SUBSCRIPTION TO FEE-BASED ONLINE SERVICES: WHAT MAKES CONSUMER PAY FOR ONLINE CONTENT?

• Published in: Journal of electronic commerce research Vol. 6; no. 4; p. 304
• Main Authors: Cheng Lu Wang, Zhang, Yue, Li Richard Ye, Dat-Dao Nguyen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Long Beach Journal of Electronic Commerce Research 01.11.2005
• Subjects: Access to information; Advertising; Alliances; Business models; Consumer attitudes; Consumers; Customer services; Electronic commerce; Influence; Internet; Internet access; Internet service providers; Medical prognosis; Online information services; Payments; Perceptions; Quality of service; Service introduction; Studies; Subscription based services; Subscriptions; Surveys; U.S.A; Web content delivery; Willingness to pay; United States > US
• ISSN: 1938-9027; 1526-6133; 1526-6133

Increasingly, Web-based content or service sites are turning to a subscription-based business model. This article examines factors that influence potential consumers' opinions about such paid services. A survey was conducted to examine the impact of several factors on consumers' willingness to access subscription-based Web content. The results indicated that respondents' intentions are significantly influenced by these factors. Specifically, their willingness to pay for online content or services is positively related to their perception of convenience, essentiality, added-value, and service quality, and to their usage rate of a given service. In addition, their willingness to pay is negatively related to their perceived unfairness in a subscription-based online service model. Managerial implications based on our findings are discussed. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]