Task facilitative tools, choice goals, and risk averseness: A process-view study of e-stores

Although the effects of interactivity and personalization tools on the browsing experience are the subject of previous research, relatively little research focuses on the effect of variable levels of such features on buyers’ evaluations of choice goals. To address this gap, this study conducts an experiment with 273 participants to examine these relationships in the context of complex, high-risk purchase situations where the seller is new to the market and buyers demonstrate variable risk averseness. Findings identify a positive association between website design features and browsing outcomes. The study provides direction on determining the combination of website features according to buyer characteristics.