Extant research on websites success has paid insufficient attention to the success of permission-based e-mail marketing (PEM) websites. In order to bridge this knowledge gap, the contribution of this study lies in synthesizing information management/e-commerce, media/communication, as well as customer/marketing research to propose a PEM websites success model consisting of antecedent (i.e., functional, process, and relational benefits), mediator (i.e., relationship quality), and outcome variables (i.e., relationship outcomes). Data collected from 294 respondents in Taiwan were tested against the research model using structural equation modeling. The result shows that functional and process benefits (i.e., information quality, ease of use, and entertainment benefits) except entertainment benefits can indirectly influence relationship outcomes (i.e., user loyalty and positive word of mouth) through the mediation of relationship quality (i.e., user satisfaction and commitment). The result also indicates that relational benefits (i.e., confidence, social, and special treatment benefits) can not affect relationship outcomes directly or indirectly through relationship quality. It concludes that, unlike the brick-and-mortar context, relational benefits emphasized by customer/marketing research do not play a significant role in influencing relationship outcomes in the context of PEM websites. Rather, the empirically validated model highlights the importance of functional and process benefits in establishing PEM websites success, supporting the perspectives from information management/e-commerce research as well as media/communication research.
