Time, attention, authenticity and consumer benefits of the Web☆
Introduction
Consumers linger on their favorite websites. The need to cut costs pressures companies and government offices to move their services to information networks. But what drives the development of the Web? What quality criteria govern its development? How are consumer needs reflected in today's Web?
This article analyzes consumer benefits and behavior tendencies with respect to the World Wide Web and seeks to explain the attributes that describe consumer encounters with it. An understanding of consumer perceptions of new technology contributes to healthy development of the field. For example, the Marketing Science Institute (2002) has identified management of customer experiences and the role of products as a top-tier research priority. This article focuses on the marketing task of providing benefits and value to customers through a review of the literature and a synthesis based on it. It aims to make information in the existing knowledge base more assimilable. The text uses the terms ‘World Wide Web’, ‘Web’, and ‘Internet’ as synonyms.
The next three sections address tendencies in consumer behavior, and three aspects are highlighted: time, attention, and authenticity, all of which have been researched extensively. Lewis and Bridger (2000), for example, have analyzed this tripartite combination. Here, the focus is on how these themes relate to consumer online behavior. The article then goes on to discuss prior research results on consumer benefits and concerns. The findings show how research has handled attributes relating to time, attention, and authenticity, and also discusses the valuations revealed by empirical studies.
Section snippets
Perceived time scarcity
The first of the consumer behavior tendencies highlighted is perceived time scarcity. We often try to make the most efficient use of time by saving and compressing it; in other words, ‘time is money’. Leclerc, Schmitt, and Dubé (1995) actually found that people are less willing to gamble with their time than with their money, since lost time is more difficult to recoup.
However, there are cross-cultural differences in how people experience time. Hall (1983) discusses this dimension of culture.
Competition for consumers' attention
Another highlighted consumer behavior tendency is competition for consumers' attention. On the Internet, the amount of time spent between clicks (other than waiting time) depends on how well a web page captures the user's attention and for how long. Compelling consumers to pay attention is a prerequisite for selling online; Every click is what Feather (2000) calls prepurchase, as the following page may or may not turn out to be worth the user's time and attention. Time and attention are thus
The quest for authenticity
The third highlighted potential consumer behavior tendency is the consumers' quest for authenticity. Authenticity as a concept is more elusive than time or attention, and the connection between this theme and consumer online behavior is less obvious than that of the preceding themes. Still, the concept is worth exploring.
The Oxford English Dictionary (1989) defines authenticity as the quality of being authentic or as being true in substance. The adjective “authentic” is defined as ‘reliable,
Consumer benefits and concerns
The three themes highlighted in the preceding sections (time, attention, and authenticity) can influence consumer behavior from three distinct angles. Perceived time scarcity and heightened time awareness in waiting can introduce a component of impatience. Speed, consumer control, and convenience can be specific associated attributes. The mental spotlight involved by attention can protect an individual from being confused by an eventual flood of messages and options and may contribute toward
Conclusions
Perceived time scarcity is closely interwoven with the benefits and concerns of the Internet. Both the two benefits most prevalent in the literature (speed/time savings and convenience) and a major concern (waiting time) relate to the efficient use of customers' time. These are obviously key attributes of the Internet.
Competition for consumers' attention is also closely related to measurable attributes of the Internet. Nevertheless, the associated benefits, such as fun, enjoyment, and
Do not confuse light users
The attributes summarized in Fig. 1 apply to specific brands and websites, but also more generally to how a digital environment is perceived. In this respect, Curran et al. (2003) found that heavy self-service technology users relied more on attitudes toward specific offerings than did light users. Light users relied more on higher-order global attitudes toward technology when deciding to use a specific technological offering. The business implication is that enterprises are wise to market the
From consumer benefits and concerns to customer segments
This article is based on extant research and literature. It contributes to a better understanding of the attributes that describe consumer encounters with the Web and generates a list of major consumer concerns and benefits regarding the Internet. Those benefits and concerns should be included among quality criteria for Web application development. In practical terms, the listing can serve as a starting point for work by companies to measure their customers' perceptions. At this stage, there
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to thank the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Yrjö Uitto Foundation and the Foundation of the Helsinki School of Economics for funding, and Professor Dennis W. Organ, Professor Olli T. Ahtola, and David Miller for their constructive comments.
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This manuscript accepted under the editorship of Dennis W. Organ.