Using Sequence Analysis to Classify Web Usage Patterns Across Websites

Qiqi Jiang, Chuan-Hoo Tan, Chee Wei Phang, Kwok-Kee Wei

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingArticle in proceedingsResearchpeer-review

Abstract

This study applies sequence analysis to identify the distinct web browsing patterns based on 200 China users' 30-days web usage. Our results reveal four key, unique web navigation behavior categories, namely search-information browsing, social-information browsing, ecommerce-information browsing, and direct browsing. Of these, the ratio of ecommerce activities in the social-information cluster is higher than the others, with the exception of the ecommerce-information cluster. To test the robustness of the proposed method based on our classification, we also summarize the characteristics of each category after they were segmented according to two demographic indicators, i.e. gender and occupation. Different online shopping behaviors are also discussed through the proposed classified groups. Complementing the extant methods which are based on within-website categorization of consumers, the demonstration of the sequence analysis application to e-commerce affords a deeper, integrated understanding of an individual's online activity and behavior (i.e., navigation across multiple websites).
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 45th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences
EditorsRalph H. Sprague
Place of PublicationLos Alamitos, CA
PublisherIEEE Computer Society Press
Publication date2012
Pages3600-3610
ISBN (Print)9780769545257
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012
Externally publishedYes
Event2012 45th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2012 - Maui, United States
Duration: 4 Jan 20127 Jan 2012
Conference number: 45
http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/hicss_45/apahome45.htm

Conference

Conference2012 45th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2012
Number45
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityMaui
Period04/01/201207/01/2012
SponsorUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa
Internet address
SeriesProceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences
ISSN1060-3425

Keywords

  • Sequences
  • Navigation
  • Business
  • Portals
  • Internet
  • Matrices
  • Media

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