Influencing VSN users’ purchase intentions

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the characteristics of virtual social networks (VSNs) and to determine their salient attributes, including those that influence flow experience, trust and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) behaviors affecting users’ purchase intentions, and to provide important strategic implications contributing to the Internet marketing literature. Design/methodology/approach – Using a self-administered questionnaire, the data (n = 167) are collected from two Iranian Internet social networking sites, namely, facenama.com and cloob.com . Using LISREL 8.5, hypothesized relationships are examined through structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. Findings – According to the results of the study, despite all assumptions and studies to the contrary, eWOM behaviors in VSNs are derived from neither users’ flow experience nor their trust in VSNs, but they are mostly caused by VSNs’ attributes, from which four are investigated in this study, namely, communication and social relationships, entertainment, information disclosure and ease of use. Nevertheless, according to the results, VSN attributes also influence trust and flow experience, trust in a VSN environment influences users’ flow experience and eWOM in VSNs has significant impact on users’ purchase intentions. The findings also revealed that the level of education of a user affects how much he trusts the VSN environment. Practical implications – The author examined flow experience, trust, eWOM behavior, purchase intentions and the VSNs’ attributes to verify their relationships, providing a better understanding of an effective indirect marketing in VSNs. The results also have important implications for researchers. Originality/value – While flow experience, trust, word-of-mouth (WOM) behaviors and purchase intentions have been separately studied in Web sites, e-shopping malls and blogs, little research has sought to identify the existence of these elements within VSNs, their correlations with one another and how they are affected by VSNs’ attributes.

PERAN TRUST MEMEDIASI PENGARUH SHOPPING EXPERIENCE TERHADAP POSITIVE WORD OF MOUTH (Studi pada Pengguna Shopee Mobile Shopping di Kota Denpasar)

“…Pernyataan positif yang diberikan konsumen merupakan positive word of mouth (PWOM) sedangkan penyataan negatif yang diberikan konsumen merupakan negative word of mouth (NWOM). Mortazavi et al (2014) dalam penelitiannya menjelaskan isi pesan dari word of mouth bisa bersifat positif atau negatif, pesan negatif akan mencegah seseorang untuk menggunakan produk sedangkan pesan positif akan merekomendasikan seseorang dalam menggunakan produk. East et al (2015) menyatakan negative word of mouth umumnya disebabkan oleh ketidakpuasan yang dimiliki konsumen, dimana nilai negatif dan positif dari word of mouth akan mempengaruhi arah sikap konsumen.…”

Social media marketing evaluation using social network comments as an indicator for identifying consumer purchasing decision effectiveness

“…24,25 Social networks have direct effects on the spread of e-WOM, which in turn influence purchasing intentions. 4 Jalilvand and Samiei 5 state that e-WOM not only affects purchasing intentions, but also has an impact on brand image. The motivations of brand-consumer interactions in social networks are a source of entertainment, brand engagement, timeliness of information and service responses, product information, and incentives and promotions.…”

“…This allows them more power and control in the consumption experience. 4 For example, a consumer who would like to purchase a digital camera but does not know which model to buy goes to an online community to get product reviews and usage experiences from other consumers. This information search process allows the consumer to gradually refine his requirements to determine which model of a particular brand he will ultimately buy.…”

“…4 Online social networks play an important role in social media marketing and provide many opportunities for companies, such as allowing them to observe and get close to their consumers, to collect information, and to participate in discussions through their online brand communities. 36 Since it costs so little for consumers to participate in online social networks, companies can have easy and instant access to consumers, and they have the ability to communicate with them as often as desired.…”

“…3 Various studies have pointed out that WOM leads to potential purchasing intentions. [4][5][6] Membership of various established social networking websites has grown so quickly that Facebook.com had 1.49 billion monthly active users and 1.31 billion mobile monthly active users as at 30 June 2015. 7 The remarkable growth in social media users has attracted companies to create brand communities in social media, such as Facebook fan pages.…”