Assignment Digital Marketing
Executive Summary
The paper discussed about the issues in online service. Homebase website faced issues in the form of improper navigation facilities and lack of informative website. In respect to such issues, the secondary methodology is selected to achieve the journal articles related to online service quality dimension.
Based on this, it is found that reliability, access and credibility dimensions are important for website to engage larger customer towards the brand. These dimensions may help the website to provide solution to the problem of navigation and accessibility.
Thus, it results in the enhancement of website credibility to retain and develop customer base. It can be stated that online service quality dimension plays an important role for attracting large customer base towards the website.
Company selection: Homebase Website
Homebase website is british home improvement retailer and garden centre with stores across the united kingdom and Ireland. However, consumers faced problem in the operation of website as there is difficult to navigate and lack of up-to-date information. These areas affect the goodwill of firm (Homebase, 2018). Moreover,
Homebase is also lacking to make the website attractive and informative due to which customer easily move towards the different online channel. Homebase.co.uk is considered as worst online shop and this is because customers gain the negative experiences in different aspects such as poor navigation, offer poor value & money and lack of information etc. These limitations make the firm online service ineffective.
Journal article regarding to online service quality
Van der Merwe, S.M., 2010. The Impact of Electronic Service Quality Dimensions on Customer Satisfaction (Doctoral dissertation). [Online] available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/145052139.pdf (Accessed on: 23-01-2019)
Gera, R., 2013. Evaluating the relationship of online service quality dimensions with satisfaction, value and behavioral outcome. African Journal of Business Management, 7(10), pp.754-761.
Sorooshian, S., Salimi, M., Salehi, M., Nia, N.B. and Asfaranjan, Y.S., 2013. Customer experience about service quality in online environment: A case of Iran. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 93, pp.1681-1695.
Omar, H.F.H., Saadan, K.B. and Seman, K.B., 2015. Determining the influence of the reliability of service quality on customer satisfaction: The case of Libyan E-commerce customers. International Journal of Learning and Development, 5(1), pp.86-89.
Kuo, T., Lu, I.Y., Huang, C.H. and Wu, G.C., 2005. Measuring users’ perceived portal service quality: An empirical study. Total quality management and business excellence, 16(3), pp.309-320.
Selection of three dimensions from the articles
There are three dimensions are selected in order to bring more improvement in the online service quality. It includes reliability, access and credibility etc (Zogaj et al., 2014).
Reliability: Reliability is considered as a standard which measure quality in the form of level of trustworthiness of people over the site. However, Omar et al. (2015) presented reliability dimension significance for the online service quality in the form of achieves higher customer satisfaction.
There is strong relationship between website reliability and customer satisfaction. Likewise, reliability is represent the ability of the website to fulfil the orders accurately, delivery promptly and keep personal information secure etc.
It is found that consumer make their perception based on the website reliability. However, e-commerce’s business promote the reliability through provide safe and secured online transaction and such areas allows the customer to easily perform the transit without fear of any false practice (Jahanzeb et al., 2013).
Besides that, the quick service of website is also playing an important role to push the reliability of website. This is because customer with the receiving of service fast becomes loyal towards the brand and it repeats its purchasing from the side (Wang et al., 2013).
However, reliability can also be understood through the following aspect such as company transparent service offering, keeping promotion promise, accurate online booking records and availability of website over 24 hours, 7 days in a week.
Such practices give rise to the maximum customer satisfaction when it comes to online service platform because in this area, there is lack of tangible element so the trust is generated solely basis of website services (Bernardo et al., 2012). Moreover, the consistency is also important to maintain the reliability of website as if website provides the quick service without any error for some time and then it start faces problem in its service area.
Such actions reduce the reliability of site and result in poor customer satisfaction. So the consistency is proved to be essential to enhance the reliability. Thus, these are the significances which website gains with the existences of reliability in the online website (Ding et al., 2014).
Accessibility: Web accessibility is another important dimension which plays a significant role in the achievement of high online service quality. This is because web accessibility is the inclusive practice of ensuring that there is no barrier arise for individual to access the website various information (Cui et al., 2013).
Besides that, accessibility can be achieved through correctively designed of site, developed and edited site messages etc. these areas allows to easily and equally access of information by all users. In addition to this study, Van der Merwe (2010) found that accessibility of information and ease of use is the major dimension to focus on when influencing buying intent.
This is because if customer found problem in accessing the information related to product and its price then it definitely plans to switch off to another online site as such areas affects the people buying behaviour and set the negative perception.
So this study clearly stated that there are high requirements of accessibility aspect on website in the form of present the information in a right place and proper manner (Jiang et al., 2013).
Other than that, the easily availability of information guides the people to perform the online shopping and transaction in a proper manner and this makes them satisfied. It is found that customer with high gratified will influences the consumer buying behaviour in a positive way.
Thus, the accessibility of information is another crucial yet must dimension for firm to stay in current competitive business environment (Sadat-Moosavi et al., 2012).
However, this dimension also help to maintain the quality of online services as informative website allows the customers to grab facts about different products and services and then select the suited one so this allows the firm to enhances its profitability ratio.
These areas also push the website to expand it through brings more product and services offering. That’s why; it can be depicted that for website, the first step should be accessibility of information and site over the internet (Wong et al., 2012). This area leaves a great impression in the mind of consumer and it influences buying behaviour of them.
Credibility: The credibility in the online website service is all about the trustworthiness and positive experiences which are received from the website. The credibility is considered as a combination of different aspect such as secured site, ethical practice to follow in the offering. Other than that, the credibility is also undertaken through include authentic sources.
It is found that there are various website which is developed for some time with the negative intension to deceive the people (Thakur and Srivastava, 2015). In regards to this, the credibility of such sources is totally poor and this set the negative consumer perception about the online shopping.
Thus, right and authentic sources of information and right transaction can help the firm to enhance the credibility and attain the larger attention of customers. Similarly, the study of Sorooshian et al. (2013) defined that the creditability is mainly gained through sociability experiences. This occurs when the user uses the website and then it gains positive experiences in the online shopping.
This process also presented the credibility of website. However, the usability experiences is another way to attain the credibility in online service and such experiences is achieved through timely available of information related to product and service.
At the same time, the use of right technology also support to enhance the credibility as such system allows the user to properly perform the online shopping without any error network problem. Such areas may help to perceive quality from the website. Thus, the usage experiences are also counted in the creditability of website. Other than that, the privacy network is also proved to be effective for improving the credibility of website (Stewart and Gapp, 2014).
There are various issues related to security occur due to which people hesitate for using online transaction but the right installation of technology could help the website to increase its credibility in the form of provide secured shopping experiences (Lim et al., 2014).
Effectiveness of above dimension in context to Homebase
Reliability: The dimension of reliability assists Homebase Website in several ways. Since website faced lot of criticism for its navigation and information accessibility problem, this makes it as worst website in UK online report. For this, reliability dimension may help the firm in the form to bring efficiency in areas like order correctly, deliver promptly, keep personal information secure etc.
This allows the firm to solve the problem related to poor website services and improves quality. Such practice helps to gain large customer base and profitability in the UK market. The website also able to tapped larger market and satisfies maximum customers.
The dimension of reliability also allows to reducing the website errors such as improper presentation of information and lack of right fact. Thus, such limitation can be overcome through enhances the reliability. This dimension also support the firm in form of provides right sources of information at the time of transaction.
It allows the firm to achieve the loyalty of customer in a high level and this helps to gain the tag of best website from the worst one. Henceforth, the reliability dimension will help the Homebase website to regain goodwill which is lost in UK market.
Furthermore, the enhancement of Homebase reliability tend to influence the customer positively in the form develop a faith towards the site. Besides that, the website reliability also helps the customer to easily use the site without any problem and this result in maximum satisfaction.
Such practice also allows to continuous engagement of people towards the website for a longer duration. Therefore, the reliability dimension impact the customer in a positive manner and this proved to be useful for website to gain acceptances of larger market. This way reliability dimension helps to gain the online service quality and influences the consumer buying behaviour in a positive manner.
Accessibility: – This is most important dimension which could help Homebase to easily overcome the current problem which website is facing. It includes the navigation issue as people found problem to search the product and service in a proper manner.
By focusing on the accessibility dimension, the website needs to consider the mathematical optimization in order to provide efficient navigation to the user. This process provides the change which is easy to understand. However, the use of advanced technology could also help the website to gain the right navigation solution and this helps the firm to provide better accessibility of information to target market.
Such practice helps the individuals to easily access or search the desired product and services. This saves people time which makes them satisfied. The people with higher satisfaction will always show the loyalty to the brand. This dimension also allows to maintaining the quality of website services.
This is because informative website helps the individual to easily reach towards the right product and services. It results in the development of positive perception about the website. This will help Homebase to regain its image in UK market which it gains due to poor website. Furthermore, accessibility dimension also contribute efficiency for customers in a way to easily access the website without any confusion.
This allows them to successfully perform the online transaction. The accessibility dimension also support customers in the payment section equally in regards to describe the steps regards to make a payment. This practice addresses the problem of security process which is occurring in current scenario.
The proper guidance’s helps to gain the trust of consumer and motivates them to use more online practices. Therefore, accessibility dimension proved to be effective for Homebase website in term to solve the problem of navigation and lack of informative site. This includes gaining of high customer engagement towards the website for a longer duration of time.
Credibility: – The credibility dimension of the Homebase would help in order to build the good customer relation. It also assists in further business expansion of the company as this is the quality, every organization and customer seeks.
By delivering the quality product on time could aid the company in order to regain its credibility status. Once the customer would receive the quality and worth services by the company, customers would be satisfied the brand image would automatically increase through mouth publicity of the customers and this is the most powerful factor for enhancing the credibility value in the market.
Furthermore, customer’s positive comments and feedback are also reflected in website that would add the credibility to the company. Homebase would be able to strengthen the credibility status as well as customer base.
Apart from this, customer want easy accessible company websites holding complete details required for making the transactions in company who dealing online. Therefore, company needs to update the official website with important detail.
The common challenge facing by the customers is navigating the company website page. Hence, company could re-build its credibility through simplifying and technically sound company website. It would help the customers in visiting the websites easily and maximizing their experiences.
Company can tie up with the other companies functioning in payment services. It would also facilitate the company in order to deliver the smooth and worth-full services. Thus, Home base’s credibility status helps in further business expansion and market share increase.
From the above discussion, it is concluded that Homebase website is mainly faced the problem related to navigation and less informative site. In regards to improve the service quality, the three dimension is selected i.e. Reliability, Access and Creditability. These dimension contribute towards increase the customer satisfaction through bring improvement in the website services.
This can be achieved through correct delivery, personal information secure and appropriate website design etc, these areas contribute towards provide the positive experiences to customer and may help the website to regain its position in UK market and successfully cater the need of diverse consumers. Thus, the online service quality dimension provides benefit to Homebase for retaining its customers.
Bernardo, M., Marimon, F. and del Mar Alonso-Almeida, M., 2012. Functional quality and hedonic quality: A study of the dimensions of e-service quality in online travel agencies. Information & Management, 49(7-8), pp.342-347.
Cui, G., Lockee, B. and Meng, C., 2013. Building modern online social presence: A review of social presence theory and its instructional design implications for future trends. Education and information technologies, 18(4), pp.661-685.
Ding, Z., Chen, M.H. and Li, X., 2014. Online reliability computing of composite services based on program invariants. Information Sciences, 264, pp.340-348.
Homebase. 2018. Company Profile. [Online] Available at: https://www.homebase.co.uk/ (Accessed on: 18-01-2019).
Jahanzeb, S., Fatima, T. and Mohsin Butt, M., 2013. How service quality influences brand equity: The dual mediating role of perceived value and corporate credibility. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 31(2), pp.126-141.
Jiang, L., Yang, Z. and Jun, M., 2013. Measuring consumer perceptions of online shopping convenience. Journal of Service Management, 24(2), pp.191-214.
Lim, Y.S. and Van Der Heide, B., 2014. Evaluating the wisdom of strangers: The perceived credibility of online consumer reviews on Yelp. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 20(1), pp.67-82.
Sadat-Moosavi, A., Isfandyari-Moghaddam, A. and Tajeddini, O., 2012, March. Accessibility of online resources cited in scholarly LIS journals: A study of Emerald ISI-ranked journals. In Aslib Proceedings (Vol. 64, No. 2, pp. 178-192). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Stewart, H. and Gapp, R., 2014. Achieving effective sustainable management: A small‐medium enterprise case study. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 21(1), pp.52-64.
Thakur, R. and Srivastava, M., 2015. A study on the impact of consumer risk perception and innovativeness on online shopping in India. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 43(2), pp.148-166.
Wang, L., Wang, H., Yu, Q., Sun, H. and Bouguettaya, A., 2013, December. Online reliability time series prediction for service-oriented system of systems. In International Conference on Service-Oriented Computing (pp. 421-428). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Wong, L.Y., Heng, B.H., Cheah, J.T.S. and Tan, C.B., 2012. Using spatial accessibility to identify polyclinic service gaps and volume of under‐served population in Singapore using Geographic Information System. The International journal of health planning and management, 27(3), pp.e173-e185.
Zogaj, S., Bretschneider, U. and Leimeister, J.M., 2014. Managing crowdsourced software testing: a case study based insight on the challenges of a crowdsourcing intermediary. Journal of Business Economics, 84(3), pp.375-405.
