The Effects of System Trial on Consumer Beliefs in Marketing Software

Marketers are constantly faced with designing an appropriate level of marketing stimulus at which a potential consumer can experience a sensation. Potential consumers generally are constrained with time and energy to explore new products and services. This study attempts to investigate the effects of a system trial as a marketing stimulus on potential consumers’ beliefs. Using a web-based e-learning system, the examination reveals that targeted consumers with or without system trial experience present differences in their determinants of behavioral intentions and beliefs. Potential consumers with system trial experience form a higher perception of usefulness, their intention to use e-learning for distance education purpose is more strongly affected by system functionality, their intention to use e-learning as a supplementary learning tool is more strongly affected by perceived usefulness, and their perception of ease of use is also more strongly influenced by system response. Without system trial, potential consumers’ self-efficacy plays a more important role but only to the extent of forming a higher perception of ease of use. These findings enhance our understanding of marketing information goods to potential consumers.