Understanding the Role of Value-Oriented Smartphone Application Features in Enhancing User Engagement, Satisfaction, and Brand Commitment

Abstract

Smartphone applications have now been a critical digital platform to the provision of value and long term relationships with users. This paper reports on the effects of application benefits which are based on value, i.e. learning benefits, social benefits, personal benefits and hedonic benefits on customer satisfaction and cus tomer loyalty among the university students. The research design adopted was quantitative research and data were gathered using a structured questionnaire on student users of the various universities. The reliability and validity of the measurement scales were established by use of Cronbachs alpha, KMO test, and Bartletts test and then, correlation and regression tests were conducted to verify the proposed relationships. The findings indicate that learning benefits, personal benefits, and hedonic benefits have a considerable impact on customer satisfaction, whereas the social benefits do not. Moreover, learning benefits, personal benefits, and hedonic benefits positively and significantly influence customer loyalty, and hedonic benefits turned out as the most influential factor. The results emphasize the necessity of implementing both practical usefulness and emotional and personal value in the design of smartphone applications to improve satisfaction in the users, as well as provide them with the possibility of long-term loyalty.