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Lewis 1Karyn N. Lewis0105-440-01 Internet MarketingRochester Institute of Technology Winter 20082Research Paper 
Evaluating Web Site Quality: A Benchmarking ApproachExecutive Summary
Quality web site design is a critical success factor for corporations with an e-commerce strategy. Theassessment of web site quality is considered a problem of measuring user satisfaction in order to analyze user perceptions and preferences, requiring a set of guidelines
—
or criteria
—
from which corporations can benchmark their design activities. An effective web site evaluation model is one that makes it possible to pinpoint the web
characteristics that contribute to improving virtual customers’ attitudes and purchasing intentions. Much of the
previous research done on web quality assessment proposes a multivariate approach because of the complexity andthe multi-dimensional nature of the problem. From specified quality features, a set of satisfaction criteria can beassessed reflecting all aspects of user perceptions about web site quality. This method of data collection andanalysis assumes a multicriteria preference disaggregation approach following an ordinal regression model, whichprovides quantitative measures of customer satisfaction considering the qualitative form of cus
tomers’ judgments.
The main objective of this method is the gathering of individual judgements into a collective value function, assuming
the client’s satisfaction depends on a set of criteria. From this data, a series of perceptual maps—
comparativeperformance diagrams
—
can be developed to benchmark a set of competing organizations and define possibleimprovement actions according to customer satisfaction.
Introduction
In the virtual enterprise, quality web site design is a critical success factor for corporations with an e-commerce strategy because most contact with customers hinges on their interaction through a web site (Joia &Barbosa de Oliveira, 2008). Most B2C e-commerce web sites, however, were not developed to cater to this aspect. Although companies may try to emulate human behavior with technology, the interaction is different due to manyaspects that technology cannot replace
—
courtesy, friendliness, helpfulness, care, commitment, flexibility, andcleanliness. With the proliferation of web sites and the commercial Internet invested in them, the assessment of website quality has evolved as an important activity (Grigoroudis et al., 2008). Business organizations throughout theworld invest a great deal of time and money in order to develop and maintain quality sites to provide effectivecommunication and information channels to their customers.The assessment of web site quality is considered a problem of measuring user satisfaction in order toanalyze user perceptions and preferences (Grigoroudis et al., 2008). Avoidance of poor web site design demands aset of guidelines
—
or criteria
—
from which corporations can benchmark their design activities (Kim et al., 2003).
Having this basic set of criteria serves the corporation’s effort when evaluating, com
paring, monitoring, managing,and designing web sites.
The Need for Web Site Quality Assessment
Modern web sites present a wide variety of features, complexity of structure and offered services(Grigoroudis et al., 2008). Evaluation is an aspect of site development and operation that often contributes tomaximizing invested resources in serving user needs and expectations. A quality-oriented approach to web siteassessment would consider the web site as the product and the user as the customer, focusing on the analysis and
 
Lewis 2assessment of web site features that affect overall user satisfaction (Zhang & von Dran, 2001). Thus, exploring website quality and user expectations is the crucial key for site improvement.
When a consumer accesses a corporation’s web
site, the appearance, structure, and maintenance status all
influence the consumer’s perception of both the transaction experience and the corporate image (Kim et al., 2003).
These characteristics of customer and company interaction developed via a web site are linked to the subjective andobjective elements that influence purchase, which makes careful web site planning of paramount importance. Aneffective web site evaluation model is one that makes it possible to pinpoint the web characteristics that contribute to
improving virtual customers’ attitudes and purchasing intentions. The goal is to distinguish clearly between the
external aspects of web sites
—
those related to the particular behaviors of the user 
—
from their internal aspects, or those related to their design (Joia & Barbosa de Oliveira, 2008). In this way, the relationships between the many
different factors affecting a web site’s rating can be found in order to understand their contribution to the closure of an
online purchase.
Existing Web Site Quality Assessment Research
Literature on web site quality assessment includes the perspectives of a broad range of experts in humanfactors, cognitive psychology and web development, as well as research addressing issues associated with thedesign and usability of web products (Grigoroudis et al., 2008). Traditional research on web site evaluation methodsoffers insight in achieving usable web-based interfaces. Several authors have undertaken studies regarding B2C e-commerce web site evaluation using a variety of conventional methodologies including usability testing (e.g.,Zimmerman, et al., 1998 cited in Hassen & Li, 2005), expert review (e.g. Zhang & von Dran, 2000 cited in Hassen &Li, 2005), case studies (e.g., Smith, Newman, & Parks, 1997 cited in Hassen & Li, 2005), and automated assessment(e.g., Tausher & Greenberg, 1997 cited in Hassen & Li, 2005).In several cases, web site quality has been related to the level of user expectations fulfillment and qualitystandards (Grigoroudis et al., 2008). The SERVQUAL model (Parasuraman et al., 1985, 1988, 1991 cited inGrigoroudis et al., 2008) has also been used for web site quality assessment, proposing a universal set of qualitydimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy). Much of the previous research done onweb quality assessment proposes a multivariate approach because of the complexity and the multi-dimensionalnature of the problem. Several web site quality aspects can be found in the literature, which may be summarized inthe following principal quality dimensions listed by Grigoroudis et al. (2008):a.
 
Content
: Related to the responsiveness of a web site to satisfy user inquiry and trust regarding the informationoffered (Beck, 1997 cited in Grigoroudis et al., 2008); described in several dimensions such as utility of content(Grose et al., 1998 cited in Grigoroudis et al., 2008), content integration (Winkler, 2001 cited in Grigoroudis et al.,2008), completeness of information, subject specialization (Nielsen, 2002 cited in Grigoroudis et al., 2008), andcontent credibility.b.
 
Personalization
: Examined at the following levels: personalization of information (Blankenship, 2001 cited inGrigoroudis et al., 2008), personalization of interface (Brusilovsky, 2001 cited in Grigoroudis et al., 2008), andpersonalization of layout (Winkler, 2001 cited in Grigoroudis et al., 2008).c.
 
Navigation
: Reflects the support provided to users when moving in and around a site, including the followingdimensions: convenience of navigation tools (Vora, 1998 cited in Grigoroudis et al., 2008), means of navigation,ease of use of navigation tools, and links to other sites.d.
 
Structure and design
: Examined at the following levels: loading speed (Virpi and Kaikkonen, 2003 cited inGrigoroudis et al., 2008), technical integrity (Shredo, 2001 cited in Grigoroudis et al., 2008), real timeinformation, software requirements, and browser capability (Vora, 1998 cited in Grigoroudis et al., 2008).e.
 
Appearance and multimedia
: Captures aspects related to a web site
’s look and feel, giving emphasis on state
of the art graphics and multimedia artifacts. Examined at the following levels: graphics representation, existenceand usability of images, and voice and video.
 
Lewis 3In the current era of e-commerce, researchers must consider the addition of business-related evaluationcriteria to the more dominant ones (Kim et al., 2003). Researchers have recently suggested various personalizationschemes that ostensibly make the visitor interested in the site and guide him or her to important pages (Jenamani &Mohapatra, 2006). Studies have been conducted to provide unique navigation structure for the individual user usingpersonalization techniques built on user behavior models. According to Zhang and von Dran (2001), however,designers must first have a thorough understanding of the different quality dimensions that affect user expectations.They must then be able to relate these quality characteristics to specific design features.
Application & Understanding of the Benchmarking Technique
Benchmarking is a measuring method widely to improve organizations (Elmuti, 1998). The essence of benchmarking is the process of identifying the highest standards of excellence for products, services, or processes,and then making the improvements ne
cessary to reach those standards. It’s more than just a means of gathering
data on how well a company performs against others
—it’s a method of identifying new ways to improve processes.
Benchmarking strategies establish methods of measuring each area in terms of units of output as well as cost,ultimately helping organizations faithful to the process achieve cost savings. Successful implementation of benchmarking has been credited with helping to improve quality, cut costs in manufacturing and development time,increase productivity, and improve overall organizational effectiveness. In web site quality evaluation, benchmarking
can be used to measure the performance of a web site against its competitors’ in order to identify its strengths and
weaknesses.
Table 1
Web site quality assessment criteriaCriterion DefinitionRelevance
It is related to the user perception regarding the significance of web site’s content to the visitor’s inquiry. The web site
isrelevant according to the degree that the informatio
n it contains is relevant to visitor’s interests
 Usefulness
Usefulness extends relevance to the nature of the specific visitor’s inquiry. Developers should continuously check
information contained in the web site to assess usefulness to a wide audience of visitors. Often, web site administratorsask visitors to evaluate provided information, or offer star based qualification of web site materialReliability Reliability is related to accuracy of information contained in the web site. Often designers include a note about last
update of information. Doing so they help the visitor in forming an opinion regarding web site’s reliability
 Specialization Specialization captures the specificity of information contained in the web site. It contributes to web site relevance andusefulness, yet places a heavier burden on reliability Architecture Architecture concerns the way that the content is organized in a web site. This dimension is particularly focused on thearrangement of objects, which are used to convey information to visitorsNavigability This dimension reflects both the easiness and the convenience of moving in and around the siteEfficiency Efficiency captures the technical performance characteristics of the web site (e.g. is it fast? does the visitor get advancenotice about the estimated time it may take to retrieve information?)Layout Layout reflects the unique aspects of the web site involved in the presentation of objects. It is related to its architecture,yet it is used to differentiate the web site based on its unique design characteristics Animation This dimension concerns the moving objects involved in the presentation of information and the web site-user interactionSource: Grigoroudis et al., 2008
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*
Grigoroudis et al., 2008, p. 1348 cited in Moustakis et. al, 2004
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