THE ROLE OF ONLINE STORE ATMOSPHERICS IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Tommi Kaikkonen

OUT LINE
Introduction What Is Online Store E-commerce And Online Store Brief History of Online Store What Is Consumer Behavior Consumer Behavior In Online Store The Online Store Environment Framework References

INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this article is to examine the history of both offline and online store environment research, review the current discourse on online store atmospherics and how it effects customer behavior, and review empiric findings on atmospheric attributes, such as background music, font and color of web site.

WHAT IS ONLINE STORE

An online store, accessible with a computer through a browser via the internet. According to emarketingdictionary.com definition online store is a web site that enables visitors to find, order and pay for products and services. Online store atmospherics have been studied widely Furthermore, the way web designers establish atmospherics online is continually changing and evolving with leaps in web technology,.

E-COMMERCE AND ONLINE STORE

E-commerce describes the process of buying, selling, transferring, or exchanging products, services, and information via computer network, including the Internet. Online Store is a part of E-commerce

BRIEF HISTORY OF ONLINE STORE

EC applications were developed first in the early 1970s that is electronic funds transfer(EFT). Than inter organizational system(IOS) Electronic commerce has been on the rise especially since the invention of World Wide Web browsing in 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee. By the end of the 20th century, online security had improved and continuous connection to the internet was possible via DSL (digital subscriber line), enabling ecommerce to function on a whole new level. In 2011, e-commerce and online retail sales in the United States alone were projected to reach $197 billion.

WHAT IS CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Consumer behavior is the study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN ONLINE STORE

Electronic markets affect the consumer purchase decision in two ways. First, The digitization of market mechanism reduces customers search costs in terms of money, time and effort needed to gather information on price, quality and product features. Second, The information of products and their distribution is digitized. For the seller, digitization eliminates the need to maintain an inventory of goods.

IMPORTANCE OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN ONLINE STORE

This is because in an offline setting, the retail environment is totally under the control of the store manager, though customers can openly voice their opinions. In an online environment, a customer might have the feeling that he has no control over the environment because he cant even communicate to staff directly.

THE ONLINE STORE ENVIRONMENT FRAMEWORK

Online Store Considerations

Advantages Unlimited space to present product assortments, displays, and information Can be customized to the individual customer Can be modified frequently Can promote crossmerchandising and impulse purchasing Enables a shopper to enter and exit an online store in a matter of minutes Disadvantages Can be slow for dialup shoppers Can be too complex Cannot display threedimensional aspects of products well Requires constant updating More likely to be exited without purchase

The S-O-R paradigm

Conclusion

Analysis
Most of the information and knowledge-how in online atmospheric attributes lies behind professional designers applying best practices. They can design online stores that are pleasurable to look at due to color harmony, intelligent use of white space and great typefaces. This literature review makes it clear that atmospherics have a significant influence on consumer behavior in the online setting. Online store atmospherics can influence which product a consumer chooses to buy, they can affect store image through different atmospheric attributes such as font personality or amount of white space. Colors and color schemes affect us both physiologically and psychologically and those effects should be taken into account when managers plan for an online store.

REFERENCES
Book References
Electronic Commerce, Efraim Turban, Pearson Education,2004. Management Information Systems, James A OBrien, Seventh Edition, TATA McGRAW HILL

http://www.tcs.com/Pages/default.aspx http://www.nirma.co.in/index.htm