Generating Trust and Satisfaction in E-Services: The Impact of Usability on Consumer Behavior

The analysis of usability has achieved much popularity in recent years as a means of improving user experience with commercial websites. However, most work has focused on the measurement of usability as opposed to its implications for consumer behavior. The present work analyses the influence of usability on two key concepts in relationship marketing: trust and satisfaction. The results confirm the impact of usability on the ability dimension of trust, as well as the mediating role of satisfaction between (a) usability and honesty and (b) usability and benevolence. The main implications of these results are discussed.