Service Convenience in Online Consumer Behavior
Summary
Service convenience has emerged as a cornerstone of online consumer behaviour, reflecting the degree to which digital platforms minimise the time, effort and complexity of shopping interactions. Conceptualised as a multidimensional construct, it encompasses facets such as access convenience (ease of finding and reaching an online store), search convenience (efficiency of information retrieval), evaluation convenience (simplicity of comparing options), transaction convenience (streamlined payment and checkout), and post-purchase convenience (returns, exchanges and support). Advances in mobile technology, user-centred design and data analytics have driven new forms of virtual interaction, while global e-commerce growth has underscored the competitive advantage of frictionless service processes. Empirical studies link higher levels of service convenience to greater customer satisfaction, trust, loyalty and repurchase intention. Practitioners leverage these insights to optimise website interfaces, personalise recommendations and refine delivery and support systems, thereby addressing diverse consumer needs across markets and cultural contexts.
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Service Convenience in Online Consumer Behavior publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in service convenience in online consumer behavior across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Service convenience: The extent to which online service delivery minimises consumer time, effort and cognitive load across all stages of purchase.
Perceived value: Individual assessment of the benefits obtained from a service relative to the costs and efforts incurred.
e-WOM: Electronic word-of-mouth, referring to consumer-generated online reviews and recommendations that influence others’ purchase decisions.
Causal attribution: The cognitive process by which consumers infer the reasons for service failures or delays.
Remote support inconvenience: Difficulty encountered by consumers when seeking assistance or problem resolution through virtual channels.
References
- An Inconvenient Truth: Understanding Service Inconvenience in Digital Platforms. Journal of Service Research (2024).
- The effect of perceived convenience and perceived value on intention to repurchase in online shopping: the mediating effect of e-WOM and trust. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja (2023).
- Moderating effect of gender on service convenience and customer satisfaction: an empirical study of Indian e-retailers. LBS Journal of Management & Research (2023).
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