Consumer-Driven Website Customization: The Need to Manage Costs and Benefits

Website customization is an innovative Internet concept to optimize consumer experiences. By pursuing three objectives, this study aims to increase our understanding of how and when site customization can be applied. First, we define the concept of Website customization as an extension of mass customization. Second, we identify the value drivers of Website customization from both a customer’s and a supplier’s point of view. Finally, we investigate how two companies, which operate in different environments, deal with these value drivers. The two case studies, concerning Amazon and Dell, focus on companies that are widely recognized as being successful in this area, but operate in significantly different environments. The case analyses show many similarities in the customization strategies of both companies, e.g., delivering substantial added customer value, automating the customization process, offering a stepwise process and the crucial role of trust. However, there are also distinct differences regarding the initial customer’s investment, the elements of added value and the knowledge on which customization is based.

Keywords: Case study, e-commerce, marketing interface, mass customization, website.