Web site design, trust, satisfaction and e-loyalty: the Indian experience

Purpose: With rapid expansion of global online markets including India, researchers and practitioners are challenged to understand drivers of customer website satisfaction, trust, and loyalty. In this research, website design is expected to influence if customers revisit an online vendor. Design/Method: Based on surveys and interview data collected in India, participants evaluated a local and foreign website of the same online vendor. Findings: Results indicate significant preferences for the local website for almost all design categories. Further, the local site instilled greater trust, satisfaction, and loyalty. Data collected for this study are compared with parallel work conducted in four other countries using the same procedures. Research Limitations/Implications: The current investigation is relevant for researchers who aim to expand knowledge concerning the impact of website design related to user trust, satisfaction, and loyalty. The work also has implications for Web designer or managers who seek to enhance market attraction and retention to online websites. Limitation of the investigation is that both the local and foreign websites used are Samsung websites, and that only a single task (searching for a cell phone) was used. Originality: Few studies have examined web design related to user outcomes such as trust, satisfaction, and loyalty in international markets.