Assessing mobile websites in Malaysia: An extended TAM model

Mobile devices are changing the way people access websites. Current user trends indicate a shift from desktop computers to mobile devices. Although mobile devices are highly flexible, accessible, and convenient, users still confront unresolved issues when rendering and navigating web contents on mobile devices. Present websites are mostly developed for desktop users and tend to be less mobile friendly. They are poorly suited for mobile devices, making the web content look visually unpleasant and hard to navigate. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the factors that influence intention towards accessing mobile websites. Nine research questions were addressed in this research. Data were gathered from major mobile device users, namely students of four public universities in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia, in which 441 usable questionnaires were collected. The result of this study showed that web designers must focus on the following factors when designing a web page:perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of a web page when viewed through mobile devices, convenience of using the mobile website, compatibility with users’ lifestyle, and compatibility of web pages when viewed through different types of devices and media richness of the page. This research advances the boundaries of knowledge by producing a mobile web acceptance model based on the factors confirmed in this study. The results have contributed towards the adoption and progressive advancement of mobile websites and to guide the management of organisations related to website development and management. It provides web service providers and policy makers with a checklist for determining potential factors that affect mobile web adoption.