Web Personalization Cues and Their Differential Effects on User Assessments of Website Value

Author List: Benlian, Alexander;

Journal of Management Information Systems, 2015, Volume 32, Issue 1, Page 225-260.

Although various kinds of personalization cues are pervasively used on websites, previous research studies have treated web personalization primarily as a coarse-grained, monolithic block (e.g., by comparing personalization vs. nonpersonalization or personalization vs. privacy) rather than as a combination of salient types of personalization cues that may createÑeither jointly or separatelyÑdifferent effects on user assessments of website value. Based on the stimulusÐorganismÐresponse framework, we develop a research model that proposes users' preference fit and perceived enjoyment as two key intervening mechanisms that carry over the differential effects of content and design personalization cues on users' willingness to stick to a website and to pay for website offerings. In a field experiment with 206 subjects using a real-life news aggregator website, our findings provide evidence in support of different effect paths emanating from content and design personalization cues. Furthermore, we show that the effects of content personalization cues on website stickiness and users' willingness to pay (WTP) are mediated by both preference fit and perceived enjoyment, whereas design personalization cues exert their effects on website stickiness only through perceived enjoyment. Counter to intuition, we find that a combination of content and design personalization cues is ineffectiveÑor even counterproductiveÑin increasing preference fit and users' WTP above and beyond the levels generated by content cues alone. With regard to perceived enjoyment and website stickiness, however, content and design personalization cues exhibit synergistic properties indicating that the combination of both cues are more than the sum of the individual cues alone. Recommendations are provided as to how online managers and web designers can use web personalization cues to positively influence website stickiness and to strengthen their digital business model. > >

Keywords: field experiment; online news aggregators; perceived enjoyment; personalization cues; preference fit; web personalization; website stickiness; website value; willingness to pay

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List of Topics

#13	0.379	personalization content personalized willingness web pay online likelihood information consumers cues customers consumer services elaboration preference experiment framing customized timing
#278	0.155	website users websites technostress stress time online wait delay aesthetics user model image elements longer waiting appeal attract utility internet
#46	0.111	perceived transparency control design enjoyment experience study diagnosticity improve features develop consequences showing user experiential providing antecedents interface effects economy
#138	0.073	use question opportunities particular identify information grammars researchers shown conceptual ontological given facilitate new little constraints dual answer post-adoption theory
#285	0.067	effects effect research data studies empirical information literature different interaction analysis implications findings results important set large provide using paper
#270	0.053	design designs science principles research designers supporting forms provide designing improving address case little space criteria methods increasing synthesis designer