Initial user behaviour towards instant messaging: A comparative study of Telegram and Line in South Korea

A comparative study was conducted to explore which MIM applications are suitable for initial users in South Korea. This project was a team project to fulfil this semester’s class on UX usability. Any deficiencies in this project could be used for further research.

Abstract

Due to the intense competition and low switching costs, building user loyalty is critical for mobile instant messaging (IM) service providers. Integrating both perceived quality and usability, this study identified which applications among Line and Telegram suit Korean initial users. Usability includes task completion time (per second), task successful rate, and task error rate. Perceived includes ease of use, ease of learning, and satisfaction. We conducted data analysis with repeated two-way ANOVA, Chi-square, and the Wilcoxon rank sum test. The results reveal that Line provides a better experience for first-time users than Telegram, even though for some items, there is no significant difference between the two. This allows users to contemplate using a second MIM instead of KakaoTalk in their regular activities.

Introduction

• Mobile devices have surpassed other electronic devices in terms of usage.