Strategic IT investment in B2B e-commerce platform on user loyalty: considering variable investment cost

Abstract

In the competitive market of B2B e-commerce platform, the early entrants have the advantage of switching cost while the late entrants have the advantage of declining information technology (IT) cost. Considering the variable investment cost due to the improvement of platform quality, the paper develops an IT investment model to investigate the best investment strategy for B2B e-commerce platform under the impact of switching cost, declining IT cost, price-sensitive coefficient and quality-sensitive coefficient. Results show that switching cost helps early entrants increase investment in platform quality, assume an aggressive investment strategy. Declining IT cost helps late entrants increase investment in platform quality and assume an aggressive investment strategy only when switching costs are lower. With the increase of price-sensitive coefficient, early entrants and late entrants should both decrease investment in platform quality. With the increase of quality-sensitive coefficient, early entrants and late entrants should both increase investment in platform quality.