Exploring technology satisfaction: An approach through the flow experience

Despite the growth and commercial potential of digital technologies, little is known about what factors create users' satisfaction with a particular digital outlet. In this context, the major contributions of the present study are the examination of the sources and the consequences of users' satisfaction with digital technologies; as well as the proposal, development and empirical test of a conceptual model on digital satisfaction. For this purpose, and based on the Flow Experience Theory, the present study develops and empirically tests a conceptual model on the creation and the consequences of users' satisfaction with digital outlets. For this purpose, drawing on a sample of 750 consumers, we developed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis. This study found that users increase their satisfaction with digital technologies from the perceived ease of use and the content characteristics themselves; while loyalty, engagement and word of mouth are the main consequences of satisfaction. However, derived from our results we cannot report the influence of free access to a digital outlet on consumers' satisfaction. Finally, our findings would imply shifting resources to enhance users' engagement through the flow experience, by providing an easy use and an easy access to digital platforms.