, as heuristic or item-specific processors, preferred straightforward information presented through a website that is well-structured and easy to access and process. The primary drivers for males were good entertainment, challenge, and structure. The combined impact of skills, informativeness, and effectiveness of information content on exploratory behavior was weaker and secondary. If the main audience is male, the website should be efficiently designed to develop positive site involvement and attitudes, and generate positive pre-purchase evaluations. Women, as comprehensive or relational processors, engaged in more exploratory behavior and became more involved with the website content. If the main audience is female, the website should be designed to encourage and support exploratory behavior through provision of detailed information, entertainment, and attributes that stimulate both the skills and challenge of females. For example, the use of multiple links to related content could be useful when targeting women. When the audience is composed of both sexes, the key is to engender website involvement as this drives attitudes and pre-purchase evaluations of both men and women. The study had limitations. The sample was a snowball sample which limited generalizability and external validity. Further, as with other Internet-based studies, it was skewed toward younger, more educated demographics. However, such consumers are the main audience for online marketers. The sample size was modest, especially when the analysis was restricted to one gender. While the results were consistent with the hypotheses, a larger sample size might have resulted in stronger results. Finally, a single product exemplar was used. A starting point for future research is to use more representative samples and additional product/brand exemplars. It would be useful to explore whether variables such as need for cognition, mood, and culture influence web navigation behavior. While pharmaceutical companies are not allowed to sell directly to consumers, such restrictions are not placed on products from other industries. Based on product contexts, one could examine whether superior attitudes and pre-purchase evaluations lead to higher sales (online and offline). Given the increasing importance of the Internet for both information and sales, advertisers would benefit from understanding how consumers respond to information presented in this growing medium.