Web-based customer decision support systems
Communications of the ACM
Envisioning Cyberspace: Designing 3d Electronic Spaces
Envisioning Cyberspace: Designing 3d Electronic Spaces
Why Not Make Interfaces Better than 3D Reality?
IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications
AUIC '06 Proceedings of the 7th Australasian User interface conference - Volume 50
Electronic Commerce Research
Retail spatial evolution: paving the way from traditional to metaverse retailing
Electronic Commerce Research
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Virtual worlds are three-dimensional (3D) online persistent multi-user environments where users interact through avatars. The literature suggests that virtual worlds can facilitate real world business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce. However, few real world businesses have adopted virtual worlds for B2C e-commerce. In this paper, we present results from interviews with consumers in a virtual world to investigate how virtual worlds can support B2C e-commerce. A thematic analysis of the data was conducted to uncover affordances and constraints of virtual worlds for B2C e-commerce. Two affordances (habitability and appearance of realness) and one constraint (demand for specialised skill) were uncovered. The implications of this research for designers are (1) to provide options to consumers that enable them to manage their online reputation, (2) to focus on managing consumers' expectations and (3) to facilitate learning between consumers.