The complexity of surveying web participation

Marketing managers increasingly need to understand how consumers use and interact with digital media, such as the web, social networks, mobile phones, digital readers, search engines and so forth. The focus of this paper is web participation and the complexities involved in measuring usage and interaction with the web, particularly when relying on data from self-report surveys. Few studies have specifically examined how web participation can be surveyed—this paper addresses the gap. First, web participation is defined by drawing on studies of web usage in information systems, consumer and communication research, and audience use metrics in media research. Second, web participation is discussed as a complex multi-dimensional construct, something that is not fully acknowledged in existing web use research. Third, major influences on self-reported web participation are considered, in particular the impact of a consumer's web design experience and the person's perceptions of web usability on how they self-report web participation. These themes are investigated using a large web-based survey. Findings show that a consumer's perception of web usability has a significant impact on the self-reporting of web participation, but this depends on how web participation is measured and whether the individual has website design experience. The complexity of surveying web participation is apparent, as is the importance of understanding the web's usage-context.