Satisfaction with virtual communities of interests : effect on members' visit frequency

The authors develop a four-dimensional scale to measure members' satisfaction with virtual communities of interest (VCIs). The dimensions consist of members' satisfaction with member-to-member interactions, organizer-to-member interactions and organizer-to-community interactions, all of which come together on the VCI's site. Using a sample of 3605 members of a VCI, the authors investigated the effect of each satisfaction dimension on members' visit frequency, and the moderating effect of membership duration on the links between the satisfaction dimensions and visit frequency. The results reveal that satisfaction with member-to-member interactions, organizer-to-member interactions and the community's site has positive effects on members' visit frequency. Members' satisfaction with organizer-to-community interactions has no effect on visit frequency. The findings also show that membership duration strengthens two, and weakens one of the linkages between the satisfaction dimensions and members' visit frequency.