Luis V. Casaló

The role of satisfaction and website usability in developing customer loyalty and positive word‐of‐mouth in the e‐banking services

Purpose – Customer loyalty and positive word‐of‐mouth (WOM) have been traditionally two main goals aimed at by managers. Focusing on the online banking, the importance of these concepts is even greater due to the increasing competence in electronic commerce. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to characterize both concepts in the e‐banking context.Design/methodology/approach – The influence of satisfaction and website usability in developing customer loyalty and positive WOM in the e‐banking business were measured. After the validation of measurement scales, hypotheses are contrasted through structural modelling.Findings – This research showed that satisfaction with previous interactions with the bank website had a positive effect on both customer loyalty and positive WOM. In addition, website usability was found to have a positive effect on customer satisfaction and, as expected, loyalty was also significantly related to positive WOM.Practical implications – In order to develop customer loyalty and positi...

The impact of participation in virtual brand communities on consumer trust and loyalty : The case of free software

Purpose – The importance of virtual brand communities is growing day by day as a result of consumers increasingly using online tools to contact fellow consumers in order to get information on which to base their decisions. For this reason, this work aims to explore some of the effects of participation in a virtual brand community on consumer behaviour.Design/methodology/approach – The paper proposes the positive effects of participation in a virtual community on both consumer trust and loyalty to the product, brand or organisation around which the community is developed. In addition, it also proposes a positive effect of trust on consumer loyalty. After the validations of measurement scales, the hypotheses are contrasted through structural modelling.Findings – The data, obtained through a web survey using members of several free software virtual communities, show that participation in the activities carried out in a virtual community may foster consumer trust and loyalty to the mutual interest of the comm...

The role of security, privacy, usability and reputation in the development of online banking

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to analyse the influence of perceived web site security and privacy, usability and reputation on consumer trust in the context of online banking. Moreover, the paper also aims to analyse the trust‐commitment relationship since commitment is a key variable for establishing successful long‐term relationships with customers.Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the positive effects of security and privacy, usability and reputation on consumer trust in a web site in the online banking context. Besides this, it also suggests that trust has a positive effect on consumer commitment. After the validation of measurement scales, the hypotheses are contrasted through structural modelling. Finally, the paper compares the hypothesised model with a rival one in order to test the mediating role of trust.Findings – The data showed that web site security and privacy, usability and reputation have a direct and significant effect on consumer trust in a financial services...

The role of perceived usability, reputation, satisfaction and consumer familiarity on the website loyalty formation process

The increasing competitiveness in electronic business is motivating varying research on the principal antecedents of consumer loyalty. However, previous research is too scarce, so that there are notable aspects which must be analyzed in-depth. This research has focused on new topics about the development of online consumer loyalty, such as the role of familiarity and usability. Firstly, we analyze the effect of usability, reputation and satisfaction on consumer loyalty. The results have revealed the existence of a positive and significant influence of reputation and satisfaction on website loyalty. Secondly, we confirm the influence of usability on consumer satisfaction. Thirdly, we assess the moderating role of consumer familiarity on the relationships proposed in the research model. The analyses have shown that usability plays a special role in the loyalty formation process. At reduced levels of familiarity usability influences on loyalty through consumer satisfaction (indirect effect). However, if familiarity increases then perceived usability influences on loyalty not only through its effect on satisfaction, but also in a direct way. Consequently, higher levels of familiarity mean that the weight of usability in the explanation of website loyalty is higher. Finally, several conclusions, managerial suggestions, limitations and future research lines are proposed.

Relationship quality, community promotion and brand loyalty in virtual communities: Evidence from free software communities

The Internet has favored the growth of collaborative platforms where marketers and consumers interact to develop more engaging products and services. These platforms are usually centered in a specific brand/product and their members are linked by a shared admiration to that brand. This paper analyzes one of the most powerful online collaborative platforms, the free software (FS) case, which involves a lot of virtual communities developed around products such as Linux or Android, the new Googles mobile operating system. Our purpose is to determine some of the main antecedents and consequences of the consumer involvement in this type of communities. Results have shown that satisfaction with a virtual community may increase the level of consumer participation in that community. At the same time, a greater identification with the virtual community may increase indirectly the consumer participation thanks to the enhancement of his/her satisfaction with the community. We have also found positive and significant effects of consumer identification and participation on the level of community promotion. Finally, positive and significant effects of consumer participation and satisfaction with the community on loyalty to the FS were also found. These findings allow us to conclude some interesting managerial implications.

The Influence of Satisfaction, Perceived Reputation and Trust on a Consumer's Commitment to a Website

Consumer commitment and trust placed by the consumer in a website are two key factors for maintaining a long‐term relationship between consumers and businesses in the online context. This study analyzes the effects of the level of satisfaction of previous interactions and the trust placed by the consumer in a website on the commitment of the online consumer. In addition, we have looked at the effects of perceived reputation and satisfaction on consumer trust. The empirical analysis confirms the existence of positive and significant effects of trust and satisfaction on commitment. Similarly, we observed positive and significant effects of perceived reputation and satisfaction on consumer trust. The study concludes with the main managerial implications, limitations and possibilities for future research.

Antecedents and Consequences of Consumer Participation in On-Line Communities: The Case of the Travel Sector

On-line communities provide a key tool for modern marketing and business strategies in the travel sector, but in-depth knowledge about the determinants and implications of traveler participation in these communities is lacking. This study integrates relational capital into the information systems continuance model in order to explain consumer participation in on-line communities. It also investigates the moderating effect on the participation process of two personal attributes-on-line interaction propensity and ability to contribute to the community. Last, it analyzes the effect of on-line communities on consumer behavioral intentions to use the on-line communitys products and to follow the communitys advice. Data from 456 members of on-line travel communities reveal that integrating relational capital into the information systems continuance model effectively predicts consumer participation in these communities. The data also confirm the moderating effect of selected personal attributes for determining consumer participation. Finally, participation in on-line travel communities has a positive effect on consumer intention to use on-line community products, and trust in the community has a positive effect on intention to follow advice obtained from the community.

The role of usability and satisfaction in the consumer's commitment to a financial services website

In this paper, we have analysed the antecedents of affective commitment to a website, due to the fact that commitment is a key factor in order to maintain a long-term relationship between the consumer and the business in the online context. In terms of affective commitment, we have found a positive, direct and significant relationship between website perceived usability and consumers affective commitment. So, higher levels of website usability might lead to higher levels of consumers affective commitment to the website. In addition, in this research we have also noticed a direct, positive and significant relationship between satisfaction in previous interactions and the consumers commitment to a financial services website.

The Role of Consumer Happiness in Relationship Marketing

The success of relationship marketing strategies depends, among other things, on the emotional personal situation of consumers. This article analyzes the influence that consumer happiness, a general affective state or mood, might have on relations between the main variables associated with relationship marketing—that is, commitment, satisfaction, and trust. The traditional causal effects between satisfaction–trust, satisfaction–affective commitment, and trust–affective commitment are confirmed. The results also suggest that happiness moderates the satisfaction–affective commitment relationship, as this effect is reinforced when consumers present higher levels of happiness. Finally, main conclusions, managerial suggestions, and limitations of this work are discussed.

Some antecedents and effects of participation in Spanish virtual brand communities

Virtual brand communities are increasing their importance day by day due to the fact that many consumers are using several online tools to share ideas and contact fellow consumers. For this reason, this work explores some antecedents and outcomes of consumer participation in virtual brand communities. The data, obtained through a web survey using Spanish-speaking members of several virtual communities, show that propensity to trust, familiarity with the community, satisfaction in previous interactions with other community members and communication in the community are the main precursors of consumers intentions to participate in a virtual community. Additionally, consumer participation in the activities carried out in a virtual brand community may enhance consumer loyalty to the brand around which the community is centred.