Developing and validating a multidisciplinary scale of E-retailing website elements

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to theoretically identify the salient elements of e-retailing websites and empirically verify them through a rigorous scale development process. A mixed method approach was followed to achieve these objectives: a qualitative (content analysis) and a quantitative approach (factorial and confirmatory surveys). Three findings emerge from the current study. First: this study provides sound empirical support for e-retailing website elements as a high-order construct that consists of eight first-order factors. Second, the current research suggests that the measurement instrument for e-retailing website elements, which contains 54 items, is a valid and reliable using the following factors: hedonic website design elements, technical website design elements, website experiential elements, website relational elements, product-related elements, order-related elements, security-related elements and social media presence. Third, the proposed measurement instrument of e-retailing website elements strongly predicts e-satisfaction and e-trust. The key contribution of this study stems from developing and validating a multidisciplinary scale that synthesizes and integrates the major perspectives of e-retailing website elements.