Consumer Behavior in Web-Based Commerce: An Empirical Study

Electronic commerce challenges companies to design electronic systems and interactions that retain customers and increase sales. This exploratory study examines the impact of consumer experience and attitudes on intention to return and unplanned purchases on-line. It also examines how certain consumer and Web site factors influence the on-line consumer experience. The study finds that perceived control and shopping enjoyment can increase the intention of new Web customers to return, but seemingly do not influence repeat customers to return. It also finds that a Web store that utilizes valueadded search mechanisms and presents a positively challenging experience can increase customers' shopping enjoyment. Further, the more often customers return to a Web store, the more their shopping enjoyment is determined by their product involvement. Customers with low need specificity (i.e., who do not know what they are looking for) are more likely to use value-added search mechanisms. Finally, neither perceived control nor shopping enjoyment has any significant impact on unplanned purchases.