Elevating E-Service Standards in Bangladesh: Merging FAHP and TOPSIS for Strategic Online Business Solutions

Abstract

The rapid expansion of Bangladesh’s digital economy has unlocked new opportunities for online businesses, but it has also heightened the challenges of delivering high-quality e-services in an increasingly competitive environment. While previous studies have largely focused on customer satisfaction and consumer experiences, the perspective of business owners—those managing daily operations and strategic decisions—has been notably underexplored. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to identify and prioritize the critical success factors (CSFs) influencing the performance of online businesses in Bangladesh from the owners’ viewpoint.A structured survey has been conducted among 57 online business owners, collecting data across ten essential dimensions, including website infrastructure, information sharing, delivery practices, responsiveness, customization, customer service, reliability, payment security, return policies, and service quality challenges. To ensure a data-driven analysis, the Random Forest algorithm is utilized for feature importance extraction, followed by pairwise comparisons through fuzzy triangular matrices. Subsequently, FAHP and TOPSIS techniques are applied to systematically rank the factors and alternatives. Model validation using the XGBoost classifier results in 93% accuracy and a 93% F1-score, demonstrating the robustness of the proposed approach. The results reveal that service quality concerns, payment security, and effective customer support are the most influential determinants of business success. Beyond offering a methodological advancement that integrates machine learning with MCDM, this study delivers actionable insights for business owners, digital strategists, and policymakers aiming to enhance the competitiveness and resilience of Bangladesh’s e-commerce landscape.