What Attracts Customers to Online Stores,and What Keeps Them Coming Back?

Abstract

Many businesses on the Internet in the late 1990s spent wildly, doing whatever it might take to attract customers to their sites. It soon became clear that the challenge was not simply to bring the customers in the door but also to retain these customers for future purchases. The quest was on to discover what tactics had the most appeal to Internet shoppers. This study reveals survey and behavioral data drawn from Internet customers that reflect what was most important to the Internet shoppers and compare the factors for attraction versus retention. Since many have viewed the Internet as creating more perfect information for the buyer, the question arises as to how important price will be in the purchase process. What becomes clear from the analysis is that what attracts customers to the site are not the same dimensions critical in retaining customers on a longer term basis.