A comparative study on the user satisfaction of chinese mobile apps-moderating the services between paid and free apps

Abstract

Background/Objectives:The role of smartphones is changing from a communication system for exchanging calls and information into a universal platform for cultural services. Also, satisfaction for mobile application services on smartphones is a very important factor in the smart business. Mobile app-store has revolutionized the existing mobile content industry. Methods/Statistical analysis:There has been little empirical work onthe impact of getting the apps for free vs.customers having to pay. Drawing on MOBISQUAL (Mobile Internet Service Quality), this study develops and tests a model of the users' satisfaction in mobile applications settings. The model posits that certain antecedents such as outcome, fluid interaction, service scape and costs affect the satisfaction.Survey data collected from 206 mobile users were used to test our research model using a variety of Moderated regression techniques. Findings:The empirical findings indicate that outcome, fluid interaction, service scape, costs significantly affect user satisfaction. Furthermore, my empirical result from various moderation tests shows that user mediates the relationships between mobile app-quality drivers and user satisfaction. This paper can provide mobile apps service supplying firms a plan to produce paid apps, or change existing free apps into paid ones with alternatives for profit creation through statistical comparative analysis between paid and free apps. Improvements/Applications:The perceived result quality, service scape quality and the perceived costs of mobile app services by customers will have a positive influence on customer satisfaction. The perceived costs of mobile app services by customers will have more significant impacts in free mobile apps over paid ones.