Measuring the effects of dating websites’ investments in user self-presentation and peer-interactivity on firm performance

Abstract

With internet fi rms increasingly investing in new technologies and applications to make their websites attractive, social and interactive with e-store customers, less is known about the success drivers for one type of e-store, namely online dating sites. Dating sites are characterised by customers ' heavy use of self-presentations and high frequency of peer-to-peer interactions with the goal of fi nding a partner. However, their respective contribution to dating sites ' fi rm performance is unclear. This article aims to empirically examine the effects of the two customer-focused web functions: customer self-presentation and peer-interactivity on fi rm-performance using data from a Chinese dating website. The fi ndings confi rm the crucial role of self-presentation for a dating site, where it also signifi cantly infl uences the level of peer-interactivity, traffi c to one ' s profi le page, and fi rm performance. Yet, the effect of peer-interactivity is not evident from this sample. Overall, this study offers measures in a structural model, fi ndings from which would help e-marketers to strategically appropriate web investments in either function for enhancing fi rm performance.