Johan Aberg
ABSTRACT
User support is an important element in reaching the goal of universal usability for Web information systems. Recent developments indicate that human involvement in user support is a step towards this goal. However, most such efforts are currently being pursued on a purely intuitive basis. This, empirical findings about the role of human assistants are important. In this paper we present the findings from a field study of a general user support model for Web information systems. We show that integrating human assistance into Web systems is a way to provide efficient user support. Further, this integration makes a Web site more fun to use and increases the user's trust in the site. The support also improves the site atmosphere. Our findings are summarised as recommendations and design guidelines for decision-makers and developers Web systems.
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Index Terms
- An empirical study of human Web assistants: implications for user support in Web information systems
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