The Role of Usability in E-Commerce Services

Abstract

The authors examined the impact of perceived usability of websites of commercial service vendors on consumer’s affective, intentional, and behavioral variables. Reflective and formative usability measures were used within a nomological network of predictors (trust, reputation, and perceived fun), mediators (user satisfaction, and intention to use), decision to choose as the criteria, product involvement as a moderator, and controls. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that usability holds both direct and indirect paths, via trust and perceived fun, to user satisfaction. User satisfaction was positively related to the intention to use and partially mediated the relation between usability and intention to use. Furthermore, product involvement does not moderate the relation between usability and intention to use and the relation between user satisfaction and intention to use. Finally, intention to use provided an excellent prediction of the decision to choose. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.