Consumer e-Satisfaction and Site Stickiness: An Empirical Investigation in the Context of Online Hotel Reservations

Research on website satisfaction (also known as e-satisfaction) has been approached from many different perspectives. However, many studies lack a solid, overarching theory base, and rely heavily on student data. As a consequence, there is a lack of clarity as to the antecedents and consequences of e-satisfaction. Using a survey of 4,838 visitors to a large hotel chain's website, we test a comprehensive model of e-satisfaction grounded in Bagozzi's 1992 framework of the self-regulation of attitudes, intentions, and behavior. Results indicate that appraisals of website quality and usefulness, as well as product value appraisals, lead to overall satisfaction with a site, which in turn leads to site stickiness. These website and product appraisals, as well as an appraisal of trust in the vendor, also have a direct impact on site stickiness unmediated by satisfaction.