A study that looks into A frame of user interface design requirements for usability and improved consumer behaviors in social commerce MASTERS THESIS WITHIN: Informatics NUMBER OF CREDITS: 30 PROGRAMME OF STUDY: Information Architecture and Innovation AUTHOR: Julian Sybella Nansamba JÖNKÖPING May 2020 Master Thesis in Informatics Title: The impact of user interface usability on consumer behavior in social commerce- Authors: Julian Sybella Nansamba Tutor: Daniela Mihailescu Date: 2020-05-26 Key terms: User interfaces, Usability, Consumer behavior, Social commerce. Abstract User interface usability in social commerce is an important theme today because many businesses are evolving with use of social media in order to easily reach larger markets. The study was based on the fact that online shoppers and their purchase success depend to the great extent they can interact with the interface (usability). Therefore, it is important for companies to attend to the users' online consumer purchase behavior. The purpose of the study is to discuss which interface design requirements can enhance usability that improves consumer behavior in social commerce. The methodology of social constructionist paradigm, a deductive research approach with investigation from multiple exploratory cases was used. For extension of knowledge about the topic both secondary and primary data with interviews was followed. The findings show that the social commerce companies are still facing some challenges because they still lack some of the suggested requirements which hinders the usability of their interfaces. Moreover, they believe that some requirements are not be as important as others. The companies can use these findings to apply and harmonize this frame of requirements into their user interfaces in order to achieve usability that promotes consumer behaviors since they can now realize that the few requirement they never attend to limits the usability of their websites. Table of Contents: 1.0 Introduction ............................................................... 1 1.1 Research problem ......................................... 2 1.2 Research purpose. ........................................ 3 1.3 Research Question. ....................................... 4 1.4 Delimitation .................................................. 4 1.5 Definitions..................................................... 5 2.0 Theoretical framework ............................................. 6 2.1 Social commerce ........................................... 6 2.2 Consumer behavior in social commerce ...... 7 2.2.1 Customer journey of the social commerce user. 8 2.3 Usability ...................................................... 10 2.4 User interfaces for the social commerce ... 11 2.4.1 Design requirements for quality s-commerce User interface 12 3. Methodology .............................................................. 22 3.1 Research Philosophy ................................... 23 3.2 Research Approach ..................................... 24 3.3 Research Method ....................................... 26 3.4 Research Strategy ....................................... 27 3.5 Case sampling ............................................. 28 3.6 Data collection ............................................ 28 3.7 Data Analysis. ............................................. 31 3.8 Method evaluation ..................................... 32 3.9 Ethical considerations ................................. 34 4. Empirical findings. .................................................... 36 4.1 Company A .................................................. 36 4.1.1 Social commerce .................................................... 37 4.1.2 Consumer behavior .............................................. 37 4.1.3 Usability ................................................................... 38 4.1.4. User interfaces ...................................................... 39 4.2 Company B .................................................. 43 4.2.1 Social commerce. ................................................... 43 4.2.2. Consumer behavior ............................................. 44 4.2.3. Usability .................................................................. 44 4.2.4 user interfaces ....................................................... 46 4.3. Company C ................................................. 51 4.3.1 Social commerce .................................................... 51 4.3.2 Consumer behavior .............................................. 52 4.3.3 Usability ................................................................... 53 4.3.4 User interfaces ....................................................... 54 5. Analysis ...................................................................... 59 5.1. Social commerce ........................................ 59 5.2 Consumer behavior .................................... 60 5.3 Usability ...................................................... 61 5. 4 User interfaces635.4.1 Design requirements for quality social commerce user interfaces .......................................................... 63 6. Conclusion ................................................................. 70 7. Discussion................................................................... 72 7.1 Limitations and self-criticism ...................... 72 7.2 Suggestion for further research ................. 73 References. ..................................................................... 74 Appendices ..................................................................... 82 LIST OF FIGURES: Figure 1; Illustrates the SOR model of consumer behavior in social commerce. (Zhang, 2016) pg 99..................................................................................................................................................... 8 Figure 2;Illustrates the highlight of the selected steps of the customer journey (https://www.google.com/search?q=social+commerce+customer+journey)................................ 9 Figure 3. shows the summary steps of the users’ journey of the highlighted part in figure 2 ...... 10 Figure 4; shows different sorting categories: (retrieved from Dhgate.com) ................................ 14 Figure 5;shows page formats interfaces (retrieved from Dhgate.com) ...................................... 16 Figure 6;Shows product catalog (retrieved from Missguided.com) ............................................. 17 Figure 7; Shows simple registration forms. (retrieved from Dhgate.com)................................... 18 Figure 8; shows the different customer service methods; (retrieved from SHEIN.com and Dhgate.com) .................................................................................................................................. 21 Figure 9; illustrates inductive research approach ....................................................................... 25 Figure 10; shows deductive research approach ........................................................................... 25 Figure 11; Represents company A’s perspective of the relation between the usability attributes 39 Figure 12; Represents company B’s perspective of the relation the usability attributes ............... 46 Figure 13; Represents company C’s perspective of the relation between the usability attributes 54 Figure 14; Represents the companies' perspectives in regard to the SOR model of consumer behavior in social commerce. ....................................................................................................... 61 Figure 15; Represents the summary of the overall perspective of therelation between the usability attributes by the companies. ........................................................................................... 63 LIST OF TABLES: Table 1: Illustrates the secondary data key word categories used ............................................... 32 Table 2: Illustrates the information about the company and the respondents from which the findings were made. ...................................................................................................................... 37 Table 3; Illustrating the use of the different social media platforms in the social commerce companies interviewed. ................................................................................................................. 61 1.0 Introduction In this age of fast-growing digitalization, change is inevitable especially in the way we purchase goods and services. And while this digital transformation emerges, issues of how retailers and other selling companies attempt to explore the boom in the electronic market arise (Lohse and Spiller, 1998). This means that selling companies may have to distinguish between selling through a physical store and an electronic counterpart, as the familiar layout of the physical store becomes a maze of pull-down menus, product indices, and search features (Spann et al., 2012). Moreover, while social networking users spend 50% more online than people who do not use social networking sites, many are now doing a lot of talking using social networks (Lawrence J, 2011). Also people like to talk about their potential purchases and brands they like through these networks therefore many e-commerce providers have created social media presence for their e- commerce sites on these social networks for example Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter among others (Ionescu, 2009) hence enhancing social commerce. The social commerce