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

Compared with the traditional business, e-commerce lacks of of good communicationbetween 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-commerceactivity. Communication in social commerce is mainly from the customer in the socialnetworks of friends, not strangers. This relationship has enhanced the influence of onlinecommunication on customer’s purchase intention. At the same time, the relationship alsohighlights the need for researching online communication in social commerce. Based onthe Theory of restrictiveness, Social Learning Theory, we have constructed a model ofonline communication; we explored the drivers of online communication in socialcommerce and the influence of online communication onpromoting purchase intention.Secondly, though product information and customer reviews are provided bye-commerce website, customers may still perceive that the purchase information isinsufficient. How can they get more useful information to make their purchase decision?To answer this question, this study investigatesthe role of online communication oncustomers’ purchase intention. A research model that consists of the relationships amongperceived restrictiveness of product information and customer reviews, onlinecommunication, and customers’ purchase intention is developed. Our findings show thatcustomers need online communication when they can’t find satisfactory productinformation or customer reviews. Online communication includes communication withseller and communication with social networking members, which contribute touncertainty reduction and purchase intention.Based on empirical findings, we offermanagerial suggestions for enhancing purchase intention in C2C e-commerce.Thirdly, onlinecommunication and electronicword of mouth help customerscomprehensively understanding the seller’s reputation and the online products’ brandimage. In this paper,the results show thatonlinecommunicationcanhelpcustomersunderstand the seller’s reputation and brandimage, consumer reviews(e-WOM) significantly affectedhe reputation ofthe sellerandthe brandimage ofnosignificantimpact.Meanwhile, thepaper alsodemonstrates theseller’sreputation and onlineproducts’brandimage have a significant effect on decision-making.Finally, dissatisfaction is one of the factors that drive customers’ decisions reducingrepurchase intention. Repurchase is crucial to the success of online stores. The presentstudy attempts to examine what online communication behavior will be triggered bynegative emotion in e-commerce and examines the potential influence of communicationbehavior on customer repurchase decisions in e-commerce. A research model that reflectsthe relationships among dissatisfaction, negative emotion, and customers’ behavior isdeveloped. Our findings show that negative emotion is an important mediation betweendissatisfaction and repurchase intention. Different coping behaviors have different impactson repurchase intention. Based on empirical findings, we offer managerial suggestions forenhancing purchase intention in e-commerce.