AN ENHANCED UTILITARIAN AND HEDONIC MODEL FOR SELECTING OPTIMAL E-COMMERCE PLATFORM

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent time, e-commerce provides customers with a wide range of choices and convenience, it equally provides flexibility in terms of items, services, and delivery time. With technical innovation, the use of the digital platforms continues to expand. However, it has certain drawbacks, such as lack of technical understanding of the functions that add value to a platform when choosing a business online. As a result, this study conducted a survey in order to improve user privacy, security, experience, brand image, customer service, product variety, and motivations. The study is aimed to develop a mathematical model for selecting an online platform for an e-commerce enterprise. In order to define and recommend the best approach for selecting ecommerce platforms based on the utilitarian and hedonic motivations of customers when shopping online, questionnaires were sent out to potential e-commerce users. The responses of the respondents were evaluated using the mathematical model to obtain the optimal selection. The regression analysis on factors affecting utilitarian motivation of customers measured 0.262, 0.306, 0.535, and 0.509 when compared with the regression analysis on factors affecting hedonic motivation of customers measured 0.399, 0.306, 0.338, and 0.512. The results were compared with the existing model to obtain Attitude with performance evaluation of 0.001 and 0.500. The proposed model shows costsaving as 0.535 and monetary value of 0.512, which indicates the best motivation when selecting an optimal e-commerce platform. In conclusion, this model would be the possible best method for selecting e-commerce platforms.