How Well do Firms Implement Strategy When They Design Internet Web Pages?

Abstract

Why do firms design web sites the way that they do? The internet literature has suggested several thing that should affect web site design. Firms may have strategic motivations to use the internet. For example these may include to reduce costs, increase sales, or enhance image. A web page may also have certain functional roles it might play like selling or communicating. All of these should impact web page design and this is tested via an on-line survey and a content analysis of web sites. The authors find no relationship between actual content of web sites and strategic motivations to use the internet or functional roles of internet web sites. Therefore, the authors conclude we have much to learn about effective advertising on the web and we call for more empirical research.