How can the Web help build customer relationships?

  • Authors:
  • Fang Wang;Milena Head

  • Affiliations:
  • School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5, Canada;McMaster University, Ontario, Canada

  • Venue:
  • Information and Management
  • Year:
  • 2007

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Abstract

The Web is increasingly being viewed as a tool and place to enhance customer relationship. In this paper we defined a model to analyze the Web characteristics that aid in building customer relationships and then used this model to examine consumer relationship building mechanisms in online retailing (e-tailing). Through a survey of 177 shoppers who had bought books, CDs, or DVDs online, the causal model was validated using LISREL; 13 out of 14 hypotheses were supported. This research has contributed to both theory and practice by providing a validated model to analyze online consumer relationship building and suggesting mechanisms to help e-tailers focus on online consumer relationship management.