Critical Success Factors for Regional Community Portals: a Preliminary Model

The successful adoption of e-business by regional communities throughout Australia has the potential to revitalise these communities. This paper draws on depth interviews with businesses and focus groups of consumers in a regional area to develop a model of success for regional community portals. The resulting model highlights the factors encouraging businesses to subscribe to such a portal, including perceived costs and benefits and target market characteristics, as well as the key factors influencing consumers to visit such a portal such as relevant and up to date content and site attractiveness. The importance of a virtuous circle of businesses and consumers is also highlighted.