The impact of complexity and perceived difficulty on consumer revisit intentions

Abstract Many consumer tasks that are facilitated by technology are inherently complex. More complex tasks are generally perceived by consumers as more difficult. Complexity and perceived difficulty can impact on the consumer's intention to revisit a website. This paper uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to compare directly the impact of both task complexity and perceived task difficulty on consumers’ revisit intentions. Data collected from 298 European consumers were analysed using structural equation modelling to address these objectives. The findings show that both complexity and perceived difficulty impact on consumers’ revisit intentions. Consequently, website designers and marketing managers need to evaluate both when considering consumers’ online interactions with their organisation.