Understanding users’ dynamic behavior in a free trial of IT services: A three-stage model

Wei-ling, Jiao; Chen, Hao; Yuan, Yufei

doi:10.1016/j.im.2019.103238

Cited by 17 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Legacy and novel publications focusing on marketing strategy, tactics and operations [1,2] states that the understanding of needs and wishes of the customers is one of the most important marketing goals. The research conducted in the field of customer behaviour focuses on how individuals, groups as well as organizations are choosing, buying, using and subsequently dealing with the goods, services, thoughts and experiences, which serve to satisfy their needs and wishes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Customer Behaviour and Sentiment Due to The COVID-19 Global Pandemic

Majercakova

Rostášová

2021

SHS Web of Conf.

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Research background: Identifying customer behaviour is one of the most critical activities in the implementation and evaluation of the analytical phase of the company’s algorithm for marketing activities. Analyses are performed based on of research activities aimed at identifying the psychological processes of an individual, related to the selection of goods and services to meet his needs and desires, the distribution of his available resources (money, time, effort) into items related to consumption and overall perception and thinking of the customer in a specific time period. The emergence of a global crisis, Covid-19, has significantly changed consumer behaviour in the market, shopping motives and consumer sentiment. This aspect has prompted several studies that have placed great emphasis on identifying factors influencing customer behaviour during this specific period. Purpose of the article: The article presents the results of these analyses, which were carried out during the initial stages of the emergence and spread of the pandemic. Methods: The methods used to address this issue were based on the analysis, synthesis and comparison of data obtained by primary and secondary research, as well as the use of methods of deduction and induction, to draw general and specific conclusions related to the topic. Findings & Value added: he results of the findings not only confirm the expected change in customer behaviour in times of crisis, but the added value of solving this problem is to obtain important evidence for immediate decision-making and management of companies in times of crisis caused by “force majeure”.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Customer Behaviour and Sentiment Due to The COVID-19 Global Pandemic

Majercakova

Rostášová

2021

SHS Web of Conf.

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“…However, user belief forming for purchase decision in the posttrial stage has seldom been investigated. Users may pay more attention to added value after trial (Jiao et al , 2020), which requires the IT companies to offer attractive commercial products and services and price.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Last but not least, to the best of our knowledge, an integrated theoretical framework based on the whole process level has not been reported in IS literature. The reason that we took the three stages as a whole was that free trial was an inseparable whole process, during which its three stages were interdependent and interactional (Jiao et al , 2020).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…IT companies should pay more attention to the experience stage because the users' ongoing behavioral intentions and action sequences are more likely to be influenced by experience (Jiao et al , 2020). In this case, IT companies' implementation decision will play an important role in free trial.…”

Section: The Decision Variables On It Companies' Decision-makingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Typically, the core decision process of free trial of individual user involves two types of periodic decisions, that is, trial adoption and purchase decisions, which will be formed during three stages: (1) to decide to adopt IT products and services with limited time or limited functionality before free trial; (2) to gain experience during free trial; (3) to decide to pay IT products and services with a longer time or full functionality after free trial (Jiao et al , 2020). Despite more and more attention from information system (IS) area on adoption of charged IT products and services recently, most of the existing studies related to this topic just focused on stages before or after free trial, resulting in a lack of exploratory work on the second stage, especially a lack of relating works on taking free trial process as a whole.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Study on free trial decision-making of IT products and services from an IT company's perspective

Wei-ling

Chen

et al. 2020

JEIM

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PurposeFree trial is an effective strategy to gaining users’ data so as to strengthen and optimize product design. The purpose of this paper is to understand the IT companies' dynamic decision-making behavior in the free trial of IT products and services context based on a three-stage theoretical framework and users' decision-making behavior in the respective stage.Design/methodology/approachA three-stage methodology is proposed to clarify relevant decision problems and actions in each stage from IT companies' and users' perspectives, respectively. It then investigates relating variables on IT companies' decision-making based on extant research and users' decision-making.FindingsIn this study, the authors argue that the IT companies have to make the offering, implementation and retention decision in different stage during the whole free trial process. Each decision is determined by several variables from their own and users, namely the offering decision is determined by product characteristics, network effects, product life cycle and WOM (word of mouth); the implementation decision is determined by the quality of products and services, trial type, incentive measures on user's usage and communication strategy; and the retention decision is determined by the product and price strategy.Practical implicationsThe results are practical and can be used by IT companies as a decision basis or reference to make reliable decisions so that IT companies can take target measures to ensure the effectiveness of their free trial strategy so as to meet their users' needs based on products designed by data driven. Thus, the ultimate goal of supply chain management is achieved.Originality/valueIn this study, the decision-making process in the free trial of IT products and services context is investigated as a whole for the first time. From the IT companies' perspective, the process includes offering, implementation and retention decision stages, which are continuous and inseparable. The variables that determine IT companies' decision-making are identified based on users' decision and action. Hence, it represents a brand-new whole process perception to clearly understand the dynamic of the IT companies' decision-making. Considering users' decision and action, the final decisions of the IT companies will be more practical in respect of motivating, retaining and upgrading users.

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