B2C Websites Research Articles

The Human Resource Issues and their Impact on Firm Growth in Small E-Businesses in China

This paper studies the human resource issues in small e-businesses in China through questionnaire survey about online shoppers and current employees in e-commerce companies, interviews with human resource managers who are now working in successful e-commerce firms and those who have worked before in the broken e-business websites. E-businesses inevitably confront with the human resource dilemma, especially when they rely on high-quality service for differentiation. In order to deliver infinite scalability, these firms need to reduce their dependence on human resource. However insufficient human resource investment impedes the firm growth. Analyzing how these issues impede the firm growth, by developing the case study of comparing two Chinese B2C websites, Jindong, one of the leading B2C websites, and Vipshop, one of the small e-businesses struggling to tip in the market, recommendations are given to small e-businesses to improve their human resource and promote the firm growth.

The effect of human image in B2C website design: an eye-tracking study

On B2C shopping websites, effective visual designs can bring about consumers’ positive emotional experience. From this perspective, this article developed a research model to explore the impact of human image as a visual element on consumers’ online shopping emotions and subsequent attitudes towards websites. This study conducted an eye-tracking experiment to collect both eye movement data and questionnaire data to test the research model. Questionnaire data analysis showed that product pictures combined with human image induced positive emotions among participants, thus promoting their attitudes towards online shopping websites. Specifically, product pictures with human image first produced higher levels of image appeal and perceived social presence, thus stimulating higher levels of enjoyment and subsequent positive attitudes towards the websites. Moreover, a moderating effect of product type was demonstrated on the relationship between the presence of human image and the level of image appeal. Specifically, human image significantly increased the level of image appeal when integrated in entertainment product pictures while this relationship was not significant in terms of utilitarian products. Eye-tracking data analysis further supported these results and provided plausible explanations. The presence of human image significantly increased the pupil size of participants regardless of product types. For entertainment products, participants paid more attention to product pictures integrated with human image whereas for utilitarian products more attention was paid to functional information of products than to product pictures no matter whether or not integrated with human image.

Effects of Trust on Group Buying Websites in China

Trust plays an important role in the transaction of e-commerce. This research aimed to investigate (a) the influences of trust on Chinese group-buying websites, (b) the differences of trust between group-buying and business to consumer (B2C) websites, and (c) the applicability of the theory of reasoned action and Gefen’s summarization of trust antecedents for Chinese group buying. The study consisted of (a) a prequestionnaire measuring general trust, (b) an in-lab experiment, and (c) a short open interview. Three major results were found. First, Cognition-Based Trust Antecedent was the most important factor influencing Chinese customers’ trust and purchasing probabilities of both B2C and group-buying websites. Second, participants showed significantly lower general trust on group-buying websites. However, in the same trust situations, participants show significantly higher purchasing probabilities on group-buying websites. Third, the theory of reasoned action and Gefen’s summarization of trust antecedents were not applicable for Chinese group buying.

Cultural Aspects of Business‐to‐Consumer (B2C) E‐commerce: Acomparative Analysis of Pakistan and Australia

AbstractIt is generally believed that Business to‐Consumer (B2C) e‐commerce will help firms to improve productivity to the global market both in developing and developed countries. This study examines the extent of B2C websites communication differentiation on cultural ground. Through a content analysis, Hofstede's and Hall's cultural factors were examined in 64 B2C e‐commerce websites of Pakistan and Australia. To test for the difference an independent samples t‐test was conducted. The results show that B2C websites somehow reflects the cultural environment that surrounds the online buyers. It appears that to influence online buyers to purchase, firms need to develop culturally adapted websites. This study provides some indications that the cultural trend in B2C websites is providing opportunities to business firms to make changes to their market strategies to better trigger their online sale by targeting two different cultures.

Review on Factors Affecting Quality of B2C Website

There has been a phenomenal growth in e-commerce in last few years and it still growing. The most successful and experienced companies related to E-Commerce realize that key determinant of success and failure of any website are not merely a web presence or low price but the delivery on high quality websites along with its security. A framework and model is required to attain the desired quality of website. Evaluation criteria include design, security, usability and performance for websites etc. This paper provides a review based on different authors to establish Quality. The main goal are identifying factors through different research papers and categorizing these factors.

A Model for Detecting Customer Level Intentions to Purchase in B2C Websites Using TOPSIS and Fuzzy Logic Rule-Based System

The perception of people and attitude towards e-commerce and B2C websites significantly affect their intention to make purchase online. The technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), one of the multi-criteria decision making methods, was developed to solve real-world decision problems that has continued to work satisfactorily across different application areas. This paper presents a model using TOPSIS and fuzzy logic for detecting the level of customer intentions to purchase against factors affecting the intention to purchase in business-to-customer (B2C) websites. The paper extends the work of Schaupp and Belanger (J Electron Commer Res 6(2), 95–111, 2005) which suggested technology, shopping, and product characteristics as important factors influencing customer satisfaction and purchase intention. The three main factors and a comprehensive list of attributes and features of B2C websites are investigated by synthesizing prior literatures. Furthermore, TOPSIS method is used for ranking the most important features of attributes and then fuzzy logic for building model to show real levels of the influencing factors, attributes and features on customer intentions to purchase in B2C websites based on customer’s perception of B2C websites. Two questionnaires were used in this paper, the first questionnaire used the TOPSIS method and the second questionnaire used data gathered from B2C websites. Respondents in this study are 450 online customers with experience in online shopping from B2C websites. Our model assists as an instrument to vendors and customers in determining the real-level effects of these factors on purchase intention in B2C websites.

A Novel Three-Dimensional Recommendation Approach for C2C E-Commerce Platform

The recommendation problem in C2C e-commerce platform is three-dimensional, for it involves three entities: buyers, products and sellers. Traditional two-dimensional recommendation methods used in B2C websites are not applicable for the new task of recommending seller and product combinations to the target buyer in C2C websites. We formally defined the recommendation problem in C2C, and proposed a three-dimensional approach by compounding and extending collaborative filtering and content-based filtering method. In the proposed approach, buyer similarity and seller similarity are measured to model the buyers personalized preferences, and a rating inference mechanism is employed to reduce the data sparsity caused by multi-dimensions. The model and the key calculations of the approach are discussed. And an example of calculation is demonstrated.

Quality management of B2C e-commerce service based on human factors engineering

This study investigates business-to-customer (B2C) electronic commerce services from a quality management perspective. We propose a novel quality management approach that is based on human factors engineering to manage e-commerce service quality and operate according to customer needs. First, we screen credible quality requirements and determine their weights by integrating Kano’s model with our previous work, including the model of B2C website service quality. Then, we can extract quality characteristics according to image words and credible customer requirements. The weights of the quality characteristics are deduced by refining characteristics through a house of quality reconstruction and mapping customer requirements to characteristics. Finally, based on related theories or viewpoints, the operating practices for quality characteristics entail quantitative output with importance and grades taken into consideration. Our experimental results demonstrate that operating practices can help managers understand e-commerce service quality and have useful implications for companies in the management of e-commerce service quality.

Operational Considerations and Key Requirements for SMEs Adopting a B2C Business Model and Inviting Tenders for Software Solution

In this study, different frameworks related to the web portals are discussed and evaluated for the development of business-to-consumer (B2C) applications that can support the companies in implementing a successful B2C website along with business-to-business (B2B) legacy system. This multi-faceted research first focuses on the requirement analysis stage during the software development life cycle, or how the user/developer examines and studies the new system on the basis of business models, strategies, and value propositions. Second, this study tries to differentiate digital products, such as software applications, and non-digital products, such as furniture and groceries. Finally, this study attempts to find the issues and key requirements that may affect the business operation, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), while outsourcing their web application for development. As cost reduction is the key objective of outsourcing, results suggest that SMEs can efficiently reduce the transaction cost a...

Prioritising usability considerations on B2C websites

Business-to-Consumer (B2C) websites are widely used nowadays. The success of B2C websites could be directly affected by their usability. A survey study was conducted to investigate and prioritise the importance of 19 usability considerations with respect to users’ purchase intentions on B2C websites. Responses from 287 web users were obtained and analysed. Factor analysis reveals that users’ purchase intention on B2C websites is affected, in descending order of importance, by the following five usability factors: trustworthiness, shopping support, information access efficiency, ease of comprehension and hedonic quality. Some interesting differences among ethnic (American and Chinese), gender (men and women) and age (18 to 25 and 26 to 35) groups are also observed. Prioritised usability considerations can help website design teams plan their development efforts.

Cube Assessment Framework for B2C Websites Applied in a Longitudinal Study in the Luxury Fashion Industry

A literature review of existing assessment frameworks for B2C websites over more than ten years reveals that they are all built bottom-up through an essentially empirical approach of recording functionalities/features without any theoretical construct to guide the design of the framework. In an attempt to develop a theoretically consistent framework, this paper first identifies all relevant assessment categories and sub-categories for B2C websites in the luxury fashion industry. In total, eight categories and 29 sub-categories (actual assessment criteria) are identified. This framework is then applied to 15 luxury fashion brands in a longitudinal study in the years of 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012. These four surveys document the substantial changes in website functionalities/features over the period, especially relating to how Web 2.0 and social media are diffused and adopted in the luxury fashion industry. A careful analysis of the eight categories and sub-categories reveals that the B2C website design can be characterized (and indeed defined) by virtue of three strategic choices regarding website design. The three strategic choices together with the eight categories form the basis for a theory for website design, which we name the CUBE model. We believe this model to be relevant beyond the luxury/fashion industry.

A framework to localize international business to business web sites

The main purpose of this study is to propose and apply an analytical framework to help B2B marketers assess and develop web sites that are localized not only for the B2B marketplace but also for international markets. This study deals with an area that has not received much attention in academic research as previous studies have mainly focused on B2C web sites. The study focuses on B2B web sites and provides a framework to assess web site localization. A content analysis of American and Korean web sites was conducted to analyze the proposed framework. The overall results show that U.S. companies have not accomplished a high degree of localization for B2B markets. The study results indicate that most U.S. companies focus primarily on the translation of web content from English to Korean to create web sites.While it is true that globalization has brought us closer than ever to Mcluhan's (1964) idea of a global village, major differences across countries and regions exist and play a significant role in how consumers react to web site designs and content. Therefore, this framework is vital to business seeking consumers globally. Using this framework should allow businesses to localize their B2B web sites and included key areas that appeal to local consumers.The study concludes by providing marketers insights into factors that can help them better localize their international B2B web sites.

Cognitive Lock‐In Effects on Consumer Purchase Intentions in the Context of B2C Web Sites

ABSTRACTThe perspective of power law of practice and human capital model asserts that cognitive search costs, cognitive transaction costs, and cognitive switching costs are three lock‐in mechanisms that a business‐to‐consumer (B2C) Web site holds to retain customers. Whether the ability of customer value or the lock‐in mechanism is more dominant for retaining online shoppers has received recent attention, but remains unresolved in the literature. This study sheds light on perceived value and cognitive lock‐in to develop a research model to predict consumer purchase intentions. Empirical results obtained from a survey of customers of a B2C Web site are used to examine the proposed model. Implications of cognitive lock‐in and product cues for increasing purchase intentions are also discussed.

Effects of conflicting aggregated rating on eWOM review credibility and diagnosticity: The moderating role of review valence

Most B2C websites provide consumers with two types of electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) information, namely aggregated rating and individual review. The present research investigates the effects of a conflicting aggregated rating on the perceived credibility and diagnosticity of individual reviews. The results of our laboratory experiment demonstrate that the presence of a conflicting aggregated rating will decrease review credibility and diagnosticity via its negative effect on consumers' product-related attributions of the review. In addition, these effects are more salient for positive reviews than for negative ones. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the interactions between different types of eWOM information and provide practitioners with actionable suggestions on how to improve the design of their eWOM systems.

Customer knowledge discovery from online reviews

The explosive growth of Chinese electronic market has made it possible for companies to better understand consumers’ opinion towards their products in a timely fashion through their online reviews. This study proposes a framework for extracting knowledge from online reviews through text mining and econometric analysis. Specifically, we extract product features, detect topics, and identify determinants of customer satisfaction. An experiment on the online reviews from a Chinese leading B2C (Business-to-Customer) website demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed method. We also present some findings about the characteristics of Chinese reviewers.

Factors influencing the behaviour of the online group of Asian purchasers

E-business has become a major tool for both big enterprises and ordinary people as well as the opportunity to develop commercial interests. With the recent emergence of the global group purchase market, social networking sites can win popularity via group purchase and B2C websites, in which the group purchase is regarded as a new mix-match marketing method. The Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC) revealed that the rate of utilisation of online group purchases by Taiwanese net friends increased to 27% in 2010 from 11% in 2009. In addition, Taiwan's group purchase market reached 7.16 billion new Taiwan dollars in 2010. Unmarried office workers aged from 20 to 29 are the major force behind this consumption. This study mainly utilised the locus of control for personality, trust, and internet usage behaviour in order to construct the research framework, exploring the factors affecting bloggers' online group purchase intentions. The results revealed that the significant factors are trust and internet usage behaviour.

The Role of Risk in E-Retailers’ Adoption of Payment Methods: Evidence for Transition Economies

We use logit analysis to exploit a self-collected dataset on the payment and delivery options offered by the vast majority of B2C websites in 5 Central Asian transition economies. Specifically, we conduct a supply-side test of the Transaction Context Model, which highlights the role of perceived risk. Our results confirm that higher product risk increases the probability that e-retailers adopt lower-risk, ‘pay now’ instruments (such as debit cards). Moreover, merchants who offer higher-risk delivery options are also more prone to adopt higher-risk payment instruments (such as credit cards). Our control variables also yield interesting results. Pure plays are more likely to adopt online payment methods and less likely to adopt offline alternatives. Sites that target international markets are also more likely to adopt online payment methods, but do not shun (local) offline substitutes. Finally, we find partial evidence that the offline penetration of a payment instrument positively affects its online adoption.

Cultural Customization: An Analysis Of Chinese And Spanish B2C Web Sites

The following paper analyzes the trends in e-commerce, the variations among global e-consumers, and in turn, the imperative for cultural customization of business-to-consumer web sites. A literature review delves into past research done in the field of cultural customization as well as the dimensions and values that distinguish cultures from one another. Furthermore, ten (10) Chinese and ten (10) Spanish B2C web sites from the service, retail and manufacturing sectors are analyzed to view the extent of their cultural customization. The findings conclude that none of the B2C web sites viewed were truly culturally customized, but that there exist advantages for businesses to take the initiative and put forth resources into achieving said status for their respective web sites.

A STUDY OF MERCHANDISE INFORMATION AND INTERFACE DESIGN ON B2C WEBSITES

The convenience of the Internet make online shopping an ever more attractive option for customers. The B2C websites are one of the most popular and rapidly developing types of Internet shopping sites. This market begin to attract the attention of both local and international businesses. However, the online purchase process is often complicated, and many customers have difficulty with or even fail to complete the process. Information about the merchandise and the interface design can have a big influence on this kind of problem. In this study, we evaluate the information offered and the interface design of the shopping websites with the goal of providing service and making the website easier for the customer to use. A behavioral model of the Internet customer is constructed as the structural basis of the examination. An evaluation form is also designed based on this model. This form is used to gather information on the interface design of 351 domestic and foreign shopping websites. Comparisons are made between the websites in relation to various aspects such as product category, procedural steps, and domestic/foreign websites. The results show that there are significant differences between sites in terms of the way information and user interface design, at every step of the shopping process. There are also differences between domestic and foreign websites. The results can serve as useful reference for website owners and designers who want to provide consumers with more convenient and barrier-free shopping environments.

Usability evaluation of e-commerce on B2C websites in China

With the development of electronic commerce, usability on a website is vital to customers and enterprises from e-commerce websites. However, many of these e-commerce applications still do not meet customers’ usability requirements and the web pages need a better human computed interface. An evaluation of business to customer (B2C) websites in China was implemented according to the usability criterion. Two questionnaires were designed and verified to capture the evaluation index when customers operated the B2C websites. The fist on was used to choose the appropriate factors in questionnaire scale and the second one was used to evaluated the importance of the chosen factors. Finally, the usability indices were used to evaluate the characteristic of two main China B2C websites. The results obtained would help the designers of B2C electronic commerce to improve their websites.