بررسی عوامل مرتبط با موفقیت وب سایت در زمینه تجارت الکترونیکی

Web sites are being widely deployed commercially. As the widespread use and dependency on Web technology increases, so does the need to assess factors associated with Web site success. The objective is to explore these factors in the context of electronic commerce (EC). The research framework was derived from information systems and marketing literature. Webmasters from Fortune 1000 companies were used as the target group for a survey. Four factors that are critical to Web site success in EC were identified: (1) information and service quality, (2) system use, (3) playfulness, and (4) system design quality. An analysis of the data provides valuable managerial implications for Web site success in the context of electronic commerce.

Web sites are being widely deployed throughout industry, education, government, and other institutions. In practice, the importance of the use of Web technology for electronic commerce (EC) activities has been discussed widely (e.g., [32], [34], [50], [58], [59] and [61]). EC is a way of conducting business by companies and their customers performing electronic transactions through computer networks [19]. EC can help business organizations cut costs, interact directly with customers, run more smoothly and in a more timely manner, and even better, it can help an organization outperform its competition. As the dependency on Web technology increases, so does the need to assess factors associated with Web site success. Although there has been significant research on supporting EC, existing empirical research focusing on success factors of Web sites is mainly anecdotal and exploratory in nature. Few studies involved more than one or two measurement variables involved in a Web site design. Thus, while there should be a considerable number and variety of factors associated with Web sites success, little knowledge exists above the combination of these factors. In addition, the preponderance of studies focuses on building security for on-line transactions on the Web [31] and [43]. Customers would not pay for products or services over the Web if financial information could not be transmitted securely: secure transactions are critical to the success. However, security is only a necessary but not a sufficient condition of designing a successful Web site: a secure Web market does not guarantee customers.

Apparently, Web site success in the context of EC is related to four major factors: quality of information and service, system use, playfulness, and system design quality. Organizations who launch Web sites should be more aware of these factors. Based on the results, several recommendations can be advanced.First, business organizations and Web developers should actively seek ways to improve information and service quality provided through Web sites. Business organizations and Web designers should establish a service-oriented concept for both pre-sale and after-sale stages to provide high quality service and high quality information. For example, a Web site may provide a recommendation for a particular plug-in to allow a better presentation of its products/services, and the site might also help customers download/upgrade their plug-in. Here, both service and information quality may be enhanced. A service-oriented concept aims at serving customers better through all phases of marketing activities. Second, business organizations and Web site designers should focus on the way in which customers use a Web site. The results indicate the importance, in general, of successful Web site design to system use. Customers rather than business organizations should control the on-line transaction process. Third, there is a need for business organizations and Web developers to cultivate hedonic pleasures in the Web site by motivating customers to participate, promoting customer excitement and concentration, and including charming features to attract customers and to help them enjoy the visit. Creativity must be incorporated into the design process in order to obtain customers’ psychological satisfaction when engaging in marketing on the Web. Fourth, the results corroborated the hypothesized direct relationship of system design quality with Web site success. Surprisingly, security is absent in the system design quality factor. But without security, no customers would shop around. However, security is only a necessary condition; alone it can not attract customers and promote electronic marketing activities.