Tracing customer orientation and marketing capabilities through retailers' websites: A strategic approach to internet marketing

Abstract

The study extends the concepts of customer orientation and marketing capabilities to an online retailing context while it examines the ability of product involvement to distinguish retailers websites. The objectives of this article are: (a) to identify the degree of customer orientation as manifested on retailers websites, (b) to investigate the marketing capabilities revealed through their websites and (c) to examine the role of involvement as a differentiating factor in an online context. A twofold methodological approach was taken by employing content analysis and concept mapping. The results indicate that a certain degree of customer orientation and marketing capabilities are revealed through retailers websites while the above constructs can be used to identify distinct website groups. Moreover, the degree of customer orientation and marketing capabilities as reflected on these websites differ significantly between product categories of high and low involvement. Managerial implications for managing websites customer orientation and marketing capabilities are discussed. © 2010 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.