Online Retailer-Consumer Relationship Thesis

Introduction

In an effort to gain accurate empirical understanding of what e-consumer behavior is, we reviewed electronic marketing literature to identify how the relationship is established and what retailers are doing to sustain it. E-consumers refer to the electronic consumer behavior on buying and selling information, products and services through computer networks.

Lycourgos and Christou (2006) broaden this definition by stating that e-consumers include “support for any kind of business transactions over a digital infrastructure (p.1). Their primary emphasizes in assessing consumer behavior is placed on provision of information, marketing and support activities. In an objective and interdisciplinary setting, electronic buying facilitates the combined efforts of three channels in the buying and selling arena that includes communication, transaction and distribution channels.

This paper addresses the importance of retailer-consumer relationship in an online setting as power is transformed from online retailer to online consumer through web display of products. Reasons for maintaining long term customer relationship are examined, along with suggestion how best to assess consumer buying behavior.

This analysis gives us a blueprint of how an online business can grow and maintain good relationship with both new and old customers. While anyone can intuitively recognize online consumers, their significant impact to online business brings us to the question: how does consumer behavior begin?

E-marketing delivers products such as non-digital products, transaction functions and communication through the display of a webpage without distribution. The aspects of distribution in this case depend on nature of the product and business to consumer (B2C) perspectives. The primary motivation to reinforce the relationship between the two parties brings together aspects of consumer behavior and retailers striving to meet consumer needs in an online environment.

Since the long term relationship between an online consumer and a retailer positively affects the business objectives, the paper focuses on consumer information search process and consumer value, how they facilitate the search process and how organizations offer consumer value through websites and to assess how retailers are striving to motivate consumers to buy online (Lycourgos and Christou, 2006, p.2).

Review of Previous Studies

Establishing a long term relationship by offering products and services that meets online consumer needs helps a firm discover and improve their marketing strategies. In essence, customers are always looking for what the organization is doing best that sets them apart. Sweeney (2008) states that

consideration of customer retention factors such as prompt product deliverance, responsive and flexible services as well as easy website navigation formed a basis for the evaluation of;

1. how the organization can discover, adopt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies to effectively reach the consumer
2. to study consumer information processing abilities
3. how consumers motivation and decision strategies differ between products, level of importance and interests
4. study of consumer behavior while shopping
5. how a consumer is influenced by the psychology of his surrounding environment such as culture, family, media and signs and;
6. the psychology of how consumer think, reason, select between different brands and products and how they feel (p.3).

In this respect, Sweeney (2008) defines consumer behavior as “the study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society” (p.1).

Lowe (2002, p.2) defines behavior as the decision of the majority groups or organizations and consumer behavior in this case includes the use and disposal of products as well as how products are purchased. In this regard, online retailers should exploit consumer product interest because their decisions help an organization best position its products and encourages increased consumption.

The decades of 1980-1990 saw a shift of attention away from brick and mortar marketing towards e-commerce bringing with it the intangible nature of services. However, it still remains uncertain how the changing technology will help an online retailer gain competitive advantage or rather marketing advantages in attracting potential customers and retaining the existing ones.

Lycourgos and Christou (2006) replicate this analysis by stating that “online retailing has provided a successful medium for consumer spending, and therefore the technology used should be able to match the utility provided by the retailing formats” (p.2).

Utilities mentioned to facilitate online business include facilities such as immediate delivery, choice of payment methods, personal assistant in selecting goods, credit facilities and return policies. The mentioned utilities are particularly significant in building consumer satisfaction and trust in an online environment. To do this, retailers are required to implement strategies that will sufficiently motivate online consumers to place orders.

Careful assessment of consumer behaviors requires the examination of consumer specific shopping behaviors at particular periods. This would require for an organization to first know how a consumer searches for information before purchase of any products and services. Such insights will increase the likelihood of their website being hit by consumer searches.

Once the website has been reached, the retailers will have well informed knowledge of how to design and structure the website for easy facilitation. Good navigable website will help a retailer understand what consumer value in terms of their shopping experience, and may help them secure a competitive advantage.

While there may exists many aspects of consumer behavior that are relevant to online retailing, individual aspects such as lifestyle and personal characteristics, psychological and trying to embrace, are all important in determining e-consumer behavior. A successive retailer should carefully assess how the website is facilitating consumer information searches and examining how their organization is offering consumer value (Lycourgos and Christou, 2006, p.2).

Consumer Information and Processors

Electronic consumers often visit online stores through website platforms to either purchase or enjoy online experience with the possibility of engaging in an impulse purchase. In doing so, they engage themselves in direct searches or through general browsing. Consumers in this case are required to process the whole array of information available to them at the website for awareness and make final purchase decisions.

Lycourgos and Christou (2006) states that “ the consumer is viewed as a problem solver engaged in goal directed activities of searching for information and finally arriving at carefully considered judgmental evaluations” (p.2). In this regard, the issues of trust should be highly emphasized since it’s what creates loyalty.

Its also particularly important when trust starts out at the very beginning when the company is first introduced to the markets and in this case, consumers should be availed adequate information on products and services since consumers like undertaking information searches before making any purchases to make better choices like in cost saving (Lycourgos and Christou, 2006, p.3).

Operational Dimension

Operational dimension is the strategy a consumer employs in searching for a product or a service online. The variety of products and information sources availed to the consumer are particularly important is establishing long term relationship and building trust between the two parties. How the customer chooses to use the information is part of their investigation for goods and services and an organization should exploit this opportunity by promoting innovation and processes.

With regard to information searches and online shopping behavior, the significance of brand awareness is important in information searches. In this regard, when an organization is trying to establish itself in the market, it’s significantly important to pay special attention to product and company logo design that would catch an online shopper.

This is because some consumers search using brand names of products and services and internet will in this case supports the operational dimension of the information search. Use of search tools will be autonomous to the company and help customers in the selection process (Lycourgos and Christou, 2006, p.3).

The Spatial Dimensions

Spatial dimension is a type of information search that includes internal and external nucleus search engines. In internal searches, individuals examine memories past consumption while external dimension involves searching for information through individual experiences, through use of internet and public sources of information.

In some cases, people mix both external and internal strategies when searching for information, depending on different consumers, and internet can facilitate both. Using search tools and bookmarks facilitate searches for information and organization should take advantage of instilling brand awareness that would leave a lasting memory in people’s minds (Lycourgos and Christou, 2006, p.3).

The Temporary Dimension

Temporary dimension refers to the time between consumers thinking about a product and the actual purchase. With regards to internet, Lycourgos and Christou (2006) stated that “internet shoppers are convenience seekers looking to use the internet as both a search tool and transaction medium in order to save time visiting high street stores “(p.3).

In this regard, companies find it particularly useful in embracing information technology in the commitment of delivering high levels of products. Lycourgos and Christou (2006) add that “consumer’s prior knowledge, complexity or difficulty of the search process, level of interest in the product category and the nature of the information obtained affect this duration” (p.3).

Although the concept has been around for years, retailers often find it hard to establish how much searches an individual takes. Attractive and easy manageable website should be a company’s top priority since impulse purchases ultimately transform into longer purchase decision process. I therefore conclude that information search should be carefully analyzed in establishing online consumer shopping behavior (Lycourgos and Christou, 2006, p.3).

Impulse Purchase Behavior using the Internet

Factors that drive optimism in an online shopping environment are that people spent more time surfing on the internet that they would on busy malls. Gone are the days when customers would fill out cards, send them to potential customers and sit back hoping for a returned email.

Majority of customers lose interest with such delays and get discouraged to impulse buy. Internet invention services have enabled consumers to get the right information with a click of a button while they are still interested. With this analysis, I extrapolate that internet use has been effective in stimulating impulse purchases. Lycourgos and Christou (2006) suggest that “too many shoppers leave sites because they can not find the product they want and can not navigate the complex buying procedure “(p.4).

While internet can be convenient to online shoppers, the bad news is complex websites limits impulse purchase online. This brings as to the conclusion that internet supports all dimensions of information search process mentioned earlier as operational, spatial and temporal. It’s therefore important for organizations to design websites that is easy to navigate and save consumers time while shopping online resulting to impulse purchases (Lycourgos and Christou, 2006, p.4).

Consumer Value

Lowe (2002) states that “understanding consumer value is very important in achieving customer satisfaction as it is considered that perceived value is important contributor to customer satisfaction” (p.3). On the other hand, Lycourgos and Christou (2006) defines perceived value as “benefits customers received in relation to total costs, or as the overall assessment of what is received relative to what is given” (p.4).

They further state that “customer perceptions of a value of a good are based on their benefits about the good, their need, unique experiences, wants, wishes and expectations” (p.4). In defining electronic consumers, classical economics classify values to include use of value and exchange value. Use value is defined as specific qualities of the product by perceived by customers in relation to their needs.

Therefore subjective judgment made by an individual translates into what a customer is prepared to buy in the long run. Exchange values on the other hand refer to the price a customer is willing exchange for goods. Sweeney (2008, p.4) offers a model that considers aspects of exchange values using dimensions of matrix where each cell of the topology represents a distinct type of consumer value. The primary objective of such a model is to assess how online retailers are currently creating value through their websites.

Excellence

Excellence in delivering quality products and services is among the top priority in establishing long term relationship with e-consumers. Qualities such as desirability and excellence in offering consumers’ needs should be attached to the offering and usefulness of the company primary objectives.

Excellence with regard to online retailing should include services such as home deliveries and product information. Therefore, ease of accessing information and ease of making transaction, return policies and payment security combined with visual representation and clear product details should be given top priority.

Efficiency is acquired through conveniences, and websites should in this case offer cost efficiency products that would save consumers time on purchasing products and services. These services should be extended to personal model that allow consumers to build and select their products based on their lifestyles (Lycourgos and Christou, 2006, p.5).

Status

Status is defined by Lycourgos and Christou (2006) as “overtime manipulation of behavior of an individual to achieve favorable responses from others “(p.5). in an online environment, chat rooms manipulate individuals towards gaining favorable responses by engaging individuals in status seeking behavior.

Ethics

Ethics are those moral standards that define an individual. Consumers are often stimulated by morally supportive environment when purchasing products and services. For this reason, the form of intrinsic value should be considered by a retailer when designing an online marketing place. Ethical behavioral reasons for this case are virtues that keep customers coming back to the website (Lycourgos and Christou, 2006, p.5).

Play

Investigative analysis conducted by Lycourgos and Christou, (2006) revealed that consumer websites that are interactive in nature and offer enjoyment facilities such as game puzzles tend to keep consumer clued to the website.

They argue that online retailers should employ such strategy in designing fun and interactive website that would be pleasurable when performing online searches. An example of a fun website can be seen at (www.toshop.com) that sells personalized CDs where visitors are able to select a variety of tracks after listening to 30 seconds samples.

Aesthetics

Lycourgos and Christou (2006) defines aesthetics as “ something in which consumers react positively to and value for its own sake a product or service offering for their own pleasure “(p.6). Consumers are known to react positively or negatively and even value the website in terms of attractiveness.

Visual presentation of a product is always important as it leaves a lasting impression on a potential customer. Market analysts often argue that same products and services affect different types of consumer values and therefore the perception of an individual gives a comprehensive understanding of value that has been created for their benefit.

Therefore what a consumer considers as value could possibly fit into a variety of matrixes such as information, aesthetics, ply, convenience and excellence. Understanding and identifying consumer value for specific lifestyle segments helps online organization determine what value would be most appropriate for their target market and devise positioning strategy (Lycourgos and Christou, 2006, p.6).

E-commerce has provided opportunities for users to surf commercial products through an internet platform. Lowe (2002) defines the art of ordering products and services online as e-commerce. When we look at the impact of consumer behavior, the first thing that comes to mind is the price measurement in the PCI.

Online retailers often enjoy the advantage of not having to maintain an invisible inventory and opening more diverse markets. Preliminary studies done by Lowe, (2002) stated that “in 2001, e-commerce by private household in Canada was estimated at almost $2 billion more that a 50% rise from the previous year” (p.1). These statistics simply means that online trading is predicated to grow more over the coming years.

This analysis raises several questions of whether the perceived increase in internet usage would be reflected in profit margins. Trade over the internet is already sufficiently important to be included in marketing literature. Obviously this areas has been neglected many marketing analysts. Case studies on electronic marketing will potential tract growth of internet activity to online retailers and provide some suggestions for further assessment.

Overall growth in internet activity and e-business

An online study conducted in Canada by Survey of Household Internet Use (HIUS) provided that e-consumer behavior can be tracked from their spending abilities. The study placed emphasis on the number of households that have access to the internet, availability of products to choose from and how the availed products are used.

The study linked the increased numbers of Internet shoppers over the years to be related to the increased access to internet use by many households and increased use of household products. The studies also recognized the increased numbers of household online buyers in the past few years to be linked to diversification of products and increased access. It was however concluded that online retailers have provide a wide array of good and services for consumers to choose from as earlier experienced in the last decades.

Conclusively, growth of e-consumers has been attributed to increased numbers of internet services and existing internet users. Despite increased usage and range of products for which internet purchases are required to chose from, growth in access is likely to slow if consumer buying behavior is not carefully assessed (Lowe, 2002, p.7).

Popular products specifically purchases on the internet include items such as digital products, traveling, clothing, music and software. These products are an indication of how fast information technology has grown over the years and current trends that suggest significant growth in e-commerce products.

The past and current literature on online shopping may be underreported, especially in consumer buying behavior. The criteria of assuming “one household reports on behalf of everyone in the household” (Lowe, 2002, p.7) is no longer applicable in today’s economy. Every household in this day and era holds a credit card and therefore the definition can not be applied to all.

Whatever the definition, internet usage represents a substantial portion of electronic marketing. This research therefore concentrates on both household and individual survey for referencing. In Canada for example, sudden change in consumer behavior may have been attributed to increase in internet use.

Approaches

Common products traded online include items such as travel, clothing, books, software and music and to some extent, digital products. In studying e consumer behavior factors, the questions often asked are what drive consumer desire to purchase? Are internet services widely used? Has online shopping changed in recent years? How quickly do consumers adopt to emerging technologies and how do connected consumers discover things? Detailed consideration of consumer behaviors and responses in respect to web adoption, ecommerce and product diversification helps us focus on key areas of consumer behavior.

However, answers to these important questions as mentioned above are crucial before positioning yourself on the web markets. The answer to these questions would be that majority of consumers sample a wide range of information before making a purchasing decision. While consumers in the past would get directions from recommendation engines, bookmarked pages and chartrooms, today’s consumers navigate a personalized landscape that is more search friendly and safe (Sweeney, 2008).

E-consumers are now enabled by technology to subscribe to content feeds and read them via customized pages. This way, online organizations are able to keep consumers up to date on new products and other information. This trend clearly provides dominant portals and search engines such as Google, yahoo, msn, to facilitate online shopping. The need for personalized services greatly impacts consumer shopping behavior.

According to survey conducted by Sweeney (2008), majority of consumers read blogs regularly and all this activities cut through the traditional media outlets such as magazines and Tvs. The trend towards online shopping can be seen in music and video consumption such as You Tube among others. The increased numbers of online consumers are slowly facing out traditional outlets that are struggling to adopt in today’s digital realm (Sweeney, 2008).

E-consumers driven by internet communication have revolutionized the way people use, access and share information. Internet services has been credited for facilitating the economy and transforming organization by eliminating paper based functions and integrate global operations.

Benefits attributed from e-commerce are listed to include; online retailers and consumers have access and low-cost, consumers can access information through diverse forms of technology including mobile phones. Retailers also don’t spend so much time doing marketing campaigns and suffer no geographical constraints. Organizations get the opportunity for rationalizing operations and downsizing and can easily adapt to new payment schemes.

Online business had eliminated middlemen, minimized stockholdings and reduced transaction costs. E-commerce introduces a consumer to interaction rules, procedures, and safe mechanisms and provides consumer with recovery methods such as money back guarantees when trust breaks down. Trust has been viewed as the cornerstone to of any successful online trading because without it, no one will be able to trade (Sweeney, 2008, p.3).

Tracking Consumer behavior

Alex (2009) studies states that “consumers prefer to start their online shopping through search engines and social media sites rather than going directly to the site to establish a retailer” (p.1). Retailers that consider these aspects in their marketing campaigns gain competitive advantage over others. Alex adds that

search engines such as Google are designed to help advertisers and marketers gain insights into consumers search behavior, identify new growth markets and modify their campaigns adequately such as Google ad words. Reviewing previous months search trends may help predict what consumers are likely to purchase in the coming few months (p.1).

According to market analysts, most popular searches are likely to generate the level of economic activity in particular firms. Ales (2009) analysis replicates that

an organization can launch promotions and personalize advertisement when they know particular products are likely to sell at a particular period. Google also provides additional services by providing daily and monthly reports on numbers of hits related to various industries and provides detailed geographical locations and categories (p.1).

Twitter

A retailer opening an account with twitter and speaking authoritatively about their products eventually influence potential customer. Many correlate content to be more effective than blatant advertising. Alex (2009) recent analysis replicates that

consumers are now focusing more on social media websites for product information and give the customers opportunity to promote their products. Just as RSS feeds, twitter also provides an up to date and insights into what real consumers are saying on any product around the world. This trend has been used as a primary research tool for businesses involved in consumer trends (p.1).

Face book

Just like twitter, face book provides an attractive platform that studies consumer behavior through online interactions. Advertisements may also be placed on individual profiles pages aimed at targeting certain demographic consumers. Since registered face book users have no problem providing personal information such as date of birth, religion, sex, and e.t.c, online retailers use this information to their advantage by advertising only on their target demographic (Alex, 2009).

There are millions of Web sites in the markets today selling millions of products and services through the internet and they are all competing for the same viewers. In this case, knowing consumers’ behavior would the only touch ground strategy to surviving the competitive markets.

Website can narrowly be defined as a collection of information, electronic files and images that provides accessibility across the internet. According to Canada’s Office of Consumer Affairs (2007) an organization should therefore design a website that meets company objectives and should have target market in mind. The main objective should be centered on reaching the targeted market online, attract a new visitor to the website and convert them to buyers and make them want to come back.

The fundamentals, objective, target markets, and products and services in terms of technology in terms of technology and development methodology have changed over the past several years. Back in the old days, organizations would design a website that would look just exactly like their brochures, a term that is no longer acceptable on the web if an organization wants to be successful.

According to Canada’s Office of Consumer Affairs (2007), a successive website is defined as one that is designed around the organization objectives; define needs and expectations of clients and offer products and services.

Everything related to e-consumer revolves around objectives, targets markets and products and services. In studying consumer behaviors, it’s important to keep in mind all these aspects in mind. Canada’s Office of Consumer Affairs (2007 further states that “an organization should know what a customer wants, their buying decisions and their expectations (p.1).

Online Customer Services and Support

Comprehensive customer service and support helps establish consumer shopping behaviors. Customers feel secure for an organization that provides online assistance 24 hours and 7 days a week.

It’s also important to design software that would formulate answers to customers’ most critical issues like FAQ. In some instances, a company should also engage in human talk to solve more complicated problems. Its evidenced that information-driven websites embedded in graphics tends to convert window shoppers to potential customers (Canada’s Office of Consumer Affairs, 2007).

Brand Awareness

Another objective of determining consumer behavior is through establishing brand awareness. This would include things like designing a company logo that would leave lasting memory in consumer minds. Once the website is completed and ready for launching, a retailer should ask himself if the company objective has hit the organization target expectations.

Organization’s target market should go beyond just pleasing a potential customer to including an existing customer or even the media who influences the buying behavior of the potential customer. When looking into the term customer, an organization should consider customer behavior targets such as what vacations and what business travelers are looking for, what tour operators and golfers are looking for, as well as handicapped travelers.

Once these customers are segmented, then each segments needs to be analyzed in terms of needs, wants and expectations. It’s also emphasized that the website should be colorful, text simple and easy to understand.

Fun-looking graphics will draw children into it. An organization should also look into designing a website that incorporates the latest technologies and configurations such as flash players customers are likely to use. If target markets include demographics, use Java scripts, flash players and even larger graphic files should be considered (Sweeny, 2008, p.35).

Products and Services

It’s important for an organization to define all the products and services being offered online. Sweeney (2008) states that “business owners sometimes assume that their online storefront is the same as their offline storefront and may forget to include things such as shipping services and gift wrappings” (p.1). Omission on such extensions may loose a lot of business to other competitors. Sweeney (2008) analysis adds

other things such as customized cards, shipping to multiple addresses and shipping options should be included. Learning customer behavior is achieved by meeting and beating their expectations online to gain market share. Customers shopping online are always looking for convenience and greatest products at the lowest prices.

It’s important to note that internet marketing strategies differ depending on products and services provided. For instance, an organization that makes children toys should try and develop a fun and interactive website that is attractive to children (p.36).

The web site should also provide an option where online shoppers can tell friends about the website as well as reason to return to the web site. Sweeney (2008) emphasizes that

electronic postcards should also be offered where visitors send colorful and musical messages to their friends and tell them about the website. While concentrating on children demographics, the website should provide children with a wish list service where they can make a list of toys they wish to have, and this list gets send to their parents through email (p.36).

Here, parents can have well-informed purchasing decisions and can eventually become loyal customers to the company in the long run. Once again, this strategy promotes organization sales, increases customer loyalty and helps learn consumer behavior for future marketing and advertising plans.

Sweeney (2008) reaffirms this statement by stating that “a company can also allow customers to review products for a period of time before they can make a purchasing decision. An online customer may at times find it hard to visually depict what the organization service is all about “p.36). In this case, an organization that offers travel services for example should include a streaming video on tours and vacation resorts and exclusive information on weekly on monthly vacation specials.

An organization should also keep customer profiles so they can track where particular customers like to travel hotels and where they like to sit on the place. This way an organization can easily learn customers’ behavior which would be more efficient in designing marketing strategies. Consumers also tend to be drawn to testimonials as it gives potential customers more confidence about purchasing an organization product (Sweeney, 2008, p.36)

Results and Discussions

Interestingly, it has been studied that customers are more influenced by commercials they see even if they only see a small portion of the video. E-consumer behavior can also be analyzed by using psychological measures which include examining consumer responses.

Tracking customers’ shopping behaviors during certain seasons helps an online retailer study customer shopping trends, levels of interest and likings and plans when to avail certain products and certain periods. Sweeney (2008) states that “tracking product performance over time gives a retailer guidance as to which products are effective and which ones are not” (p.1) It’s also important to note that e-consumer behavior can also be linked to external environment that relate to cultures and subcultures.

Culture as an external influence can influence consumer in terms of knowledge, morals, customs and habits acquired in the society. Since culture is something learned rather than something being born with, an online retailer should learn morals of his marketing demographics and try to accommodate various cultures when considering for international consumers.

Sweeney (2008) analysis argues that

Internet use may be less expensive way to distribute products that the traditional stores. Contrary to this assumption, selling online can in fact be very expensive when considering factors such as high costs of processing orders and direct shipping to customers (p.37).

For example, most of the products have to be customized and customers on the other end must be willing to pay for the extra shipping charges. Like shipping high bulk commodities of low value may not be worthwhile. Geographically dispersed customers may experience difficulties since some countries have strict policies.

Therefore a newly established online retailer should consider centralized distribution to eliminate all this obstacles. As discussed earlier, keeping customers on site is very crucial in attracting potential customers and retaining old ones. It should be easy to search and compare products online.

Sweeney (2008) concludes his analysis by stating that “the main purpose of an Internet is to make information readily available; an online retailer should strive hard to have a clear purpose when designing a website and provide some evidence for this purpose” (p.39). For example, a site should provide all the products and services it claims to have. It should also be designed for customers to have to find the needed information and products and easy to move to other sites.

Conclusion

According to (Sweeney, 2008), an online retailer should clearly define their online objectives and generate comprehensive information regarding their products and services. They should carefully examine how changes relate to organization objectives identified and should try to trace consumer behavior right from when a product is first introduced to the markets, selling products and services, providing online customer support, availing product information and by creating and establishing brand identity and awareness.

Retailers should therefore utilize this services by offering extensive information about their products and services and give them the option of ordering and purchasing online. It’s been argued that the easier it is a customer to navigate around the website, the more likely they are to buy.

According to Sweeney (2008), “providing detailed information about products being purchased, shipping options, guarantees and warranties as well as return policies and security issues” (p.37) are important for success of any online business. A Company should therefore take advantage of this strategy.

It’s equally important for an online retailer to understand the nature of value and consumer characteristics. Understanding consumer characteristics has been evidenced to bring together aspects of consumer behavior that are pertinent to a retailer striving to meet consumer needs in an online environment.

The paper has focused on consumer information search processes and consumer value in a view of determining how online retailers facilitate search processes and offer consumer value through websites. The study hypothesized that Internet offers utilities in the form of search utilities such as intelligent agents, browsers and search engines, use of bookmarks and good website design that speed up the process of purchase decisions.

It was also hypothesized that internet utilities often go in hand with the support of operational, spatial and temporal dimension of consumer information. The paper also provided evidences and examples of successful websites that have delivered that included all aspects of ethics, play, esteem, status, efficiency and excellence. The essay provides some insights into retailers motivating consumers to buy online through concentrating on consumer behavior.

However, extensive research in consumer information search behavior is required to since the literature provided here in support to online environment is very limited. Conclusively, understanding consumer behavior and what they value in online environment is important to retailers meeting consumers’ needs.

Maintaining long term customer relationship with customers determines how best to assess consumer buying behavior. This analysis gives us a blueprint of how an online business can grow and maintain good relationship with both new and old customers.

References

Alex. (2009). Tracking consumer behavior. Web.

Canada’s Office of Consumer Affairs (2008). The consumer trends report. Available at: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/oca-bc.nsf/eng/ca02093.html.

Lowe, R. (2002). E-commerce and consumer behaviour. International working Group on Price indices, 36, 1-12.

Lycourgos, H., & Christou, L. (2006). The role of e-commerce on consumer behaviour. Journal of Business Administration online, 4, 1-8.

Sweeney, S. (2008). 101 Ways to promote your Web Site. Florida: Maximum Press.