How Attitude Toward the Web Site Influences Consumer Brand Choice and Confidence While Shopping Online

Abstract

As more and more consumers spend more money on the Internet, traditional retailers and manufacturers as well as entrepreneurial dot-coms are jousting to explore and shape this new business opportunity. Their long-term survival and profitability may be determined by how well the Web site helps form and sustain positive attitudes toward the site and, eventually, toward the product or the company. The purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) to examine if and how attitude toward the Web site (Ast) affects consumer brand choice; and (2) to examine the association between Ast and consumers' confidence in choice, and the moderating effect of consumer product knowledge in its relationship. The study asked participants to choose a laptop brand after visiting three laptop manufacturer Web sites for a total of 30 minutes. Their product knowledge and attitude toward the three Web sites were also measured. The study found that attitude toward the Web site is a good predictor of consumer brand choice. In addition, confidence in choice seemed to be affected by Ast, depending on product knowledge. For a group with low product knowledge (novices), Ast was likely to influence confidence in choice. For a group with high product knowledge (experts), however, Ast did not seem to affect confidence in choice. >