Exploratory Examination of Social Website Quality

With websites becoming the frontend for numerous systems, the system's benefits require customers to have a favorable evaluation of the site and an intention to re-use it. It must be considered to be of high quality. With websites increasing adding collaborative technologies (such as tools for social networking, forums, and blogging) a new instrument to evaluate the quality of these types of sites is needed. Before such an instrument is developed, an understanding of the applicable theories is needed. This study offers that background. First the potential benefits of this research and its guiding questions are presented. Next is a literature review outlining possible constructs upon which an instrument to evaluate the quality of social websites could be based. Then the focus group's background and details are provided along with the analysis strategy, content analysis. After that, each constructs is discussed with the supporting/non-supporting evidence from the groups. Finally, the discussion concludes with discussions of limitations and suggestions for follow-on research. From this investigation, nine constructs (Ease of Understanding, Intuitive Operation, Informational Fit-to-task, Relative Advantage, Trust, Response Time, Visual Appeal, Innovativeness, and Social Presence) were discovered which could provide the basis for an instrument to measure social website quality.