Strategic investment in switching cost: An integrated customer acquisition and retention perspective

Ling Xue, Gautam Ray, Andrew B. Whinston

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper considers the interaction between investment to increase Web site stickiness (consumer switching costs) and competition. A duopoly model is used to examine investment by a superior firm to increase consumer switching costs and competition for customer acquisition and customer retention between the investing firm and a non-investing firm. Gaining a competitive advantage in customer retention is the purpose of strategic technology investment, but the model shows that where consumers are myopic about the benefits they will derive from the technology investment, aggressive price competition by a non-investing firm can prevent the investing firm from acquiring a larger market share and consequently reduce its incentive to invest. However, an investing firm that can persuade consumers of the benefits of the technology investment will have an advantage in customer acquisition and thus may have an incentive to invest.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)7-35
Number of pages29
JournalInternational Journal of Electronic Commerce
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2006

Keywords

  • Customer acquisition
  • Customer retention
  • Game theory
  • IT investment
  • Switching cost
  • Web site stickiness

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