Sahar Karimi

The effect of prior knowledge and decision-making style on the online purchase decision-making process

This paper provides an empirical typology of online decision-making purchasing behaviour. The study explores how the online purchase process is affected by individual decision-making style and knowledge of product. Drawing from the decision analysis and consumer behaviour literatures, we present a typology of online purchase decision-making behaviour and introduce four archetypes of online consumers. A number of experiments have been conducted in two online settings: retail banking and mobile networks. Based on an extensive video analysis, we have captured four process-related dimensions (number of cycles, duration, number of alternatives and number of criteria) using a business process modelling approach. Significant differences in all process-related dimensions were found across the four archetypes. The study improves understanding of the different types of online consumers and their process outcomes. The findings are useful for online retailers seeking to improve the way they support the four archetypes of online shoppers throughout the decision-making purchasing process. A new typology of online purchase decision-making behaviour based on decision-making style and knowledge of productA process modelling method for analysing and codifying online consumer behaviour using video dataMaximisers?with a low level of knowledge of product and satisficers with a high level of knowledge have disparate behaviourMaximisers?and consumers with a low level of knowledge of product engage in more intensive decision making processes

Online review helpfulness

Despite the growing number of studies on online reviews, the impact of visual cues on consumers evaluation of review helpfulness has remained underexplored. It is not yet known whether and how images influence the way online reviews are perceived. This paper introduces and empirically examines the potential effects of reviewer profile image, a photo/image displayed next to the reviewer name, on review helpfulness by drawing on the decorative and information functions of images. With a sample of 2178 reviews from mobile gaming applications, we report that reviewer profile image can significantly enhance consumers evaluation of review helpfulness; whereas there is no differential effect among image types (i.e. self, family, or random images). Interestingly, the effect of reviewer profile image on review helpfulness is moderated by review length, but not review valence and equivocality. Results suggest that reviewer profile image enhances the perception of review helpfulness by serving mainly as a visual decoration that creates affective responses rather than identity information. We introduce, systematically examine, and report a significant effect of reviewer profile image on review helpfulness.We introduce two functions for the impact of reviewer profile image.We examine the differential effect of image type and report similar impact for all types of images (including self-image).We test the interaction effect between review attributes and reviewer profile image.We use data from gaming mobile applications.

Factors Affecting Online Review Helpfulness: Review and Reviewer Components

Today’s consumers rely heavily on the opinion of other consumers when making purchase decisions. Understanding the degree to which a review contributes to a purchase decision, its “helpfulness”, is important to online businesses. Despite the growing number of studies on online reviews, the impact of visual cues on consumer’s evaluation of review helpfulness has remained underexplored. This chapter examines the effect of reviewer image, along with previously examined review attributes, such as review depth, valence, and equivocality, on review helpfulness. With a sample of 1400 reviews from mobile gaming applications, we report that reviewer image can significantly enhance consumers’ evaluation of review helpfulness. We did not find significant differential effects of image types (i.e. self, family, or random images) on review helpfulness. The results call for further research on the impact of visual cues as well as reviewer attributes on review helpfulness.

‘Support your country and buy Chinese brands’ – would Chinese consumers buy it?

Abstract This study explores the impact of advertising messages that contain national identity content on Chinese consumers’ purchase intention and actual purchase. A scenario-based experiment (n = 357) and an open-ended qualitative survey (n = 26) illustrated that Chinese consumers’ brand attitude and purchase intentions are positively influenced by national identity. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that such an advertising strategy is not sufficient for increasing actual product sales when employed on its own. The impact of these advertisements on actual purchase is affected and moderated by utilitarian and hedonic values.

Comparison Sites: Simplified or Directed Effort? Macro-Study on Retailers’ and Intermediaries’ Online Channel: An Abstract

Retailing industry has undergone constant evolution and transformation in the past two decades, with the Internet being one of the main catalysts. Retailers capitalize on their owned online channel; whereas new form of online intermediaries are emerging. This macro-level study investigates how consumers use the online platform to interact with retailers, analyzing data from an Internet panel data provider. Actual behaviour of consumers on retailers’ online channel and online intermediaries is examined, across multiple websites. Behaviour within one channel, in terms of adoption and usage intensity, as well as the cross-channel behaviour is measured. Results indicate that cross-channel behaviour of consumers influences their activities on retailers’ website. Retailers that have a higher cross-visiting rate with intermediaries benefit from a more intense evaluation of their offerings. This suggests that online intermediaries direct consumer evaluation effort rather than simplifying it. This study builds a foundation for future research in the realm of multichannel behaviour by analyzing channel usage across retailers’ and online intermediaries’ websites.

A Segmentation of Digital Consumers and Its Impact on Purchase Decision-Making Behavior

Understanding how digital consumers may be segmented is a crucial and also challenging consumer behavior issue which defines the success of e-marketing strategies. This research is an attempt towards developing a segmentation of digital consumers. It establishes the combined effect of decision-making style and knowledge of product on the purchase decision. Based on the 2*2 design (maximizer/satisficers and low/high level of knowledge), four segments of consumers are introduced. Experiments are designed to capture the purchase process and verbal protocols, using video recording techniques. Purchase processes for 55 participants are modeled and measured by the number of cycles, number of alternatives, number of attributes and time. Results illustrate the influence of segment membership on the decision-making behavior of consumers. In addition, qualitative analysis of verbal protocols indicates variations in the decision making strategy of four segments and motives resulting in such diversity. This knowledge can be used to better devise targeting strategies and facilitate purchase processes for each segment of consumers. Marketers can enhance the experience of each segment by customizing their interactions during the decision making process.

Purchase Decision Processes in the Internet Age

This work explores the online purchase decision-making behaviour of consumers. It investigates how purchase decision-making processes unfold and how they vary for different groups of individuals. Drawing from the decision analysis and consumer behaviour literatures, a typology of online consumers is introduced to define four distinctive groups based on two individual characteristics: decision making style and knowledge of product. Video recordings and interviews of 55 participants have been conducted in two online settings (retail banking and mobile networks) in order to capture the purchase decision-making process. The archetypal behaviour of each typology is identified. Our results show variations in the flow of the decision-making process and process outcome for different groups.