Human-machine web interface design for electronic commerce: a review of design perspectives, objectives, dimensions, and techniques

Abstract

Web technology is revolutionising the information transfer and delivery modes of physical products. In the field of consumer-oriented business, most online merchant-consumer interactions require direct manipulation of interface. Thus, the design of human-machine web interface is a critical factor to determining whether e-commerce can succeed in supporting and facilitating the electronic transaction in an electronic market and hierarchy. This paper reviews and pools together research on e-commerce website design in terms of design perspectives, objectives, dimensions, and techniques to help manage web technologies, to enhance service in this burgeoning high-tech industry. The paper situates and integrates different design perspectives within the broader context of user acceptance, indicating some of the relative strengths and limitations of each theory. The review and comparisons of the design perspectives, objectives, dimensions, and techniques offer a basis for user interface design guidelines and future research directions.