Building trust over the Internet : design and prototyping of an advocacy website

Abstract

The Internet has empowered consumers with information, options, and a simple mechanism for transaction. Although the Internet has not completely replaced traditional shopping methods, it has brought about a change in the balance of power between suppliers and consumers. Many suppliers have responded to this change by adapting their marketing strategies from traditional push-based practices to more consumer centered trusted-based methodologies. In the wireless industry, Qwest Communications International, Inc. has taken a leading step in building consumer trust through the development of an advocacy website to help consumers select the best service packages available to them. In collaboration with Qwest, the MIT e-business Center has designed and implemented a functional prototype, My Wireless Advocate [1], that includes both successful advice-based features and innovative advocacy-based features such as retro-active pricing strategies and creating your own wireless plans. A preliminary focus group study has shown that consumers are ready for more trust-based business models in the online wireless industry, and that the Qwest project is definitely a step in the right direction. It is clear that once the major trust busters are fixed and the website is completed to a production level, it will be very useful and attractive for consumers, and raise general consumer awareness and trust toward Qwest.