Virtual Product Advice and its impact on customer satisfaction in an online environment

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Theoretical Foundations
• The Concept of Customer Satisfaction in E-Commerce
• Antecedents of E-Satisfaction
• Knowledge and Expertise
• Product Search Interfaces
• Facet Search
• Virtual Product Advisors
• Research Design
• Hypotheses Development
• Experimental Setup
• Data Analysis
• Results
• General Findings
• Hypotheses Testing
• Discussion
• Theoretical Implications
• Managerial Implications
• Limitations and Future Research
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis aims to investigate the interaction between consumer knowledge levels and different product search approaches in an online environment. Specifically, it examines the impact of a virtual product advisor and a facet search on perceived website quality and e-satisfaction.

• The relationship between consumer knowledge and the effectiveness of product search interfaces.
• The role of virtual product advisors and facet search in structuring and reducing complexity for consumers.
• The impact of product search interfaces on perceived website quality and e-satisfaction.
• The theoretical and managerial implications of the findings for online retailers and information system management.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter sets the stage for the research by outlining the growing significance of online shopping and the challenges of managing product complexity in a virtual environment. It highlights the need for effective product search tools to guide consumers and enhance their shopping experience.
• Theoretical Foundations: This chapter delves into the theoretical foundations of the research, exploring key concepts like customer satisfaction in e-commerce, antecedents of e-satisfaction, knowledge and expertise, and different types of product search interfaces. It provides a framework for understanding the factors influencing consumer behavior in online shopping.
• Research Design: This chapter outlines the research methodology, including hypotheses development and experimental setup. It describes the study design, data collection methods, and the specific online shop used for the study.
• Data Analysis: This chapter presents the data analysis techniques employed to examine the collected data and test the formulated hypotheses.
• Results: This chapter presents the findings of the study, focusing on the interaction effects between consumer knowledge, product search interfaces, and their impact on perceived website quality and e-satisfaction. It analyzes the evidence gathered through the experiment to validate or reject the initial hypotheses.
• Discussion: This chapter delves into the theoretical and practical implications of the study's results. It discusses the significance of the findings for online retailers and information system management, highlighting potential benefits and limitations of the research.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This research focuses on the key concepts of complexity, electronic commerce, e-satisfaction, expertise knowledge, means-end chain theory, product search interfaces, usability, virtual product advisors, WebQual, and website quality. The study aims to explore how these factors interact to influence consumer behavior and online shopping experiences.