Main Issues Regarding the Relationship between Cognitive Maps and Internet Consumer Behavior - a Knowledge Based Approach

The Internet has become an important tool in achieving strategic objectives for many organizations in the context of a more dynamic business environment. The development of e-commerce was influenced by changes in consumer behavior, technology and competition. The ways the change in consumer behavior have formed and will develop are highlighted in the economic literature by the concept of cognitive map. The application of cognitive maps as representation systems for the web produces a better interpretation and a more effective support for the user associative logic, exploiting a non mediated learning of informative elements and of specific relations between elements. There are two main types of site maps or indexes, which are translated into consumers cognitive maps - Alphabetical and Structural. The structural method brings a series of disadvantages both for organizations and consumers. From the organization's perspective, the main problem refers to the inefficiency of space usage, but the most serious issues are referring to some customers' inability regarding Internet navigation and also the unwillingness of others to spend too much time in achieving their aims.