Proposing the content perception theory for the online content industry – a structural equation modeling

Abstract

This study chooses the content perception perspective to develop a theoretical model portraying the psychological activities of Web surfers exposed to content Web sites. After collecting 549 empirical observations in a controlled lab environment, tests the theoretical relationships by using the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. The results strongly indicate that effective content perceptual dimensions can help content Web surfers to develop positive attitudes toward content sites, which in turn induce favorable behavioral outcomes such as frequent site usage and loyalty. Such a proposed theoretical model not only has the potential to enrich the theoretical underpinning of Internet studies but also presents a practical framework to guide content strategy formulations for the online content industry. Detailed implications for both managerial research and practice are discussed.