Pre-Purchase Online Information Seeking: Search versus Browse

Recognizing the need to support both goal-directed and experiential behaviour in online shopping environments as a means of facilitating flow, this paper reports results from an exploratory study that investigates consumer preferences for Web-based product information display across browsing and searching tasks. Thirty-one participants performed two online shopping tasks (one searching and one browsing in nature) on predetermined e-tailing sites and were asked to evaluate the display of product information on these sites in helping them carry out these tasks. Results suggest three things: 1) information such as pricing, product description, retailer selection, retailer advice, and a good interface design are required in both tasks; 2) searching requires more detailed product information; and 3) browsing places greater emphasis on information about the retailer. Based on these findings, a theoretical framework for Web-based product information display is presented. With respect to the design of Web retailing sites, the study’s results imply the need to focus not only on goal-directed search, but also on non-directed browsing tasks as well. It is argued that adapting the design of e-tailing sites to the unique information display requirements of search and browse tasks could help promote more compelling online shopping experiences for consumers.