Applying Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process for Evaluating Service Quality of Private Shopping Website Quality: A Case Study in Turkey

Year 2014, Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 283 - 301, 01.09.2014

Kemal Vatansever Yakup Akgul

Abstract

The e-commerce is one of the most significant developments in Internet application. In order to be successful in the e-commerce, marketplace organizations will require to provide high quality web sites that attract and retain users. Usability is one of the most crucial factors for evaluating the quality of the website. Hence, the evaluation methods for the effectiveness of the e-commerce web sites are critical issues in both practice and research. Private shopping is one of the concepts that serve as a members-only online shopping platform with deep discounts and well-known brands. The study has investigated four private shopping web sites which are the most famous private shopping web sites in Turkey with proposed method. In this paper, a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) approach is employed for evaluating the e-commerce websites, which can tolerate vagueness and uncertainty of judgment. Therefore, the insufficiency and imprecision problems associated with the conventional AHP can be solved. Hence, websites can be evaluated more reasonably. To do so, experts’ opinions and literature are considered. Totally 50 qualitative factors are identified. Only 22 of the most important factors are included in the questionnaires provided for interview in the research.

Keywords

E-Commerce, Web Site Quality, Web Site Selection, Multi Criteria Decision Making

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• Journal of Business, Economics & Finance (2014), Vol.3 (3) Vatansever & Akgul, 2014 Appendix 1: Evaluation Criterias Main Criterias Sub Criterias Information Quality: The quality of the information that the system produces and delivers Coherence (Refers to the degree to which the environmental landscape hangs together, easy to understand & clear) Complexity (Richness of the elements in a setting) Legibility (Distinctiveness, by possessing a memorable component, a landmark, a scene facilitates finding one's way) Mystery (Enhances one's desire to explore a space by conveying the feeling that much more can be found if one keeps on going) Relevance (Relevant depth and scope, and completeness of the information) Usefulness (Website has lots of benefits for users) Specialization (Adjusted Related information) System Quality: System performance in delivering information, also has been recognized as a critical achievement factor influencing technology use and user satisfaction Website navigation (Website's capability to provide alternative interaction and navigating techniques) Personalization (Making personal files for customers) Currency (The state of being in common or general use) Security (Quality or state of being secure) Classification of needs (Basic , performance or excitement needs) Technical efficiency (Do the right things) Web design (Architecture of the website) Service Quality: The overall support delivered by internet retailers & become more critical in ebusiness since online customers transact with unseen retailers Reliability (Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately) Responsiveness (To be able to response to customer needs) Trust (Customer should have confidence to the website) Customer expectations and Satisfaction (What customers really want) Vendor Specific Quality: The awareness of Internet vendors and their reputation and price Competitiveness Awareness (Existence of a critical mass who knows and experiences the website) Reputation (Overall quality as seen or judged by online consumers) Price saving (Lower the cost of online purchasing) Comparative Performance (Pay attention to performance of competitors)