The study has illustrated how the proposed framework based on
the theories of cognition and the implementation of Data Envelopment
Analysis can be fruitfully used to carry on evaluation and
comparison of ecommerce websites, with the aim to identify
improvement trajectories. This framework models the userewebsite
interaction as a black box that provides the user with a set of
functions that allow task performance. When these functions are
exploited, a cognitive effort has to be made by the user, more or less
balanced by a sense of gratification which is associated to goal
achievement. In this framework, the cognitive effort depends either
on the amount of ambiguity and uncertainty perceived, or time necessary to perform task during the interaction with the website.
Cognitive benefits associated to website usage include attraction
for the website, and a feeling of satisfaction and usefulness for a full
or partial goal achievement.