The Behavior and Preferences of Users on Web 2.0 Social Network Sites: An Empirical Study

The number of virtual communities on Web 2.0 sites has been growing rapidly in recent years. This study selects 25 Social Network Sites (SNS) established in Taiwan as the targets. Through two in-depth interviews and a Focus Group Interview (FGI), a userspsila state transition diagram is developed and their corresponding transitional causes are also identified. A questionnaire is designed to collect the data on the willingness to pay for using Web services. Statistical results reveal similar patterns for users who pay for subscriptions and for transactions. In addition, two measures are developed to test the preferences of users on SNS. Attractiveness represents how well the users are attracted to the Web site, and sustainability indicates the degree of userspsila inclination to revisit the Web site. Data collected from 40 Web users provide support for the two measures on the popularity of Web sites.