Assessing the Role of Social Influence on Purchase Decisions and Satisfaction Among Virtual Shoppers in Ernakulam District

Abstract

The fast growing of e-commerce websites has created a huge need for social influence in influencing the behavior of consumers especially those who shop virtually. This study attempts to find out how social influences affect the purchasing decisions and total satisfaction levels of virtual shoppers in Ernakulam District, Kerala. The main purpose is to find out the different factors of social influence and establish their statistical link with purchase decision making and satisfaction after the purchases. Descriptive and Analytical research approach has been used in this study and the primary data has been gathered from 150 respondents through a structured questionnaire that followed five-point Likert scale. Based on the results, online reviews and ratings (mean = 4.32) were found to be the top influential variable, followed by platform trust and reliability (mean = 4.18) and social media influencers (mean = 4.05). Correlation analysis confirms the existence of a statistically significant positive correlation between the variable of social influence and purchase decision (r = 0.612, p < 0.05), showing that the greater one's exposure to the social influence variable, the greater is their chance to make purchases. Regression analysis also reveals that all aspects of social influence significantly account for 52.3% of the total variance in overall satisfaction (R² = 0.523, F = 25.84, p < 0.001). Within the predictors, online reviews and ratings (β = 0.298) and platform trust (β = 0.244) were found to be the key factors of overall satisfaction. Overall, the study finds out that social influence through information and trust-related cues influences consumer behavior in the virtual environment to a great extent.