A Theoretical Framework Measuring the Usability of Retail Sites

The motivation for this research effort is the failure of usability in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) to consider the needs of users as potential consumers. The hypothesis underlying this research is that it is possible to construct a framework based upon the needs of computer users who are at the same time consumers. The aim of this research is to build a theoretical framework that addresses the needs of a retail site user as a potential consumer. To achieve this we examined the literature relating to usability in HCI as well as Social Attitude Theories. Two empirical studies were conducted using existing sites. The first aimed at incorporating attributes from the fields of Social Attitude Theories and Retail Marketing the second at developing a theoretical framework measuring the usability of retail sites.