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Web sites provide the key interface for consumer use of the Internet. This research reports on a series of three studies that develop and validate Web site usability, design and
performance metrics, including download delay, navigability, site content, interactivity, and responsiveness. The performance metric that was developed includes the subconstructs user satisfaction, the likelihood of return, and the frequency of use.
Data was collected in 1997, 1999, and 2000 from corporate Web sites via three methods, namely, a jury, third-party ratings, and a software agent. Significant associations between Web site design elements and Web site performance indicate that the constructs demonstrate good nomological validity. Together, the three studies provide a set of measures with acceptable validity and reliability. The findings also suggest lack of significant common methods biases across the jury-collected data, third-party data, and agent-collected data.
Results suggest that Web site success is a first-order construct. Moreover, Web site success is significantly associated with Web site download delay (speed of access and display rate within the Web site), navigation (organization, arrangement, layout, and sequencing), content (amount and variety of product information), interactivity (customization and interactivity), and responsiveness (feedback options and FAQs).
(e-Commerce, Web Metrics, or Measurement; Web Site Usability; Design and Performance Constructs; Construct Validity; Nomological Validity)
Introduction
Over the next few years, the World Wide Web (the Web) is expected to increase by a factor of 20, growing to 200 million sites by 2005. The number of actual Web pages will increase even more, with existing Web sites continuing to add pages. Indeed, Nielsen (2000) projects a growth to 50 billion pages by 2005. Given the size of the phenomenon, the measure of what users want in a Web site is an important area of study because the Web site is a primary user interface for netenabled business (Straub and Watson 2001), information provision, and promotional activities (Alba et al. 1997, Jarvenpaa and Todd 1997, Schubert and Selz 1998). Developing sites that are responsive to user needs is critical for all site designers and managers (Price 1997). For Web page owners to be successful and for users to be satisfied, Web sites need to consider usability and other design criteria (Nielsen 2000, Pearrow 2000, Shneiderman 1998). To facilitate such design...