The effects of web site quality on cognitive dissonance in electronic purchase

Web site quality has become very important for companies, operating online. This is because web site quality impacts on customers? perceived risk, and hence its influential in building trust toward the company. Customers may experience cognitive dissonance about their decisions and perceived web site quality may reduce likely cognitive dissonance after the purchase. Despite the significance, limited research has been carried out to understand the likely effects of website on dissonance. This research therefore explores the role of web site quality dimensions on dissonance. The first section deals with the concepts of web site quality, perceived risk and trust. The second section explains cognitive dissonance and repurchase intention. Final section undertakes a review of previous studies on cognitive dissonance and purchase intention. An online questionnaire was developed and used in the research. All tested independent constructs (web site quality, perceived risk, trust) strongly determine the extent to which the consumer experiences any dissonance. The study found that not all dimensions but only visual dimension of web quality affected reusage intentions. A link between cognitive dissonance and reusage intention was identified. According to the results, the lower the dissonance the higher the likelihood of reusage. That management of dissonance may be partly dependent on the qualities of the web site has managerial implications.