Understanding of website usability: Specifying and measuring constructs and their relationships

Developing a usable website is pivotal for e-business success. Researchers have devoted effort to develop metrics, guidelines and theories of website usability, yet there still is a lack of consensus on the multifaceted dimensions of website usability and lack of investigation of the nomological networks among website usability constructs. This study first investigated the common dimensions of website usability by integrating the findings of previous studies and a focus group study with website usability experts. Instruments to measure the constructs were developed and empirically validated. Then nomological networks between website usability constructs and between those constructs and online purchase intention and purchase were examined. Three field studies including two questionnaire surveys and a causal mapping analysis were conducted. The research identified ten website usability constructs with strong psychometric properties. A number of nomological networks between usability constructs were discovered, contributing to identification of sources of variances of purchase intention and purchase behavior. Findings of this study are expected to provide useful insights for practitioners to develop more usable websites and for researchers to better assess the effect of website usability on online customer behavior. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.