A comparative study of Virtual Communities in Bangladesh and the USA

The objective of this study is to compare the differences between Virtual Communities in Bangladesh and the USA in terms of website usability, marketing, languages and norms. The two countries were compared because the USA is a more advanced country compared to Bangladesh. Studying their differences would identify possible gaps which can be bridged to improve Virtual Communities of Bangladesh and perhaps other developing countries. Thirty-three Virtual Communities sites from both countries were randomly selected and evaluated based on a set of criteria relating to the above aspects. The data were analyzed using statistical tests to determine any significant difference between Virtual Communities of the two countries. The study found significant differences in the website usability aspects i.e. the use of multimedia; in marketing aspects i.e. the use of electronic catalogs and Web advertisements; and in languages and norms i.e. the inclusion of language options and the use of religious, collectivistic, and structured messages. As a conclusion, useful recommendations were given to Web developers, marketers, and Bangladeshi government to improve Web usability, marketing, and cultural environment of Bangladeshi Virtual Communities. Future studies can be conducted by replicating the study to other developing countries such as China and India.