{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/28454"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/28454","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Building trust over the Internet : design and prototyping of an advocacy website","abstract":"The Internet has empowered consumers with information, options, and a simple mechanism for transaction. Although the Internet has not completely replaced traditional shopping methods, it has brought about a change in the balance of power between suppliers and consumers. Many suppliers have responded to this change by adapting their marketing strategies from traditional push-based practices to more consumer centered trusted-based methodologies. In the wireless industry, Qwest Communications International, Inc. has taken a leading step in building consumer trust through the development of an advocacy website to help consumers select the best service packages available to them. In collaboration with Qwest, the MIT e-business Center has designed and implemented a functional prototype, My Wireless Advocate [1], that includes both successful advice-based features and innovative advocacy-based features such as retro-active pricing strategies and creating your own wireless plans. A preliminary focus group study has shown that consumers are ready for more trust-based business models in the online wireless industry, and that the Qwest project is definitely a step in the right direction. It is clear that once the major trust busters are fixed and the website is completed to a production level, it will be very useful and attractive for consumers, and raise general consumer awareness and trust toward Qwest.","abstract_html":"The Internet has empowered consumers with information, options, and a simple mechanism for transaction. Although the Internet has not completely replaced traditional shopping methods, it has brought about a change in the balance of power between suppliers and consumers. Many suppliers have responded to this change by adapting their marketing strategies from traditional push-based practices to more consumer centered trusted-based methodologies. In the wireless industry, Qwest Communications International, Inc. has taken a leading step in building consumer trust through the development of an advocacy website to help consumers select the best service packages available to them. In collaboration with Qwest, the MIT e-business Center has designed and implemented a functional prototype, My Wireless Advocate [1], that includes both successful advice-based features and innovative advocacy-based features such as retro-active pricing strategies and creating your own wireless plans. A preliminary focus group study has shown that consumers are ready for more trust-based business models in the online wireless industry, and that the Qwest project is definitely a step in the right direction. It is clear that once the major trust busters are fixed and the website is completed to a production level, it will be very useful and attractive for consumers, and raise general consumer awareness and trust toward Qwest.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ma, Sha, 1981-"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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