Efthymios Constantinides

Influencing the online consumer's behavior: the Web experience

Addresses one of the fundamental issues of e-marketing: how to attract and win over the consumer in the highly competitive Internet marketplace. Analyses the factors affecting the online consumers behavior and examines how e-marketers can influence the outcome of the virtual interaction and buying process by focusing their marketing efforts on elements shaping the customers virtual experience, the Web experience. Identifying the Web experience components and understanding their role as inputs in the online customers decision-making process are the first step in developing and delivering an attractive online presence likely to have the maximum impact on Internet users. Click-and-mortar firms delivering superior Web experience influence their physical clients’ perceptions and attitudes, driving additional traffic to traditional sales outlets. Provides a contribution to the theoretical debate around the factors influencing the online consumers behavior and outlines some noticeable similarities and differences between the traditional and virtual consumers.

The 4S Web-Marketing Mix Model

This paper reviews the criticism on the 4Ps Marketing Mix framework, the most popular tool of traditional marketing management, and categorizes the main objections of using the model as the foundation of physical marketing. It argues that applying the traditional approach, based on the 4Ps paradigm, is also a poor choice in the case of virtual marketing and identifies two main limitations of the framework in online environments: the drastically diminished role of the Ps and the lack of any strategic elements in the model. Next to identifying the critical factors of the Web marketing, the paper argues that the basis for successful E-Commerce is the full integration of the virtual activities into the company’s physical strategy, marketing plan and organisational processes. The four S elements of the Web-Marketing Mix framework present a sound and functional conceptual basis for designing, developing and commercialising Business-to-Consumer online projects. The model was originally developed for educational purposes and has been tested and refined by means of field projects; two of them are presented as case studies in the paper.

Social Media: A New Frontier for Retailers?

During the last two decades the retailing industry is finding itself in a state of constant evolution and transformation. Globalization, mergers and acquisitions, and technological developments have drastically changed the retailing landscape. The explosive growth of the Internet has been one of the main catalysts in this process. The effects of the Internet have been mostly felt in retail sectors dealing mainly with intangibles or information products. But these are not likely to be limited to these sectors; increasingly retailers of physical products realize that the empowered, sophisticated, critical and well-informed consumer of today is essentially different to the consumer they have always known. The web, and particularly what is known as Social Media or Web 2.0, have given consumers much more control, information and power over the market process, posing retailers with a number of important dilemmas and challenges. This article explains what the new face of the Internet, widely referred to as Web 2.0 or Social Media, is, identifies its importance as a strategic marketing tool and proposes a number of alternative strategies for retailers. Implementing such strategies will allow retailers not only to survive, but also create competitive advantages and thrive in the new environment.

Potential of the social media as instruments of higher education marketing: a segmentation study

Social Media marketing is a relatively new terrain for marketers. Field experience is very limited, as is the academic attention and literature available. Despite the lack of experience and without concrete evidence about the effectiveness of Social Media marketing, growing numbers of commercial organizations are embracing the Social Media as part of their marketing strategy. Higher education institutions competing for attracting students also seem to be interested in the potential of the Social Media as part of their communication and recruitment strategies. Understanding how future students use the Social Media as part of their daily life and as information sources forms the basis for the development of effective recruitment strategies based on these applications. This study provides a clear picture of the online behaviour of the future higher education student in The Netherlands. Data are collected by means of a national survey among future university students. The study explores the main characteristics of the future university students and analyses the way they use the Social Media in their everyday life, and the effect it has on their decision-making process, particularly in the selection of higher education studies. According to the findings the Social Media play an important role in the life of the future university students, as part of their social environment, but also as communication platforms and information sources. Recommendations are made regarding the possibilities of integrating the Social Media in the university marketing strategy.

Effects of web experience on consumer choice: a multicultural approach

Purpose – This paper seeks to analyze the buying behavior of internet users in two European countries with different cultural backgrounds, Spain and The Netherlands, assessing the influence of online experience factors on the choice of an internet vendor. It also aims to identify and compare the influence of personal and behavioral characteristics on the e-vendor choice. Design/methodology/approach – The study simulated a realistic virtual shopping activity in the computer laboratory; participants had to complete an online shopping assignment and an online questionnaire. Findings – The findings indicate that the basic traits of the online consumer behavior of internet users in the two countries are quite similar. Most of the disparities observed are attributed to different levels of experience with the internet as a commercial channel. Research limitations/implications – The outcome could suggest the emergence of a global virtual village, an issue worthy of further research but also of particular importance for global web vendors and website designers. The basic limitation of the study is that it is conducted in only two European countries and refers only to online purchasing of a standardized tangible consumer product. Practical implications – The findings of the study can be translated to web design guidelines useful to online organizations operating in different cultural or ethnic environments. Originality/value – The paper presents one of the first studies comparing the influence of online experience factors in two culturally different countries.

Strategies for surviving the Internet meltdown: The case of two Internet incumbents

This paper reviews a number of theoretical issues dealing with the strategic management process in fast‐evolving, uncertain environments and examines the fit between theory and practice by means of two case studies, two successful dot.com incumbents from the first generation of Internet start‐ups. Analysis of survival and growth strategies of the two virtual firms reveals interesting similarities in their evolutionary processes and corporate strategic attitudes. In both cases the company management has ensured survival and growth through rigorous organizational transformation based on very intensive, flexible and short‐term‐ rather than long‐term‐oriented strategic decision making. This approach has helped out both companies not only to escape the Internet fall‐out but also to build up strong brands and leading market position. As well as identifying managerial approaches, the case studies show analogies to theoretical approaches on managing the strategic process in evolving and chaotic environments.

Higher Education Marketing: A Study on the Impact of Social Media on Study Selection and University Choice

The importance of the Internet as commercial platform is by now universally recognized, and businesses increasingly adopt online marketing channels at the cost of traditional ones. The social media, being second generation (Web 2.0) internet applications, allow interaction, one-to-one communication, customer engagement, and user generated content. The interest of higher education institutions in social media as part of the marketing toolkit is increasing, but little is known about the potential of these channels in higher education marketing strategies. Even less is known about the role of social media as influencers of future students in the choice of study and university. This article presents the results of a study identifying the role and importance of social media on the choice of future students for a study and university in comparison with the traditional university marketing channels in the Netherlands. The study identifies and describes three market segments among future students based on their use of the social media

Social networking sites as business tool: a study of user behavior

Social Networking Sites (SNS) are second generation web applications allowing the creation of personal online networks; the social networking domain has become one of the fastest growing online environments connecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Businesses are increasingly interested in SNS as sources of customer voice and market information but are also increasingly interested in the SNS as the domain where promising marketing tactics can be applied; SNS can be also used as business process management (BPM) tools due to powerful synergies between BPM and SNS. Marketers have various options: SNS can be engaged as tools of customer engagement, social interaction, and relationship building but also as channels of information, collaboration and promotion. Understanding the adoption motives and adoption process of these applications is an essential step in engaging the SNS as part of the marketing toolbox.

Social media as marketing strategy: an explorative study on adoption and use by retailers

Purpose — This study examines a cross section of the Spanish retailing branch on the adoption and use of Social Media tools, identifying users and nonusers and their impact on management experiences. The use of 2.0 technologies has also been analyzed based on company size. Methodology — An online survey among 90 Spanish retailers provides a number of interesting insights in the adoption rates, the facilitating and disruptive factors in the adoption process, the types of applications used by retailers, and their experiences from them. Prior to filling in the online questionnaires, the recipients were contacted by phone and were informed about the study. A Chi-square analysis has been carried out to contrast the suggested research questions. Findings — Retailers using Social Media as part of their marketing strategy use most social applications for customer-related purposes and see clear benefits in improving customer relations, market communication, improving their after-sales services, and obtaining customer feedback and customer information. Although many differences do not exist between large, medium, and small companies, it is remarkable that large companies use social web tools as branding and small companies as customer service. Research limitations — The main problem of this study has been the low recruitment of answers by retailers. Practical and social implications — Customers are using such technologies in overwhelming numbers and a substantial part of the customer generated content in Social Media is about brands, businesses, and products. Having a good idea about the customer dialog online can provide businesses with very valuable information and help them understand market trends but also identify potential areas of danger and problems. Originality/value of chapter — The adoption of Social Media tools is a topic much studied from demand perspective. Nevertheless, the application to business and, specifically, retailing sector is less analyzed. With this study we pretend to improve this research line from offer perspective.

Impact of web experience on e-consumer responses

Identifying the Web Experience components and understanding their role as inputs in the online customers decision-making process is the first step in developing and delivering an attractive online presence, likely to have the maximum impact on Internet users. Based on background literature, this study is focused on the effects of five web experience factors on virtual buying behaviour, specifically, on the choice of a virtual vendor. Additionally, in the model two user behavioural variables -motivation and experience - have been included in order to analyze their impact on web experience elements and, in consequence, on the choice of online vendors. An online consumer survey was held in a realistic virtual shopping environment. The main results of the empirical study show that four of the five web experience components analyzed (i.e., usability, trust-building, marketing mix, and aesthetics) have a positive and significant effect on the choice of e-vendor while interactivity does not have any significant effect in this choice. Experience is also an influential variable while buying motives do not substantially affect the online customer behaviour.