Web surveys for electronic commerce: a review of the literature

E-commerce Websites often use animation, video, music and other multimedia effects to capture customers´ attention. Thus, the design of a commercial Website plays an important role in attracting, sustaining and retaining the interest of a customer at a Web site. As we know, successful Web design gives high accessibility to anyone who visits the Website with Web browsers. With an increased percentage of the population using the Internet, Web surveys are particularly effective and useful to collect data for e-commerce. Whenever Web surveys are present and available, a potential threat to research exists due to the lack of sampling control. However, the use of access control might arouse potential suspicions about anonymity and confidentiality for respondents. To ensure validity and reliability, there is a need to view this dilemma along with its two accompanying issues: (1) sampling control, and (2) anonymous responses.