{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,19]],"date-time":"2026-04-19T21:41:55Z","timestamp":1776634915364,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2009,2,20]],"date-time":"2009-02-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1235088000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2009,2,20]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>The purpose of this article is to analyse the impact of the internet, as a new information channel for the consumer, on business results, and in particular, the consequences of attitude towards the web site with regard to customer behaviour and web site sponsor brand.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>A survey instrument was used to gather data to test the relationships in the research model.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>The paper shows the importance of attitude towards the web site and attitude towards the internet in explaining attitude towards the brand and consumer e\u2010behaviour, and identifies the hierarchy of effects operative among these three concepts of attitude: attitude towards the internet; attitude towards the web site; and attitude towards the brand.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Research limitations<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study only looked at one category of web site \u2013 free\u2010content sites. Future research could apply the conclusions of this study to other types of web sites, e.g. the e\u2010commerce web site and the corporate web site.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>The main practical consequence of the study lies in the need to take into account that the profitability of an e\u2010business should not be measured solely in terms of direct profitability. Profits generated indirectly should also be considered, given the proven positive relationship between attitude towards the web site and attitude towards the brand. This conclusion is of vital importance since very few e\u2010businesses obtain direct profits. Brick\u2010and\u2010click firms eliminate their e\u2010businesses without bearing in mind the positive consequences they may be having on the brand itself.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>The study aimed to take a more in\u2010depth look at the value of e\u2010businesses for brick\u2010and\u2010click firms. It analysed sources of indirect profitability for the e\u2010business that should be taken into account when looking at web site value.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/14684520910944364","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2009,2,22]],"date-time":"2009-02-22T00:13:50Z","timestamp":1235261630000},"page":"7-21","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":41,"title":["Attitudes' hierarchy of effects in online user behaviour"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"33","author":[{"given":"J. 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