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Branding Laws · Internet Marketing · eMarketing · Internet Advertising · Online Branding |
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Branding Laws · Internet Marketing · eMarketing · Internet Advertising · Online Branding |
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CONSUMER-CENTRIC EMARKETING VALUE ASSESSMENT MODEL: AN
ADAPTATION OF HEURISTIC EVALUATION USABILITY TESTING, THE
SEVEN C’s FRAMEWORK AND THE VALUE BUBBLE TO ASSESS WEBSITE
MARKETING OBJECTIVES ACHIEVEMENT
Timothy P. O’Keefe
Department of Information Systems and Business Education
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
1
CONSUMER-CENTRIC EMARKETING VALUE ASSESSMENT MODEL: AN
ADAPTATION OF HEURISTIC EVALUATION USABILITY TESTING, THE
SEVEN C’s FRAMEWORK AND THE VALUE BUBBLE TO ASSESS WEBSITE
MARKETING OBJECTIVES ACHIEVEMENT
Timothy P. O’Keefe
Department of Information Systems and Business Education
University of North Dakota
Mary K. Askim-Lovseth
Department of Marketing
University of North Dakota
ABSTRACT
Heuristic evaluation has been iteratively refined and applied as a means of assessing
the relative "goodness" of various aspects of website usability. The authors adapt
heuristic evaluation to examine the degree to which marketing objectives are addressed
and met by organizational websites. It is suggested that heuristic evaluation may be used
to gather data which may then be analyzed using a form of Fishbein’s (1963) model to
map heuristic constructs to the value bubble. Web-based content is increasingly a
primary source of information for customers and the point of initial customer contact. A
means to assess the marketing effectiveness of web-based content in the achievement of
organizational objectives would be valuable.
INTRODUCTION
Though traditional marketing methods are still highly relevant in the networked
economy, the Internet has enabled companies to reach new audiences and to develop new
strategies for reaching those audiences. Simply, the greatest benefit of Internet websites
has been their effectiveness as communication tools. The benefits of websites to
companies include 24/7 access to information, considerable flexibility in how that
information is presented, the opportunity for interfacing with the consumers, and, as an
added communication channel, the chance to reach consumers that otherwise would not
be accessible. Another benefit is cost; reaching a wide audience under some
circumstances, can be dramatically less with the Web than with nearly any other medium.
The days of wild experimentation with websites (relating to the ‘if you build it, they
will come’ mentality) have been replaced with sound strategy, as evidenced by the turn of
the century shakeout with dot-coms. Effective website content, design, and functionality
result from a strategic focus, rather than from sole concentration on artistic and/or flashy
design.
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
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The process involves assessing the role and development of an Internet presence that
complements and is integrated into the overall strategy of a company. A website that is
developed only to ‘exist’ does not enhance a marketing environment—it does not have
the ability to satisfy individual customer and organizational needs. As a result, it does
not accomplish the basic mission of marketing, to attract and retain customers.
This paper presents a model designed to examine the effectiveness of an
organization’s website in achieving marketing objectives. The model applies an
adaptation of heuristic evaluation (Nielsen and Landauer, 1993; Nielsen, 1994a; Nielsen,
1994b), as one form of data collection, with the seven Cs (Rayport and Jaworski, 2001;
Mohammed, et al., 2004) and value bubble (Parsons, Zeisser, and Waitman, 1998; Albert
and Sanders, 2003) marketing models to produce a structural model of customer attitudes
and their degree of convergence with organizational marketing objectives.
LITERATURE
The purpose of this paper is to present a model for the assessment of the
effectiveness of a website in aiding organizational marketing objectives. The model
combines heuristic evaluation (Nielsen and Landauer, 1993), the marketing value bubble
(Parsons, Zeisser, & Waitman 1998), and Fishbein’s model (1963) to create a mapping of
constructs which may shed light on the website effectiveness proposition.
FISHBEIN’S MODEL
Consumer attitudes have a degree of complexity to them, therefore, attitude models
have been developed that try to delineate the different elements that collectively influence
the overall evaluation of an attitude object (e.g., a website). These multi-attribute attitude
models hold a view that attitude objects (Ao) have a number of desirable or undesirable
features that differ in importance to the same individual and by combining these beliefs, a
consumer’s overall attitude toward the object can be determined.
The most influential of these models is the Fishbein model. Fishbein (1963)
hypothesized that an Ao is a function of a person’s beliefs about an object (characteristic
attributes) and the person’s evaluation of those beliefs and their importance. The basic
formula is
n
Ao = S Bi Ei
i = 1
where, Ao is the person’s overall attitude toward the object, Bi is the person’s belief
regarding the extent to which the object has attribute i, and Ei is the evaluation weight
(importance or salience) of the attribute.
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
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The benefits of such modeling lie in the ability to ascertain the strengths and
deficiencies of the attitude object relative to the competition by determining how
consumers have evaluated the alternatives based on attributes that are important to them.
Rather than a uni-dimensional overall like or dislike feeling, the Fishbein model provides
a structure to the attitude set. Opportunities for specific enhancements or changes can be
identified This paper builds a Fishbein-type model for assessing the goodness of a
website in achieving marketing objectives utilizing attributes previously identified as
important in marketing theory.
HEURISTIC EVALUATION
In classic heuristic evaluation, ten constructs are associated with the user interface
and are employed to assess a website’s usability. While these constructs (see Table 1) are
helpful in assessing usability and efficiency, they are not helpful in assessing
effectiveness (Nielsen 1994a, Nielsen 1994b). Heuristic evaluation is an attractive
methodology in that it utilizes a limited number of evaluators (customers) in the data
collection process (Nielsen and Landauer, 1993) and therefore inherently limits the time
and costs associated with assessment, but in order to apply the methodology to
marketing, the constructs must be changed to reflect the objectives and domain.
Generally heuristic evaluation consists of a small number of “evaluators” who give
feedback regarding an interface. The feedback is specifically focused on individual
heuristics such as those listed in Table 1. The feedback can be gathered through
interviews, heuristic specific task completion and subsequent analysis, protocol analysis,
and/or questionnaires. Generally the evaluators must become somewhat familiar with the
website and respond to questions specifically associated with a particular heuristic.
Responses, depending on the questionnaire developed, range from a simple yes/no, to
Likert-type scales.
TABLE 1. Ten Classic Heuristic Evaluation Usability Constructs
1. Visibility of system status 6. Recognition rather than recall
2. Match between system and the real
world
7. Flexibility and efficiency of use
3. User control and freedom 8. Aesthetic and minimalist design
4. Consistency and standards 9. Help users recognize, diagnose, recover
from errors
5. Error prevention 10. Help and documentation
THE SEVEN Cs HEURISTIC
Rayport and Jaworski (2001) identified the seven “Cs” of good commercial
interface. The seven Cs constitute a framework in accessing the degree to which a firm’s
value proposition is represented in a business-to-consumer interface (Mohammed, et al.,
2004). These are listed and described in Table 2.
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
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Before discussing each of the constructs in the seven “Cs” model, it must be
explained that not all of the constructs will necessarily be present, even desirable, in a
website. For example, the commerce construct applies only to websites which are
transaction-enabled. The marketing objectives of the website and the manner in which
the objectives are operationalized determine which constructs are present. Since each of
these constructs represents a foundational element in the model presented in this paper, a
more complete review and explanation of each is in order.
TABLE 2. The Seven Cs Framework
Context Aesthetics, look and feel.
Content Sum total of the subject matter on the site
Community Tools to allow relationship building between and among the organization
and customers
Customization Ability to modify the site to fit user preferences
Communication Dialog between the user and the website/organization
Connection Link network between a site and other sites on the Internet
Commerce The ability to conduct business transactions via the site
Context: Context relates to the overall look and feel of the site, from a functional, as
well as aesthetic, perspective. Function would relate to such elements as quick and easy
access to relevant and current information for the targeted audiences, good organization
of content (section breakdown and linking structure or information architecture), simple
and intuitive navigation, and appropriate links. (Sites dominant in function sometimes
lack aesthetic appeal.)
Counter to this, sites that have a stronger emphasis on aesthetics, sometimes lack
function. Good use of color (muted and comfortable color schemes), relevant graphics
and photographs, and font choices (easy to read and appropriate for the site’s image)
contribute to the aesthetic nature of the site’s context.
Whether the site leans more towards being functionally oriented or aesthetically oriented,
it is important there be consistency of the look throughout the pages of the website. Of
course, a combination of functionality and aesthetics would be the preference and both
should be focused on the targeted audience(s) for appropriateness.
Content: Content includes all text, audio, video, and images that are on the site.
Attention should be focused on content first, then on design.
Guidelines include keeping the content up-to-date, offering something new each time a
visitor returns (static content fails to provide incentives to visit the website again), using
concise and straightforward language, and providing the capability to download and print
information.
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
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Small and relevant graphics, a lack of endless animations, and no scrolling text enhance
the visitor’s focus on the site’s text and do not cause distractions. Audio and video
elements should serve a specific communicative purpose and not add to the site’s clutter
Community: Building a sense of community on a website encourages visitors to return.
Community relates to “a set of interwoven relationships built upon shared interests. A
group of people can create strong, lasting relationships that may develop into a
community through an engaged and extended exchange of ideas about members’
common interests” (Mohammed, et al., 2004).
Providing an opportunity for visitors to dialogue with each other in chat rooms or for
them to post information on a message board are examples of providing community on a
site. Visitors have a sense of being a part of the website and that enables relationships to
be built.
When visitor interactivity builds a level of commitment to the website, then a sense of
community has been achieved. It is important to note that building community is not
appropriate for all sites and should be a strategic decision for the business. Visitors, as
well as the business, must see benefits from this relationship.
Customization: Individuals have different needs coming to a website, and the ability for
the visitor or the business to alter the website experience based on these needs is referred
to as customization. Login registration is necessary for there to be any reconfiguration of
the content, layout, or any aspect of the experience.
Again, many sites do not have the capabilities to customize the visitor’s experience
because there isn’t a specific need or benefit from either perspective--the visitors’ or the
business’.
Communication: Communication is dialogue; it can be one-way (from the business to
the visitor) or two-way (interactive). There are several ways that the communication
element can be implemented.
For one-way communication, the business can send e-mail newsletters. Newsletters can
be used to update past visitors about new information/features of the website or to
dispense information directly to them, such as new recipes for a food product
(campbellkitchen.com is a good example here). FAQs are another common example of
one-way communication. On the website, events can be broadcast via a webcam (such as
the kickoff of a promotional campaign in a targeted city).
Communication can help create value for the online customer. Examples of interactive
communication can be through a ‘Contact Us’ aspect of the site or through e-commerce.
In order for there to be two-way communication, the site needs to be continually
monitored in order to provide feedback. There needs to be an individual responsible for
this aspect of the site’s management.
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
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Connection: Whether or not the website connects to other businesses’ websites defines
the connection element. These hyperlinks can take the visitor to another website or the
visitor can remain on the home-site and can view outsourced content.
Links can enhance the breadth of information presented on the website. A basic
requirement is that all links must have a high degree of relevancy to the home-site and
provide additional benefits for the visitor.
Commerce: Commerce means transactions. Many features must be available on the site
in order for it to have commerce capabilities. Some include registration of customer, a
shopping cart, security, credit card approval, delivery options, order availability, and
order tracking. Many sites do not have e-commerce capabilities but are promotional or
corporate sites. Again, this involves a strategic marketing decision.
The seven Cs framework represents a more customer-centric collection of constructs
better suited to market objective analysis than the ten interface usability constructs
commonly utilized in heuristic evaluation.
THE VALUE BUBBLE
A general framework that emphasizes a hierarchical strategic planning structure in
order for websites to capitalize on the opportunities present in the e-business marketplace
is found in the value bubble concept (Parsons, Zeisser, and Waitman, 1998; Albert and
Sanders, 2003). The model emphasizes the incorporation of traditional marketing
concepts with Internet technology applications to provide value to customers and
organizations through website strategy.
The value bubble focuses on five elements (see Figure 1) that provide a framework
for increased probability of website success. The traditional value bubble is
organization-centric, i.e. the five elements, or constructs, are defined and interpreted from
the organizational perspective. The objective is to improve the website through an
iterative refinement process to maximize value to the organization. We suggest that the
value bubble may also be utilized in a customer-centric fashion. The objective in the
customer-centric value bubble is to maximize the value of a website for the customer,
which theoretically, should be an antecedent to maximal organizational value. Albert and
Sanders (2003) indicate that the constructs in the va lue bubble represent steps or phases.
Figure 1 treats the constructs as steps or phases by tying them together via directional
arrows into a hierarchy or continuum. Further, the model presented in Figure 1 includes
an “iteration loop” to reflect the dyna mic nature of interaction between the organization
and customer as it relates to the development of a relationship over time.
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
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FIGURE 1. Elements of the Value Bubble
In order to apply the value bubble in a customer-centric manner, some of the
constructs must be redefined to reflect a customer-centric perspective. Each will be
defined and discussed from both the traditional organization-centric perspective and the
proposed customer-centric perspective.
Attracting: The focus of the first element, attracting, emphasizes building traffic to the
website. This is first accomplished by determining the customers to be served,
identifying their wants and needs, and then developing a communication strategy that
will help create a competitive advantage for the company in serving its target customers.
Identification of the target markets to be served is critically important. For the website to
be efficient and effective, it is vital for the company to determine which customer groups
are ‘choice,’ what benefits they are seeking, and how they will be convinced that these
benefits will be provided to them through the website business strategy.
Communicating about the existence of the website is essential. Individuals must know
that it exists in order to drive traffic to the site. Incorporating this message into the
existing traditional communications is the more cost-effective approach.
This construct functions in a similar manner, whether the value bubble is organizationcentric
or customer-centric.
Engaging: The second element, engaging, relates to building loyalty once the visitor has
come to the website. Once the company defines the benefits to be communicated to the
target market (positioning), an opportunity for a customer experience is created. The
screen-to-face experience the visitor has with a website is shaped by design elements.
The home page provides the visitor with the first impression of the site; it is the
‘storefront’ of the site and must create a positive response in order for the visitor to
continue to navigate through the site, rather than exiting upon entry. The benefits of
using the website should be apparent to the visitor.
The functional and aesthetic aspects of the site—navigation, layout, color scheme,
graphics, content, customization and personalization, and the commerce (ability to buy)
are design elements help relay the value proposition or positioning (customer benefits
provided). Effective sites communicate this core value proposition and why an
individual should not only visit, but return to the site.
Attracting Engaging Retaining Learning Relating
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
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As with the attracting construct, engaging is similarly defined for both the organizationcentric
and customer-centric value bubbles.
Retaining: Organization-centric: Building relations hips is the core of the third element,
retaining. Usability, online customer service, enabling interactivity (connectivity),
building a sense of community, and the ability to customize and personalize help to
create a level of commitment to the website. For example, individuals have different
needs, and the ability for the visitor or the business to alter the website experience based
on these needs adds value to the visit. Visitors get a sense of being a part of the website
that fosters relationships to be built. Visitors, as well as the organization, must see the
benefits from this relationship.
Customer-centric: The organization-centric definition of the retaining construct is much
broader than is the customer-centric definition. From the customer-centric perspective,
the retaining construct is solely about what is classically referred to as “stickiness”, the
degree to which customers are engaged enough to stay a while—to visit multiple times.
The organization-centric definition of retaining includes the customer-centric definitions
for the learning and relating constructs.
Learning: Organization-centric: The learning element of the value bubble framework
focuses on acquiring information about the behavior of the online customer. Number of
visits, length of visits, pages viewed, and other click-stream data combined with the
company’s other customer databases (e.g., purchasing and customer demographics), can
provide a composite evaluation of online customers. These individual and composite
profiles provide the business with necessary information for strategic marketing
decisions.
Customer-centric: The customer-centric learning construct focuses on what the customer
can learn from the website that adds customer-defined value. Conversely, learning from
the organization-centric perspective is defined basically as what the organization can
learn about the customer relationship with the website. When customers find that a
website is a source of valuable information, retention is improved and the potential for a
long-term relationship between the organization and the customer is increased.
Relating: Organization-centric: The fifth element, relating, is centered on ‘closing the
loop’ by making use of the information learned about the customer to enhance the
website experience and build stronger relationships. Web pages can be redesigned,
content can be changed, target markets can be further segmented and appropriate online
marketing strategies developed, and sites can improve their customization and
communication efforts as a result of learning about customers’ online behavior.
Customer-centric: Whereas organization-centric relating is the act of applying what is
learned to improving and enhancing the customer experience on the website, customercentric
relating is the act of the customer utilizing the website to actually relate to the
organization and to other customers. Customer-centric relating is a means by which
customers can more actively learn in a website environment and may actually assume the
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
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role of information source themselves, in effect becoming a resource for the
organization’s other customers.
The customer-centric focused value bubble is more appropriate for the purposes of this
model than is the organization-centric value bubble because at a minimum, the objective
of marketing is to help customers understand the value proposition of the organization.
That understanding is best examined from the perspective of the objective entity—the
customer. Because the website is constructed to provide value to the customer, only the
customer can determine whether value is actually received.
MODEL
The Customer-centric eMarketing Value Assessment Model proposed to help assess
the achievement of marketing objectives is presented in Figure 2. It is a multidimensional,
multi-layer model which ultimately yields a single measure of overall
achievement, but can also yield any number of intermediate measures. The constructs
which constitute the seven Cs framework form the first layer of the model. It is these
constructs to which questions in a heuristic evaluation questionnaire should be mapped.
Once again, only those constructs applicable to evaluating the website should be mapped
to heuristic evaluation questions. Customization is an example of a construct which
would often not be mapped to heuristic evaluation questions. Many websites are
developed with no intention of allowing for customization by either the user or the
organization. In such cases, customization is not a construct which should be included in
the operationalization of the model.
In the model (Figure 2), the constructs in the seven Cs layer, are each mapped to the
constructs in the value bubble. Each construct in the seven Cs layer maps to valuebubble
constructs upon which there should theoretically be a direct influence, or direct
effect. This mapping between the seven Cs and the value bubble is theoretically
consistent from organization to organization. For example, the Context construct maps to
the Attracting and Engaging constructs because the overall look and feel of a site (its
context) is first part of the attraction that keeps customers from immediately leaving the
site, and is at least initially instrumental in engaging the customer—keeping the customer
at the site for a more in-depth experience. Context is vital in attracting and initially
engaging the user such that the user interacts with the site enough to determine whether
or not there is content and functionality which meets the user’s needs. The remaining
constructs in the seven Cs model are associated with meeting user needs beyond initial
attraction and cursory engagement.
Some may argue that all seven Cs constructs could map to each construct in the
value bubble continuum. While this is noted, universally mapping every construct in the
seven Cs model to every construct in the value bubble continuum would yield a model of
no explanatory value. Such a model would not provide any useful feedback to allow
organizations to structure and implement a program of directed improvement in
emarketing strategy.
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
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Marketing objectives will vary from organization to organization, even from website
to website. Consequently, mapping the value bubble constructs to marketing objectives
is unique to each organization, even to each interface, and therefore is only considered in
the abstract for the purposes of this paper.
Of course, an assessment of the degree to which all of the organization/interface
specific marketing objectives yields a single overall index of marketing objective
achievement. Intermediately, individual marketing objectives can be combined to form
collections of interest and sub- indexes examined at that level
FIGURE 2. The Customer-centric eMarketing Value Assessment Model
Attracting Engaging Retaining Learning Relating
Customer-centric Value Bubble
Context Content
Communication
Community Customization
Connection Commerce
The Seven Cs
Marketing Objectives
Overall
Index of
Achievement
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
11
DATA SOURCES
The data utilized to populate this model and ultimately make assessments regarding
the achievement of marketing objectives can come from a number of sources. The three
most common sources are web server logs, databases used to capture customer
interactions and communications, and heuristic questionnaires. The exact analysis used
to assess the achievement of marketing objectives will vary based upon the source and
nature of the data and is outside the scope of this paper, however for illustrative purposes,
the means by which a Fishbein (1963) analysis could be performed is briefly discussed.
Table 3 presents some examples of data which could be applied to the model in Figure 2.
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
12
TABLE 3. Potential Assessment Measures for the Consumer-centric eMarketing Value
Bubble
Seven Cs
Value
Bubble Data Source Data/Metric
Web Server Logs
First-time visitors
Unique visitors
Number of visits (includes all visitors during a report
period)
Context
Attracting
Engaging
Questionnaire This website is immediately appealing (Likert-type)
I would spent a little time exploring this website (Likerttype)
Web Server Logs
Referrer page
Site exited to
Connection Attracting
Questionnaire This websites links to other sites are useful (Likert-type)
Web Server Logs
Pages viewed (number, length of time at each)
Length of time on site
Exit page
Content
Engaging
Retaining
Learning
Questionnaire The information on this site is of interest to me (Likert -type)
It is easy to find what I need on this website (Likert-type)
Web Server Logs
Repeat visitors
Returning visitors
Number of visits by customer
Number who personalize the site
Communication
Engaging
Retaining
Learning
Relating
Questionnaire This site makes contacting the company for information
easy (Likert -type)
I often use the communication tools this site provides
(Likert-type)
Database Content analysis of communications
Membership demographics and usage patterns
Community
Engaging
Retaining
Learning
Relating
Questionnaire I communicate with other users of this site (Likert-type)
I use the online service provided on this website (Likerttype)
I consider other users of this site to be kindred spirits
(Likert-type)
Database Subscriptions to newsletters
Participation in discussion forums
Business transactions, sales
Degree of customization
Customization
Learning
Relating
Questionnaire I like the content I find useful automatically incorporated in
the homepage for this site (Likert -type)
Database Repeat purchase figures
Total sales figures
Per user sales figures
Commerce Retaining
Learning
Relating
Questionnaire The ease of use of the shopping cart increases the likelihood
that you will shop at this site again (Likert-type)
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
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ANALYSIS
To perform heuristic evaluation, a group of users would be asked to complete a
questionnaire focused on their experiences and attitudes associated with a particular
website interface. A priori, each question is mapped to one of the seven Cs and further is
mapped through to one of the constructs in the value bubble. Each question would be
formulated such that a Likert-type response is required. Once the users/evaluators have
completed the questionnaire, evaluation is accomplished by applying the Fishbein (1963)
formula. Recall that Fishbein’s formula is as follows:
n
Ao = S Bi Ei
i = 1
In analyzing this model, Bi is the users’ response to question i, and Ei is the relative
importance of the construct to which the question is mapped. In the classic Fishbein
model, relative importance of an attribute (Ei) is determined by the customer, but for the
purposes of this model, relative importance can be set by either the customer or the
organization. Ei can in fact be determined by each and comparative analysis performed.
Ao can be defined as individual constructs at any level of the model, as mapping between
constructs at different adjacent levels of the model, as logical groupings of constructs
within a level of the model, or as an overall achievement index.
Of course, the ultimate objective of such analyses is to learn as an organization (the
organization-centric value bubble) and to apply what is learned to improve the website
and its interface such that subsequent analysis reveals improvements in the marketing
objectives overall achievement index.
SUMMARY
Websites are an integral and extremely important part of most organizations’
marketing plan. Depending on the nature of an organization’s business, an effective
website may be necessary for survival. With websites so important in organizational
marketing strategies, a consistent, well-defined, replicable means of assessing the
effectiveness of a website in contributing to the achievement of marketing objectives
would be of value.
This paper presented the Customer-centric eMarketing Value Assessment Model,
designed to allow the use of heuristic evaluation, a website usability testing methodology,
to generate data regarding customer attitudes toward their experiences on an
organization’s website. The model, rather than being founded upon usability heuristics,
uses the constructs of the seven Cs marketing interface model (Rayport and Jaworski,
2001; Mohammed, et al., 2004) as its foundational base. The model is multi- layered in
that the seven Cs constructs are mapped to the five constructs of the marketing value
bubble (Parsons, Zeisser, and Waitman, 1998; Albert and Sanders, 2003). The value
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
14
bubble is reformulated as part of this paper from the classic organizationally-focused
model, to a customer-centric model. Value bubble constructs can then be mapped to
individual marketing objectives.
As a means of assessing marketing objective achievement, we suggest application of
the Fishbein (1963) formula to heuristic evaluation data as a means of calculating a
measure of achievement which can then represent a benchmark as an organization works
to improve a website over time. The Fishbein (1963) formula can also be applied to any
of the constructs in the seven Cs and value bubble models or to the mappings between
and among constructs to calculate specific metrics of interest.
FUTURE RESEARCH
The purpose of this paper was to present the Customer-centric eMarketing Value
Assessment Model as a logical combination of the seven Cs marketing interface model
(Rayport and Jaworski, 2001; Mohammed, et al., 2004) and the marketing value bubble
(Parsons, Zeisser, and Waitman, 1998; Albert and Sanders, 2003). Future research will
examine actual implementation and use of the Customer-centric eMarketing Value
Assessment Model. The use of heuristic evaluation as a data generation methodology
will require a validated instrument which has a number of questions mapped to each of
the constructs in the seven Cs marketing interface model. Additionally, data from
organizational databases and from web server logs can be rich sources of data for
assessing the achievement of marketing objectives via a website. Utilization of this type
of data will require either transformations to make the data usable in the Fishbein (1963)
formula, or will require other methodologies to generate metrics of achie vement.
Further, the authors have refocused the marketing value bubble (Parsons, Zeisser,
and Waitman, 1998; Albert and Sanders, 2003) from the classic organization-centric
perspective to focus on the customer. Admittedly, a more extensive theoretical
justification for this shift, in particular a reformulation from a continuous improvement
loop to a hierarchy, is in order.
The assessment of marketing objective achievement via a website is an important
area of research. This presentation of the Customer-centric eMarketing Value
Assessement Model is a first step in developing a theoretically well founded, usable, and
relevant methodology by which organizations can assess the degree to which large
investments in websites achieve the strategic marketing objectives of intent.
Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
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REFERENCES
Albert, Terri. C. and Willian B. Sanders. (2003), e-business.marketing. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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Journal of E-Business, Vol. 5, Issue 1, June 2005
Copyrights: Journal of E-Business (International Academy of E-Business). All rights reserved.
16
About the Authors:
Timothy P. O’Keefe
Department of Information Systems and Business Education
University of North Dakota
PO Box 8363
Gamble Hall Room 365
Grand Forks, ND 58202
timothy.okeefe@und.nodak.edu
701-777-3507
Mary K. Askim-Lovseth
Department of Marketing
University of North Dakota
PO Box 8366
Gamble Hall Room 175
Grand Forks, ND 58202
mary.askim@mail.business.und.edu
701-777-2930