Importance Ranking of Usability Indicators for Second-Hand Trading Applications Based on Exploratory Factor Analysis—Analytic Hierarchy Process toward Sustainable Development

Abstract

In contemporary society, excessive energy consumption and rapid product development cycles are seen as significant barriers to sustainable development. Second-hand trading apps have emerged as a solution to this issue that allow the extension of the lifecycle of products to reduce resource consumption and waste generation. This study aims to support the design and development of second-hand trading apps by establishing and prioritizing usability indicators. To this end, we assembled a team of 20 experts and initially identified usability indicators using the Delphi method. Then, data from surveys of 412 users were analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to reduce dimensions, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to finally rank the relative importance and priority of these indicators. The results show that of the Level 1 indicators, safety and privacy, learning and operation, and information architecture are relatively highly prioritized. For the Level 2 indicators, property protection, page information architecture, privacy protection, ease of use, and efficiency ranked highly in terms of composite weight priority. The findings of this study will aid in the usability evaluation and enhancement of future second-hand trading apps. By optimizing app usability, increasing user engagement, and thereby boosting the rate of second-hand product purchases, this research contributes positively to the sustainable development of the environment by reducing waste generation.