A service-oriented analysis of online product classification methods

Studies of Internet market have found that consumers' purchasing behaviors including information search, channel selection, and brand evaluation processes are impacted by the product/service types. In this research, we perform a comprehensive review of existing online product classification methods. An in-depth analysis of the rationale behind each method was studied, and important product characteristics were determined for integrating different approaches. Grounded on the theory of the components of perceived risk in product purchase and the recently emerged service science, the integrated classification will help companies to better understand the online consumer purchasing behavior and to design their e-commerce strategies accordingly. Survey results indicate that the integrated classification is an effective way to classify products and services marketed on the Internet.

[1]  Elena Karahanna,et al.  The Relative Advantage of Electronic Channels: A Multidimensional View , 2008, MIS Q..

[2]  M.H.P. Kleijnen,et al.  Customer adoption of e‐service: an experimental study , 2001 .

[3]  J. P. Peter,et al.  A Comparative Analysis of Three Consumer Decision Strategies , 1975 .

[4]  Bin Gu,et al.  Do online reviews matter? - An empirical investigation of panel data , 2008, Decis. Support Syst..

[5]  Il Im,et al.  The impact of product category on customer dissatisfaction in cyberspace , 2003, Bus. Process. Manag. J..

[6]  Paul A. Pavlou,et al.  Predicting E-Services Adoption: A Perceived Risk Facets Perspective , 2002, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[7]  R. Dholakia,et al.  Factors Driving Consumer Intention to Shop Online: An Empirical Investigation , 2003 .

[8]  S. Forsythe,et al.  Consumer patronage and risk perceptions in Internet shopping , 2003 .

[9]  Yi-Ching Hsieh,et al.  Maintaining a committed online customer: A study across search-experience-credence products , 2005 .

[10]  P. Nelson.  Information and Consumer Behavior , 1970, Journal of Political Economy.

[11]  Patrali Chatterjee,et al.  Commercial Scenarios for the Web: Opportunities and Challenges , 1997, J. Comput. Mediat. Commun..

[12]  Liz Lee-Kelley,et al.  The reluctant Hong Kong consumer: purchasing travel online , 2004 .

[13]  Carol C. Bienstock,et al.  Measuring Service Quality in E-Retailing , 2006 .

[14]  Stephen L. Vargo,et al.  Evolving to a New Dominant Logic for Marketing , 2004 .

[15]  P. Kotler.  Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, Implementation and Control , 1972 .

[16]  Jungjoo Jahng,et al.  Effective design of electronic commerce environments: a proposed theory of congruence and an illustration , 2000, IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern. Part A.

[17]  Judy E. Scott,et al.  The Impact of Product Classification for Online Auctions , 2004, AMCIS.

[18]  James Teboul,et al.  Service is Front Stage: Positioning Services for Value Advantage , 2006 .

[19]  Heeseok Lee,et al.  Categorizing commercial products for customer oriented online retailing , 2006, Comput. Ind. Eng..

[20]  P. Nelson.  Advertising as Information , 1974, Journal of Political Economy.

[21]  Paul A. Pavlou,et al.  Consumer Acceptance of Electronic Commerce: Integrating Trust and Risk with the Technology Acceptance Model , 2003, Int. J. Electron. Commer..

[22]  Sui Meng Poon,et al.  Factors influencing the types of products and services purchased over the Internet , 2000, Internet Res..

[23]  M. Darby,et al.  Free Competition and the Optimal Amount of Fraud , 1973, The Journal of Law and Economics.

[24]  John G. Lynch,et al.  Interactive Home Shopping: Consumer, Retailer, and Manufacturer Incentives to Participate in Electronic Marketplaces , 1997 .

[25]  Lina Zhou,et al.  ONLINE SHOPPING ACCEPTANCE MODEL — A CRITICAL SURVEY OF CONSUMER FACTORS IN ONLINE SHOPPING , 2007 .

[26]  R. J. Kent,et al.  The Global Internet Shopper: Evidence from Shopping Tasks in Twelve Countries , 2001, Journal of Advertising Research.

[27]  Will Norton,et al.  An Economic Perspective on the Information Content of Magazine Advertisements , 1988 .

[28]  H. Assael.  Consumer behavior and marketing action , 1981 .

[29]  Paul A. Pavlou,et al.  Understanding and Predicting Electronic Commerce Adoption: An Extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior , 2006, MIS Q..

[30]  Scott D. Johnson,et al.  Influences on consumer use of word-of-mouth recommendation sources , 1997 .

[31]  Michael Tow Cheung,et al.  Internet-based e-banking and consumer attitudes: an empirical study , 2002, Inf. Manag..

[32]  J. Jacoby,et al.  The Components of Perceived Risk , 1972 .

[33]  Amit Bhatnagar,et al.  Segmenting consumers based on the benefits and risks of Internet shopping , 2004 .

[34]  T. Girard,et al.  Relationship of Type of Product, Shopping Orientations, and Demographics with Preference for Shopping on the Internet , 2003 .

[35]  Etta Y. I. Chen,et al.  Consumers' Online Information Search Behavior and the Phenomenon of Search vs. Experience Products , 2004 .

[36]  Kenneth T. Rosen,et al.  E-Retail: Gold Rush or Fool's Gold? , 2000 .

[37]  Leo R. Vijayasarathy,et al.  Product characteristics and Internet shopping intentions , 2002, Internet Res..

[38]  H. Raghav Rao,et al.  On risk, convenience, and Internet shopping behavior , 2000, CACM.

[39]  Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa,et al.  Consumer Trust in an Internet Store: A Cross-Cultural Validation , 2006, J. Comput. Mediat. Commun..

[40]  Ronnie Silverblatt,et al.  Influence of Product Class on Preference for Shopping on the Internet , 2006, J. Comput. Mediat. Commun..

[41]  Frederick J. Riggins,et al.  The Impact of Product Type and Perceived Characteristics of the Web on Multifaceted Online Shopping Behavior , 2009, J. Organ. Comput. Electron. Commer..

[42]  N. Lee,et al.  Word of mouth communication within online communities: Conceptualizing the online social network , 2007 .

[43]  Lisa R. Klein.  Evaluating the Potential of Interactive Media through a New Lens: Search versus Experience Goods , 1998 .

[44]  John G. Lynch,et al.  Communication Effects of Advertising versus Direct Experience When both Search and Experience Attributes Are Present , 1995 .

[45]  Jiunn-Woei Lian,et al.  Effects of consumer characteristics on their acceptance of online shopping: Comparisons among different product types , 2008, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[46]  J. Jacoby,et al.  Components of perceived risk in product purchase: A cross-validation. , 1974 .

[47]  V. Mitchell.  Consumer perceived risk: conceptualisations and models , 1999 .

[48]  Bart J. Bronnenberg,et al.  Exploring the implications of the internet for consumer marketing , 1997 .