Effects of interactivity and product information on consumer satisfaction in an online retail setting

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to examine how two aspects of an online shopping environment can influence consumer satisfaction. The two independent variables examined in this study were the level of interactivity and the amount of information provided by an online shopping environment.Design/methodology/approachA web‐based experiment (using a 3 × 3 between‐subjects factorial design) was conducted, where respondents were exposed to a simulated online retail store. A total of 360 responses were collected from web users.FindingsResults suggest that the level of interactivity and the amount of information provided by the web site had a significant effect on consumer satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations included the use of a fictitious retail web site, self‐selection bias, the use of a single type of online retailer, and the one‐shot nature of the experimental design. Future research should replicate this study to a fully functional or real‐world web site, extend this study to include other types of online retailers, and examine what other features found in a web site may elicit consumer satisfaction.Originality/valueThe importance of consumer satisfaction in bricks‐and‐mortar retail stores has long been emphasised in the literature. This study provides guidance as to the role of two web‐specific variables on consumers’ assessments of satisfaction with the interface provided by an online retail store.