Abstract |
This study investigates the impact of website contents on Internet auction success. Based on the marketing concepts of stimuli, consumer behavior, and product involvement, the research model presents the theoretical relationships between the key factors of website contents and Internet auction performance. This study examines particularly four dimensions of website contents including transaction features, auction-specific features, seller's reputation, and information quality, which are deemed to have significant impact on the Internet auction performance. Each dimension of website contents is hypothesized to have a unique impact on a bidder's decision-making, which may vary depending on the bidder's level of involvement in the product. While transaction and auction-specific features serve as necessary components for successful auctions, a seller's reputation and information quality, as parts of satisfactory requirements, acutely affect bidders' decisions, especially those with high involvement to buy the product through a particular auction site. The outcomes of the analysis, in general, support the proposed model. The study results also provide meaningful implications on ways in which auction websites can be improved for both sellers and auction service providers. |