The Web Site and Brand Trust as Antecedents of Online Loyalty: Results from Four Countries

The Web Site and Brand Trust as Antecedents of Online Loyalty: Results from Four Countries

Horst Treiblmaier (WU Vienna, Austria), Larry Neale (Queensland University of Technology, Australia) and Sandy Chong (Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia)
Copyright: © 2013 |Pages: 20
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-1861-9.ch007

Abstract

As online business thrives, a company’s Web presence holds enormous importance as a source of information, entertainment, and customer service for Internet users. Besides being user-friendly, a Web site should offer interesting and enjoyable content to attract online visitors in an ever-changing multimedia environment. Companies that operate globally must know how cultural differences influence the way potential customers perceive their sites. This paper presents a model that highlights the importance of ease of use, enjoyment, content, and brand trust for Web site loyalty. The model is subsequently tested in four countries: Australia, Japan, Mongolia, and the USA. The results show that perceptual differences exist: while ease of use is crucial for Web site loyalty in all four countries, the importance of content, perceived enjoyment, and brand trust varies across different cultures.
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Theoretical Background And Research Hypotheses

A company’s Web site can serve a number of different purposes such as selling, informing and promoting (Bélanger et al., 2006). The growing importance of the Internet in consumer life makes it essential for businesses to better understand what makes Web sites successful (Schaupp et al., 2009). There are many ways to measure the success of a Web site, but most are concerned with the concept of loyalty.

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