Empirical Research On Online Consumer’s Communication Behavior:a Purchase Process Perspective

Compared with the traditional business, e-commerce lacks of of good communication between sellers and consumers. In order to enhance consumer communication experience, all kinds of communication tools are applied by many e-commerce platforms. In this paper, the influence of online communication in the online purchase process of cognition, decision-making and evaluation. The main contributions are as below.Firstly, social commercemeans the use of social media to engage in e-commerce activity. Communication in social commerce is mainly from the customer in the social networks of friends, not strangers. This relationship has enhanced the influence of online communication on customer’s purchase intention. At the same time, the relationship also highlights the need for researching online communication in social commerce. Based on the Theory of restrictiveness, Social Learning Theory, we have constructed a model of online communication; we explored the drivers of online communication in social commerce and the influence of online communication onpromoting purchase intention.Secondly, though product information and customer reviews are provided by e-commerce website, customers may still perceive that the purchase information is insufficient. How can they get more useful information to make their purchase decision? To answer this question, this study investigatesthe role of online communication on customers’purchase intention. A research model that consists of the relationships among perceived restrictiveness of product information and customer reviews, online communication, and customers’purchase intention is developed. Our findings show that customers need online communication when they can’t find satisfactory product information or customer reviews. Online communication includes communication with seller and communication with social networking members, which contribute to uncertainty reduction and purchase intention.Based on empirical findings, we offer managerial suggestions for enhancing purchase intention in C2C e-commerce.Thirdly, onlinecommunication and electronicword of mouth help customers comprehensively understanding the seller’s reputation and the online products’brand image. In this paper,the results show thatonlinecommunicationcan helpcustomersunderstand the seller’s reputation and brandimage, consumer reviews(e-WOM) significantly affectedhe reputation ofthe sellerandthe brandimage ofno significantimpact.Meanwhile, thepaper alsodemonstrates theseller’sreputation and online products’brandimage have a significant effect on decision-making.Finally, dissatisfaction is one of the factors that drive customers’decisions reducing repurchase intention. Repurchase is crucial to the success of online stores. The present study attempts to examine what online communication behavior will be triggered by negative emotion in e-commerce and examines the potential influence of communication behavior on customer repurchase decisions in e-commerce. A research model that reflects the relationships among dissatisfaction, negative emotion, and customers’behavior is developed. Our findings show that negative emotion is an important mediation between dissatisfaction and repurchase intention. Different coping behaviors have different impacts on repurchase intention. Based on empirical findings, we offer managerial suggestions for enhancing purchase intention in e-commerce.