No abstract

Previous research suggests males and females exhibit different beliefs about and attitudes toward traditional media advertising along with different advertising stimulated consumer behaviors. However, little is known about gender differences in consumer beliefs about Web advertising versus other media, attitude toward Web advertising, or Web advertising associated consumer behavior. Survey results indicate males and females differ significantly on several dimensions with males exhibiting more positive beliefs about Web advertising and more positive attitudes toward Web advertising than females. Additionally, males are more likely than females to purchase from the Web and surf the Web for functional and entertainment reasons, whereas females are more likely to surf the Web for shopping reasons.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the simultaneous effects of the product, brand, and vendor trust beliefs on consumers' online intentions, i.e. the intention to purchase and the intention to provide personal information online.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses an online 2×2×2 between‐subjects factorial experiment design with two vendor trust beliefs levels (high/low), two brand trust beliefs levels (high/low), and two product trust beliefs levels (high/low). Multivariate analysis of covariance, linear regression, and the SOBEL test were used to analyze the hypotheses.FindingsThe results suggest that brand trust beliefs affect online intentions, and may be needed to increase online sales. The influence of vendor trust beliefs on online intentions varies with brand trust, beliefs for products and for services is augmented by brand trust beliefs.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations are those typically applied to experimental methodology. Intentions were used as surrogate for behavior, and a fictitious e‐tailer selling two products with fictitious brands was used.Practical implicationsE‐tailers are encouraged to carry reputable brands and prominently display information about these brands on their web sites. This will improve consumers' trust beliefs, increasing conversion rates, and reducing shopping cart abandonments.Originality/valueThe influence of trust beliefs on online behavior, notwithstanding its importance, remains under‐researched. The paper addresses this gap in the literature. Specifically, it addresses the effects of the simultaneous influence of vendor, brand, and product trust beliefs on shoppers' online intentions. And it decomposes online intentions into its components, i.e. intentions to provide personal information and intentions to purchase, to understand these simultaneous effects not addressed before. The results contribute to the growing literature on trust and consumer online behavior.

Web sales reached over 30 billion dollars in the year 2001. This study explores the differences between heavy, medium, and light Web users in terms of their beliefs about Web advertising, attitudes toward Web advertising, purchasing patterns, and demographics. They lead to a more positive attitude toward Web advertising, which likely leads to more frequent Web purchasing and higher dollars spent on these purchases, suggesting marketers should consider consumer Web usage in their targeting efforts.

The study reported here examined the influence of product classification (i.e., search, experience, and credence) on consumer preferences for shopping on the Internet, and the importance of Internet retailers' attributes. In addition, the authors investigated whether the emphasis consumers place on Internet retailer attributes significantly influences their online purchase preference for the different product categories. Based on the review of the product classification literature, products are classified into four categories: search products, two types of experience products, and credence products. Data were collected from adult Internet users in two phases, through self‐administered surveys. The findings of the present study support the hypothesis that product classes significantly influence consumers' online purchase preferences. Internet retailer attributes were found to be important as well. In addition, the findings confirm that the importance consumers place upon Internet retailer attributes significantly influences their online purchase preference for different product categories. Managerial and academic implications are discussed.