Does the interface quality of mobile shopping apps affect purchase intention? An empirical study

Nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP) carries significant socioeconomic relevance and leads to substantial difficulties for those who are affected by it. The effectiveness of app-based treatments has been confirmed, and clinicians are recommended to use such interventions. As 88.8% of the German population uses smartphones, apps could support therapy. The available apps in mobile app stores are poorly regulated, and their quality can vary. Overviews of the availability and quality of mobile apps for Australia, Great Britain, and Spain have been compiled, but this has not yet been done for Germany. We aimed to provide an overview of the availability and content-related quality of apps for the treatment of NSLBP in the German language. A systematic search for apps on iOS and Android was conducted on July 6, 2022, in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined before the search. Apps in the German language that were available in both stores were eligible. To check for evidence, the apps found were assessed using checklists based on the German national guideline for NSLBP and the British equivalent of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The quality of the apps was measured using the Mobile Application Rating Scale. To control potential inaccuracies, a second reviewer resurveyed the outcomes for 30% (3/8) of the apps and checked the inclusion and exclusion criteria for these apps. The outcomes, measured using the assessment tools, are presented in tables with descriptive statistics. Furthermore, the characteristics of the included apps were summarized. In total, 8 apps were included for assessment. Features provided with different frequencies were exercise tracking of prefabricated or adaptable workout programs, educational aspects, artificial intelligence-based therapy or workout programs, and motion detection. All apps met some recommendations by the German national guideline and used forms of exercises as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline. The mean value of items rated as "Yes" was 5.75 (SD 2.71) out of 16. The best-rated app received an answer of "Yes" for 11 items. The mean Mobile Application Rating Scale quality score was 3.61 (SD 0.55). The highest mean score was obtained in "Section B-Functionality" (mean 3.81, SD 0.54). Available apps in the German language meet guideline recommendations and are mostly of acceptable or good quality. Their use as a therapy supplement could help promote the implementation of home-based exercise protocols. A new assessment tool to obtain ratings on apps for the treatment of NSLBP, combining aspects of quality and evidence-based best practices, could be useful. Open Science Framework Registries sq435; https://osf.io/sq435.

Purpose Explore smartphone apps that may be recommended by clinicians for the self-management of low back pain. Methods Prospectively registered systematic assessment of self-contained apps for self-management of low back pain on the Google Play and Apple App stores (Oceania), including ≥1 NICE low back pain and sciatica clinical guideline-recommended component and functioning without health professional input. Outcomes were quality (Mobile App Rating Scale; MARS), and self-management (Self-Management Support Checklist; SMS-14) and behaviour change potential (App Behaviour Change Scale; ABACUS). Results 25 apps were included. The average quality of included apps was acceptable (Mean MARS score of 3.9 out of a maximum possible 5). The self-management support and behaviour change potential of included apps appeared low (mean SMS-14 score was 3.4/14; mean ABACUS score was 5.4/21). The apps showed no significant correlation between app consumer ratings and MARS scores. App quality was significantly correlated with app price (p = 0.049) but not consumer ratings, however, these findings were based on a small number of studies and the overall model was not significant. Conclusions Smartphone apps for the self-management of low back pain are of average to good quality, with questionable potential for self-management and behaviour change. Clinicians should consider that few apps were designed to specifically incorporate self-management support and behaviour change potential when recommending apps to clients. Further development in these areas of app design would be of benefit. Implications for Rehabilitation Smartphone apps have the potential to improve LBP self-management outcomes, however, apps are not well regulated and the quality of information and advice provided is often low quality. The findings from this systematic assessment indicate that LBP self-management apps have limited self-management support and behaviour change potential features. Recommendation of current smartphone apps for LBP should take into consideration that although apps are of acceptable quality they are not specifically designed with self-management support and behaviour change principles. App quality does not appear to be associated with consumer ratings, however, there may be a positive association between app price and quality which requires further investigation.

BackgroundThe use of mobile apps for health and well being promotion has grown exponentially in recent years. Yet, there is currently no app-quality assessment tool beyond “star”-ratings.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to develop a reliable, multidimensional measure for trialling, classifying, and rating the quality of mobile health apps.MethodsA literature search was conducted to identify articles containing explicit Web or app quality rating criteria published between January 2000 and January 2013. Existing criteria for the assessment of app quality were categorized by an expert panel to develop the new Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) subscales, items, descriptors, and anchors. There were sixty well being apps that were randomly selected using an iTunes search for MARS rating. There were ten that were used to pilot the rating procedure, and the remaining 50 provided data on interrater reliability.ResultsThere were 372 explicit criteria for assessing Web or app quality that were extracted from 25 published papers, conference proceedings, and Internet resources. There were five broad categories of criteria that were identified including four objective quality scales: engagement, functionality, aesthetics, and information quality; and one subjective quality scale; which were refined into the 23-item MARS. The MARS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (alpha = .90) and interrater reliability intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC = .79).ConclusionsThe MARS is a simple, objective, and reliable tool for classifying and assessing the quality of mobile health apps. It can also be used to provide a checklist for the design and development of new high quality health apps.

BackgroundMany smartphone apps designed to assist individuals in managing their weight are accessible, but the assessment of app quality and features has predominantly taken place in Western countries. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of research evaluating weight management apps in China, which highlights the need for further investigation in this area.ObjectiveThis study aims to conduct a comprehensive search for the most popular commercial Chinese smartphone apps focused on weight management and assess their quality, behavior change techniques (BCTs), and content-related features using appropriate evaluation scales. Additionally, the study sought to investigate the associations between the quality of various domains within weight management apps and the number of incorporated BCTs and app features.MethodsIn April 2023, data on weight management apps from the iOS and Android app stores were downloaded from the Qimai Data platform. Subsequently, a total of 35 weight management apps were subjected to screening and analysis by 2 researchers. The features and quality of the apps were independently assessed by 6 professionals specializing in nutrition management and health behavioral change using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS). Two registered dietitians, who had experience in app development and coding BCTs, applied the established 26-item BCT taxonomy to verify the presence of BCTs. Mean (SD) scores and their distributions were calculated for each section and item. Spearman correlations were used to assess the relationship between an app’s quality and its technical features, as well as the number of incorporated BCTs.ResultsThe data set included a total of 35 apps, with 8 available in the Android Store, 10 in the Apple Store, and 17 in both. The overall quality, with a mean MARS score of 3.44 (SD 0.44), showed that functionality was the highest scoring domain (mean 4.18, SD 0.37), followed by aesthetics (mean 3.43, SD 0.42), engagement (mean 3.26, SD 0.64), and information (mean 2.91, SD 0.52), which had the lowest score. The mean number of BCTs in the analyzed apps was 9.17 (range 2-18 BCTs/app). The most common BCTs were “prompt review of behavioral goals” and “provide instruction,” present in 31 apps (89%). This was followed by “prompt self-monitoring of behavior” in 30 apps (86%), “prompt specific goal setting” in 29 apps (83%), and “provide feedback on performance” in 27 apps (77%). The most prevalent features in the analyzed apps were the need for web access (35/35, 100%), monitoring/tracking (30/35, 86%), goal setting (29/35, 83%), and sending alerts (28/35, 80%). The study also revealed strong positive correlations among the number of BCTs incorporated, app quality, and app features. This suggests that apps with a higher number of BCTs tend to have better overall quality and more features.ConclusionsThe study found that the overall quality of weight management apps in China is moderate, with a particular weakness in the quality of information provided. The most prevalent BCTs in these apps were reviewing behavioral goals, providing guidance, self-monitoring of behavior, goal setting, and offering performance feedback. The most common features were the need for web access, monitoring and tracking, goal setting, and sending alerts. Notably, higher-quality weight management apps in China tended to incorporate more BCTs and features. These findings can be valuable for developers looking to improve weight management apps and enhance their potential to drive behavioral change in weight management.

The technological advances are incredibly growing, especially mobile applications. For instance, in the Egyptian local market, major developments and changes are occurring in customer behavior, which have disclosed various opportunities in business. Now, the ‘fast-moving consumer goods’ (FMCG) hold the most market share with the highest rate. Hence, it is crucial to study customer intention to purchase online. The customer perception plays a fundamental role that indirectly influences customers' purchasing intentions through their attitudes. Based on the investigated behavioral models, the technology acceptance model (TAM), the studied variables were the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived interactivity, social influence, and online purchase intention. The current survey was administered to 184 mobile app users. Based on the results of the regression analysis of the collected data, two independent variables, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, had significantly impacted the online purchase intention of FMCG. While the perceived interactivity and social influence had insignificant impacts on the purchase intention. The moderator variable (age) indicated a significantly negative impact on the online purchase intention as a dependent variable. This research adds value as it focuses on the significant role of customer perception about FMCG mobile apps on online purchase intention.

Only 15% of women meet physical activity guidelines during and after pregnancy despite the well-established positive impacts on both the mother and the neonate. There is a clear lack of guidance on this topic, and mobile health interventions are a promising direction for future interventions to facilitate a necessary increase in physical activity during pregnancy and postpartum. The purpose of the study was to objectively assess the quality and perceived impact of existing free mobile apps that are designed to cover physical activity during and after pregnancy. The Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) was used by two independent reviewers to determine overall quality of mobile apps freely available in the U.S. iTunes store. The initial search for pregnancy and postpartum physical activity apps yielded 732 results. After careful screening, 567 apps were excluded, leaving 165 that went under further screening procedures. Upon further screening, 54 apps were downloaded and scored using the MARS system. Of the 54 apps included in the analyses, 20 apps contained physical activity information for pregnant women (37.0%), 11 apps contained information for postpartum women (20.4%), and 23 apps contained information pertaining to both pregnant and postpartum women (42.6%). Of note, 33 (61.1%) of the apps required hidden costs in the form of in-app purchases. The mean overall MARS score was 3.06 ± 0.94 out of 5 (1-inadequate and 5-excellent). Overall, the quality of existing apps appears low, and none of the existing apps had specific goal setting based on current recommendations for pregnant women. Due to low quality and perceived impact, existing mobile apps are insufficient to enable women to achieve recommended levels of physical activity during pregnancy and postpartum.

This article intensively discusses and studies related theories and problems of shopping APP interaction design from user's experience perspective. Through classical cases and practical design projects, it further proves functional easy-use and effectiveness centered by user's experience and based on interactive model. Then, with related theories in design psychology, behavior, design aesthetics and ergonomics, we apply these theories to the comprehensive analysis in mobile shopping APP interactive design. It adds specific analysis and data acquisition of practical cases, separates mobile shopping APP through the process of global-local-global into repeated personalized interactive design and provides referential effective suggestion and ideas for development of mobile and vertical shopping APP.

The increased use of the internet is due to the rapid evolution of personal digital services such as laptops, palmtops, tablets, and smartphones. Most companies and industries are currently investing more in the use of mobile shopping apps to increase their global market share and orders from mobile applications. The increased use of mobile app and social media platforms play critical role in the online shopping experience. The research paper employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods investigate how online shopping via mobile app affects online shopping experience. The one-on-one interview was used as a quantitative research method to collect data for the study. A descriptive statistic method was used to analyze the data obtained from the respondents. The results obtained from the two research methods show that the majority of the participants from this study had a good experience in terms of search convenience when shopping online via mobile app (mean: 5.16) than through website (mean: 4.74). 50% of the respondents had the quality experience when shopping via mobile app in terms of access convenience (mean: 4.12) than shopping via website mode (mean: 3.44). 47.3% of the sample size representing the female respondent in the study had a good experience when shopping using the mobile app mode in terms of ease of use compared to the website shopping mode. 60% of the end-users of the online mobile shopping had a bad experience in terms of security concerns associated with online shopping. The main objective of the study is to investigate the contribution of mobile apps and social media on the online shopping experience by online consumers. Besides, the paper conducts a rigorous analysis to analyze the effects of enlarging online business on the mobile shopping experience.

The main purpose of this study was to examine the impact of eWOM on consumers' selection intention of a café in New Zealand. The factors of eWOM which may affect customers' selection intention have been identified, with a focus on cafes in New Zealand. A quantitative research approach was employed and a survey was conducted to collect data from 234 New Zealand consumers through an online questionnaire. The findings of this study indicate that the quantity, quality, valence and consistency of eWOM have a positive impact on consumers' purchase intentions. The perceived credibility and the perceived usefulness have some indirect effects on eWOM and consumers' purchase intention. Among them, the valence of eWOM is fully intervened by the perceptual credibility, and the quantity, quality and consistency of eWOM are partly influenced by perceptual credibility. The quality and valence of eWOM are partially mediated by the perceived usefulness, while quantity and consistency are not mediated by perceived trust. TAM model was used to study online consumers' purchase intention in the New Zealand café industry. In addition, the modified model of this study explains the mediating effect of customer perceived usefulness and perceived credibility in the sphere of eWOM. Future research may use this theoretical model to investigate other restaurants, and comparison studies can be explored in different types of restaurants. The study also provides some practical implications for café managers, especially in electronic marketing. The results of this study show that the volume, quality, valence and consistency of eWOM have a significant positive impact on consumers' purchase intention. Furthermore, eWOM should be considered by managers as one of the important marketing tools to promote their businesses.

PURPOSE: The use of mobile phone applications (Apps) has the potential to revolutionize the conventional practice of dentistry. There is a remarkable proliferation of mobile health apps in the field of dentistry which necessitates an urgent and reliable evaluation of the quality of these apps. The main objective of the article is to analyze the quality of dental apps using a reliable tool. METHOD: A systematic search was conducted on SamsungJ7 Prime and iPhone 7 using Google Play Store and App store respectively from June to August 2017 using the search terms “oral hygiene”, “tooth brushing”, oral health education”, ‘baby teeth care”. After due application of a predetermined selection criteria, twenty dental apps were randomly selected using computer software (www.randomizer.com). Each app was individually assessed and rated (1- inadequate, 2- poor, 3- acceptable, 4- good, 5- excellent) according to a prevalidated user version of Mobile App Rating Scale (uMARS). RESULT: The rating of dental apps used in this study ranged from 1.08/5 to 3.25/5. According to the objective criteria of uMARS, apps such as Brush DJ and Brush Up were found acceptable. Teeth Care Tips, Dental Surgery Simulator, Dental Expert and UC Dental were scored acceptable along with the former two apps under subjective criteria. CONCLUSION: No apps scored good or excellent as per the uMARS criteria. As advances in technology have promoted the use of smart devices in health promotion and practices medical or dental apps must not only be informative and entertaining but also be evidence based and scientifically rated. KEYWORDS: mHealth, Smartphones, Oral health, Mobile application, rating.

Eczema is a prevalent complex skin condition requiring active disease monitoring and personalized education. No studies have assessed the quality of apps that aim to support eczema self-management. To evaluate the quality and comprehensiveness of English, Chinese and Spanish self-management eczema smartphone apps for patients and/or their caregivers. A systematic assessment of eczema apps from July 2018 to November 2018. The assessment criteria were based on conformance with international eczema guidelines. The following domains were assessed: consistency and comprehensiveness of eczema-specific educational information; quality and comprehensiveness of eczema-specific tracking functions; compliance with health information best practice principles. In total, 98 apps were assessed: 82 (84%) provided educational information; 38 (39%) tracking functions; and 13 (13%) both. We found that 34% (28/82) of apps provided misleading information, particularly regarding aspects of treatment and disease progression of eczema. Only 15% (12/82) provided international guideline supported information on pharmacological therapies and 16% (13/82) on nonpharmacological therapies. Among 38 apps with a tracking function, 82% (31/38) measured specific symptoms, disease severity or current skin condition and 89% (34/38) helped users to record medication usage including application of topicals. Environmental or dietary allergens were recorded by 34% (13/38). None of the included apps complied with all criteria for educational information, tracking functions or health information principles. Eczema apps have not yet reached their potential. The large variance in quality of eczema apps highlights the need for quality assurance mechanisms for health apps and guidance for clinicians that would enable them to make personalized recommendations for patients and caregivers. What's already known about this topic? There is limited information about the quality of eczema self-management smartphone apps on the global market. What does this study add? This systematic assessment evaluated all English, Chinese and Spanish language apps that support eczema self-management. The majority did not conform with information in guidelines and insufficiently support evidence-based self-management. The large variance in the quality of eczema apps highlights the need for mechanisms to ensure app quality and to guide personalized app selection for patients, caregivers and doctors.

Zhang, Y.N.; Tang, X.R.; Liu, Z.Y., and Xiong, G.X., 2020. The influence of the service quality and image of the free trade island on tourists' purchase intention: A comparative study of Hainan Island and Jeju Island. In: Li, L. and Huang, X. (eds.), Sustainable Development in Coastal Regions: A Perspective of Environment, Economy, and Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 112, pp. 279-284. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.This research analyzes how the service qualify and image of the free trade island affect tourists' purchase intention by launching comparative study with Hainan Island of China and Jeju Island of South Korea. Data is collected by conducting questionnaires and analyzed through structural model in this study. SPSS is used to verify the reliability and validity of the questionnaire data and AOMS is used to construct equation analysis. The main results are as follows: (1) Service quality in the Hainan Free Trade Island has no significant effect on emotional value but has an impact on functional value. Service quality has a positive impact on functional value and emotional value in Jeju Free Trade Island. (2) The image of Hainan and Jeju Free Trade Island has a positive impact on emotional value and functional value. (3) The importance of customer value is observed. Functional value and emotional value have a positive impact on purchase intention for both Hainan and Jeju Island. The purchase intention can be improved by increasing customer value. (4) Through this research, we can know the influence of service quality and the image of free trade island on tourists' purchase intention. Although both Hainan and Jeju Island are free trade island, the correlation between those variables is different due to different culture, nature and physical environment of the two islands. The local government can improve the customer value by improving the service quality and image of the free trade island, so as to enhance the purchase intention of tourists and thus promote the economic and tourism development of the two islands.

In the last few decades, the concern about the environment has evolved by not only being an important public matter, but it also became a critical matter for academic research as well. The term "green marketing" refers to efforts that promote environmental sustainability. This study aims to investigate the green marketing strategies and how they might impact the consumers’ purchase intention. This study investigated the impact of green marketing strategies on consumers’ purchase intention by using both primary and secondary data. Primary data utilized in this study through collecting data from the sample or target population through a survey using the non-probability quota sampling technique in order to evaluate hypotheses. Hence, a structured questionnaire was distributed and got responded by 385 respondents. Data were then analyzed through descriptive analysis, factor analysis, correlation matrix, regression, reliability, validity and normality tests. Secondary data utilized in this study was gathered by reviewing the literature and previous studies about the green marketing and its strategies and the consumer’s purchase intention. Findings and results of the study indicated that green marketing strategies does have a positive impact on consumers’ purchase intention. As all the results showed that there was a significant, direct and moderate relationship between the variables of the study. Moreover, the main findings of the study showed that although each strategy alone has a positive impact on consumers’ purchase intention but, using green marketing’s four strategies altogether is the best approach to stimulate consumer’s purchase intention.

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the relationships between fans' engagement with their favorite teams' Facebook pages, relationship quality with their favorite team, and purchase and referral intentions using relationship marketing as a framework. Results indicated that individuals who engaged more on Facebook also had greater relationship quality. Additionally, a higher level of engagement with teams' Facebook pages had a significant, positive impact on purchase intentions. The indirect effects of Facebook engagement on purchase and referral intentions as mediated by relationship quality were significant and positive. In summary, Facebook engagement had a positive impact on fans' relationship quality and purchase and referral intentions.

The research is aimed at determining how mobile app usability affects retail customer experience and purchase intention in Delhi. As retail shopping via mobile applications gains popularity, it is important to have knowledge of the effects of usability on customer perceptions and behavioral intentions. An online survey-based survey design was used, in which 240 active users of retail apps completed a structured online survey. Constructs that were measured were usability of mobile apps, customer experience, and purchase intention, which were measured using Likert-scale questions. The reliability was ensured by Cronbach Alpha values exceeding 0.80, and validity was ensured by the factor analysis. Descriptive statistics revealed that the highest ratings of the users were on the app usability (Mean = 4.10), customer experience (Mean = 4.00) and purchase intention (Mean = 3.90). The correlation analysis showed that there were positive significant relationships between usability and customer experience (r = 0.68, p < 0.001) and usability and purchase intention (r = 0.62, p < 0.001). The use of usability as an influential predictor of customer experience and purchase intention was validated using regression analyses. The results can be used to conclude that enhancing the usability of the apps can lead to more customer satisfaction and a higher chance of purchases. The above findings can guide app developers in retailing to maximize user experience.