| The website of myToys.fr was launched by the German shop myToys GmbH in the summer of2009. Nevertheless, this first expansion project has been hindered by the German model resulting in a lack of in-depth research on the French market and communications with their customers. Therefore, operated by a too "copy-paste" strategy, MyToys.fr appears as old-fashioned and inefficient compared to its competitors. Marketers must be aware of the cultural environment that surrounds the company as well as the differences in consumer behavior related to the cultural background and make adaptation to these differences in the website design through the strategic marketing analysis.This study, therefore, aims to determine the cultural impact on e-commerce websites, specifically, whether a company can achieve better conversion rates with a culture oriented designed platform and myToys.fr should review the way they present and sell their business across German borders. After a theoretically backed up assumption based on Hofstede’s5cultural dimensions, the hypothesis is tested via focus group session. The focus group, as its name indicates, is a collective method that involves several individuals who participate simultaneously and answer about their attitudes, opinions, perceptions and beliefs towards concept, services, products, etc. The interview is conducted in such an unstructured and natural way that respondents are free to give views from any aspect. Focus group values subjective opinions and seeks for informal, honest information about the topic:myToys.fr website.The dissertation indicates that a certain level of adaptation and differentiation on the French website is necessary because of the diversity of cultural elements. The focused domain addressed within the thesis is the relation between the cultural background of the online user and its buying behavior. The focus group’s results presented a discontentment from the consumer towards the website and attested that it should now be a primary concern of the company to tackle this issue and learn from the competitors to keep up with their web ergonomics and design.The findings indicate that there are significant differences in German and French consumer’s behavior. With the culture dominated by high power distance, higher value for uncertainty avoidance, high individualism, high femininity and short-term orientation, French consumers are more risk averse and more likely would avoid situations in which they might have to face unexpected problems. They are uncomfortable with unknown situations and this might be a big issue leading to a big loss of potential customers in e-commerce since the landing page made them feel confused and lost in a first stand owning to the navigation difficulties. In contrast, German counterparts appear to be risk-taking with high masculinity, high individualism and short-term orientation, which are expected to have less influence on German consumers’decision-making styles. Therefore, they are less likely influenced by the design of the website.Although the thesis has its limitations, the findings of the current research, to certain degree, still will help marketers understand the cultural differences and the differences in consumer buying behavior between Germany and France and prove that cultures do have significant impact on consumer behavior of French and German on-line consumers. An improved page and attractive aesthetics would lead to greater chances for the company to promote all its product line, service successfully and as a final result help to bind the customer, and strengthen e-loyalty. This is also very useful to international marketers who need a better understanding of cross-cultural issues and the influence of culture on consumer behavior. Competitors are pressuring with their forward thinking and constant innovation, so myToys.fr has to be quick in its response and reaction and strive hard to improve its competitive power in the French market. |
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