Website Content Utility Scale

What it measures

Measures a consumer's perceived utility of and satisfaction with a website's content, including the usefulness of that content and the desire to visit the site frequently. Authors referred to this as 'utility of the website'. Developed in the context of research on targeted online advertising and the role of reciprocity appeals in gaining user acceptance of free ad-supported web services. The scale was administered in German following back-translation.

Response format

7-point Likert-type

Scale items

• The content of this website is useful to me.
• I am satisfied with the content of this website.
• I would like to visit this website frequently.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Adapted from Chen and Wells (1999) attitude toward the website scale — two items modified, one item new. Originally presented in German using back-translation from English. Discriminant validity confirmed against other study scales. AVE = .66, meeting acceptable threshold. Authors labelled this 'utility of the website'. Origin scale: Chen, Q., & Wells, W.D. (1999). Attitude toward the site. Journal of Advertising Research, 39(5), 27-37.

Citation

Schumann, J.H., von Wangenheim, F., & Groene, N. (2014). Targeted online advertising: Using reciprocity appeals to increase acceptance among users of free web services. Journal of Marketing, 78(1), 59-75.

Keywords