ENVIRONMENT DESIGN FACTORS

AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE

WEBSITE

Dr. Stephanie Diep

Objectives of the research
To illustrate how Web environmental factors can influence
consumers attitude towards the website, and

To discuss its implications for managers and marketers to

formulate digital marketing strategies.
Research Approach
Literature review
Consumer Retail Search Process (CRSP) Titus and Everetts (1995)

Qualitative
Interview with 15 Web designers

Conceptual model 18 hypotheses

Quantitative
Pilot test
Experiments experimental websites/survey data collection (731 responses from an online panel)
Data analysis
Hierarchical regression, Multivariate Analysis of Variance, T-tests
Factor analysis

Conclusion
Key findings
Significant results
Research approach (step-by-step)
Lit No Satisfac
Result
Review tory?

Yes

Existing
Models/Theory
Conclusion Quantitative

Conceptual Hypotheses
Qualitative
Model Dev
Motivation for digital marketing research
Many websites out there but not all are well designed
lots of competition website design and digital marketing
strategies are important to get competitive advantage.

Web caters for a range of activities including

entertainment and exploration as well as information and
purchasing
Research approach (step-by-step)
Lit No Satisfac
Result
Review tory?

Yes

Existing
Models/Theory
Conclusion Quantitative

Conceptual Hypotheses
Qualitative
Model Dev
Consumer Retail Search Process (CRSP) Model
Research approach (step-by-step)
Lit No Satisfac
Result
Review tory?

Yes

Existing
Models/Theory
Conclusion Quantitative

Conceptual Hypotheses
Qualitative
Model Dev
Interview methodology
Sample = 15 web designers who had designed at least
one retail website during the past 12 months.
2 stage interview
1) identify most important environmental characteristics
from the CRSP model to include in the studys framework
2) determine which of the moderators from the existing
retail models (i.e. CRSP) to include in the present studys
online context.
Research approach (step-by-step)
Lit No Satisfac
Result
Review tory?

Yes

Existing
Models/Theory
Conclusion Quantitative

Conceptual Hypotheses
Qualitative
Model Dev
Online Conceptual model (Diep, 2012)
Research approach (step-by-step)
Lit No Satisfac
Result
Review tory?

Yes

Existing
Models/Theory
Conclusion Quantitative

Conceptual Hypotheses
Qualitative
Model Dev
Hypothesis development and testing
18 hypotheses were formulated
Online survey created 2 versions (goal-directed vs
experiential manipulations)
Experiment created 4 websites with the following conditions:
1) Low complexity, Low orientation aids
2) High complexity, High orientation aids
3) Low complexity, High orientation aids
4) High complexity, High orientation aids
Randomly assigned to online panel participants
Pilot testing
Pilot tested the websites and survey to a convenience
sample of online users before implementing the real
experiment.
Two pilot testing phases based on feedback from online
users.
Quantitative Analysis The experiment
Needed sample of 300 to 400 received 734 responses
Data cleaning outliers, missing responses, descriptive
statistics frequency distributions using SPSS 731
responses
Preliminary data analysis
Quantitative methods used
Factor analysis
Multivariate analysis of variance
T-tests
Hierarchical regression
Research approach (step-by-step)
Lit No Satisfac
Result
Review tory?

Yes

Existing
Models/Theory
Conclusion Quantitative

Conceptual Hypotheses
Qualitative
Model Dev
Hypothesis Testing
E.g - Hypothesis 1: There is a negative relationship between
website complexity and attitude towards the website

Results were not significant as expected or consistent with

past literature (e.g. Geissler, Zinkhan and Watsonm 2001)

None of the hypotheses were supported during hypothesis

testing.
Research approach (step-by-step)
Lit No Satisfac
Result
Review tory?

Yes

Existing
Models/Theory
Conclusion Quantitative

Conceptual Hypotheses
Qualitative
Model Dev
A New approach to analysis of the data
Perceptual variables based on Analysis of variance results
Revisited literature on website complexity and orientation
aids
Conducted Exploratory factor analysis
Interviewed web designers again based on new findings
Revised conceptual model and hypotheses
Mediation tests based on literature was conducted
Research approach (step-by-step)
Lit No Satisfac
Result
Review tory?

Yes

Existing
Models/Theory
Conclusion Quantitative

Conceptual Hypotheses
Qualitative
Model Dev
New quantitative results
Research approach (step-by-step)
Lit No Satisfac
Result
Review tory?

Yes

Existing
Models/Theory
Conclusion Quantitative

Conceptual Hypotheses
Qualitative
Model Dev
Web designer interview
Found two dimensions for webpage complexity
(interactivity and variety)
Interviewed 6 web designers on these dimensions to find
out their importance to web design.
Research approach (step-by-step)
Lit No Satisfac
Result
Review tory?

Yes

Existing
Models/Theory
Conclusion Quantitative

Conceptual Hypotheses
Qualitative
Model Dev
Revised conceptual model
Research approach (step-by-step)
Lit No Satisfac
Result
Review tory?

Yes

Existing
Models/Theory
Conclusion Quantitative

Conceptual Hypotheses
Qualitative
Model Dev
Research approach (step-by-step)
Lit No Satisfac
Result
Review tory?

Yes !!

Existing
Models/Theory
Conclusion Quantitative

Conceptual Hypotheses
Qualitative
Model Dev
Managerial implications
People perceive websites differently as illustrated by my key findings
so managers need to consider this when designing websites or
formulating digital marketing strategies.

Websites need to be tailored to suit their intended audience bearing in

mind that different users will navigate around the website differently.

Web design needs to take into account a balance of both types of

complexity (visual and interactive/variety) and orientation aids as they
affect consumers way-finding around the website.
Questions?