The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role and importance of the tangible elements of purchase processes in business to customer (b2c) electronic commerce, as well as the impact on overall perceived quality and the customers' attitudes.
The database for this study was obtained from a sample of 191 individuals who had purchased on the internet. The techniques used in the statistical analysis of the data were the following: principal component, analysis structural equations and regression analyses.
The paper finds that four attributes – navigation, signposting, tools and explanation – explain the tangible dimension in electronic commerce. In the data resulting from the analyses, design is seen as an important factor of overall perceived quality and the willingness to recommend the purchase experience to others.
If the company acts positively in the design, this will favorably affect overall perceived quality, but this is not enough to make a customer repeat. In future research, other dimensions which could retain the customers must be investigated.
The proposed scale to measure the dimension design could help firms to set an optimum design of their web sites, because a muddled and complex design represents a significant obstacle and may constitute a valid reason for a potential customer to decide not to return to the site.
Companies operating on the internet will find some suggestions in this paper on how to achieve competitive advantage through the optimum design of their web sites.
