J. Inf. Technol. Appl. Manag. 24(3): 63~72, September 2017 ISSN 1598-6284 (Print) https://doi.org/10.21219/jitam.2017.24.3.063 ISSN 2508-1209 (Online)
The Effect of the Attractiveness of Mobile Music Applications on the Level of User Loyalty
Dong Mengyu*․Namjae Cho**
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between application attractiveness and loyalty to mobile music applications. The application attractiveness is operationalized into four dimensions: richness of music contents, music app design quality, music app functionality, and promotion. The hypotheses are postulated and tested using a sample of 370 student respondents from Henan Polytechnic University and Henan Institute of Technology, China. The result shows that there is a positive correlation between loyalty and three application attractiveness aspects: richness of music contents, music app design quality and music app functionality. Based on the results of this study, the research put forward constructive suggestions about improving mobile music application loyalty. Finally, several conclusions, managerial suggestions, limitations and future research are proposed.
Keywords：Mobile Music Applications, Loyalty, Application Attractiveness
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Received：2017. 07. 01. Revised : 2017. 09. 04. Final Acceptance：2017. 09. 15. * Master Program Researcher, School of Business, Hanyang University, e-mail：[email protected] ** Corresponding Author, School of Business, Hanyang University, 17 Haeng Dang-Dong, Seong Dong-Gu, Seoul, 04763 Korea, Tel：+82-2-2220-1058, Fax：+82-2-2292-3195, e-mail：[email protected] 64 JOURNAL OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS & MANAGEMENT
1. Introduction bile music applications in the industry. Service provider (SP) mainly refers directly to those 1.1 Background businesses that provide digital music services to users. Online music market service providers With the rapid growth of the pool of smart include major digital music sites, such as Xiami, phone users, and the transition of music in- a music network, which offers a service platform dustry medium into the mobile Internet, smart where providers integrate music content and ori- phones have quickly become the most important ent artists (as original content creators) to issue carrier of music. Ease of access to network of and sell their digital music. In the mobile music music transferred from the traditional PC desk- market, value-added service providers include tops to mobile music apps, together with the Network-based players such as QQ Music, Kugou seamless integration of online listening, down- Music, Xiami Music, NetEase Cloud Music, which loading, sharing and other flourishing rich fea- provide users with diverse digital music experi- tures of mobile music applications gradually ences. User experience elements, from the per- changes the way people listen to music. Accor- spective of a website designer, include such di- ding to IiMedia Research’s “Q3 China Mobile Music Client Market Research”, data shows that mensions as user experience strategy, scope, in the third quarter of 2014, the number of structure, skeleton, and surface. Chinese Mobile Music clients has reached 317 million, an increase of 7.8% over the previous 2.1 Richness of Music Contents quarter. The active users of mobile music appli- In the context of web design, contents have cations follow a steady growth trend. been identified as the most important character- However, compared to the situation in tradi- istic contributor to the loyalty of web sites and tional business environment, in the network en- as one of the key reasons that users repeat to vironment, consumers’ brand loyalty has be- use a site [Lohse and Spiller, 1998; Nielsen, 1999; come ever more fragile. Networks, as a trans- Ranganathan and Ganapathy, 2002]. Agarwal and parent and open information space, give users Venkatesh found that content was weighted as a richer brand choice. Such changes makes it the most important MUG (Microsoft Usability easy to transfer the desire for continual use or Guidelines) category contributing to loyalty of purchase. For this reason, establishing and web sites across multiple industries both among maintaining brand loyalty in the network envi- customers and investors [Kärkkäinen and Laarni, ronment has become a serious problem that must 2002; Palmer, 2002]. be addressed by management [Aaker, 2009]. Lohse and Spiller suggest that the availability 2. Literature Review of relevant content is one of the key reasons for a user’s return to a web site. In the context of At present, there is no unified definition of mo- mobile sites, the ability to locate relevant con- Vol.24 No.3 The Effect of the Attractiveness of Mobile Music Applications on the Level of User Loyalty 65 tent quickly has been identified as the single tem, the music content buyers can also get in- most important factor in mobile service use direct benefits by getting segmented ranking [Lohse and Spiller, 1998; Ballard and Miller, slots that may reduce search costs [Yoo and 2001]. Kim, 2012].
2.2 Music App Design Quality 2.4 Promotion
User interface design is an essential element A well-planned trial and service promotion can in Web application development. Design quality attract more users. In addition, in relation to of a web site has been a subject of extensive membership activity & discounts, a better mem- study. Kaikkonen and Ruto found that users of ber discount program and member activities can mobile phones preferred a flatter hierarchy to a enhance the loyalty of members [Sandulli, 2007; deeper hierarchy, and tended to make extensive Chen et al., 2009]. use of keyword search despite the input limi- tations of the devices [Venkatesh and Ramesh, 2.5 Loyalty 2006]. Because of the growing importance of Inter- A brand is helpful in maintaining customer net services, several researchers have attempted loyalty and the long-term operation of a com- to find ways to improve website fidelity and pany. High service quality will increase custom- increase consumer’s intention to buy [Abbott, er satisfaction and make the users more willing Chiang et al., 2000]. Jacoby and Chestnut [1978] to recommend the website to other people and explore the meaning of loyalty by distinguish- generate the effect of public praise marketing ing the psychological loyalty from behavioral [Casaló et al., 2008; Sweeney and Swait, 2008; loyalty. However, it is not enough to explain Hoehle and Venkatesh, 2015]. loyalty only by the theory of attitude or behav- ioral loyalty. Oliver subsequently defines brand 2.3 Music App Functionality loyalty as “a consumer’s deep commitment to The decision-making process of online shop- the brand that will continue to re-purchase or ping will affect the complicacy of shopping be- re-visit the product or service in the future) havior. Therefore, good recommendation func- [Oliver, 1999]”… tion will help consumers to make decisions. The Following Oliver’s view this research accepts most popular supporting search functions of on- that loyalty includes both behavioral loyalty and line music stores are songs or music ranking, attitude loyalty, that is, customers’ preference album category, and the introduction of the al- of products, their behavior of continued use, and bum or singer, and real time recommendations intention to promote purchase via word of [Lee and Kwon, 2008]. For a music search sys- mouth. 66 JOURNAL OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS & MANAGEMENT
3. Research Model and Hypothesis students and aged 19～24 years old from Henan Polytechnic University and Henan Institute of Hypothesis Technology in Henan province, China. Usable H1 : Richness of Music Contents has positive sample size was 370. effects on Loyalty of Mobile Music Appli- cations 4.2 Data Analysis H2 : Music App Design Quality has positive ef- fects on Loyalty of Mobile Music Applica- Sample characteristics tions Gender distribution: As can be seen from H3 : Music App Functionality has positive effects