How do firms present choice to consumers? Some unusual decision constructs along the B2C transaction process

Abstract

Certain features amongst some online retailers are atypical of ‘good’ design; the transaction process presents consumers with optional extras that not only slowed the process down, but also stressed and agitated consumers. An established norm is that web design, employing human computer interaction (HCI) principles, develops applications that are easy to use and make the consumer experience positively engaging and productive (Rogers et al., 2011; Shneiderman and Plaisant, 2010; Sklar, 2006). This norm is in question today, as many points in commercial Business-to-Consumer (B2C) transactions are riddled with pitfalls intended to slowdown, confuse or trick consumers (Barry and Torres, 2009). This paper offers a taxonomy of decision constructs encountered throughout online B2C transactional processes. The findings make an incremental contribution in theorising, identifying and categorising new and established decision constructs, as well as reporting on whether the decision constructs are used and examining them in terms of factors such as opacity, clarity and user frustration.