Social shopping allows users to easily compare products and offers, which enhances selection. This provides for user cost savings. The online environment offers a platform for users to share their experience. However, there are challenges to e-commerce. Marketers are scrambling to get people involved in their product. It is challenging to stimulate user interests, so they have an exciting experience to share. The goal of e-commerce strategists is to create a “sticky website.” They want users to stay on the site for a long period of time. If they can present their product in a way that encourages people to stay on the site, they have created a site that is considered the “holy grail” in marketing (Solomon, 2015).
Online shopping may seem like
178). The Sources of Influence defined in the text are: Social Proof, Authority, Affinity, Scarcity, Reciprocity, and Consistency. Social proof is when a lot of people select one option and consumers interpret that option as the right one. Authority uses the opinion of an expert in the field to persuade an audience (Tuten & Solomon, 2013, p.177). Affinity is the tendency for consumers to respond to people they like or find desirable (Tuten & Solomon, 2013, p. 178). Scarcity is based off of the principle that people want something more if they think they can’t have it. Reciprocity is a behavior that gives consumers the urge to repay a debt or favor. Consistency refers to the drive people have to be consistent with their beliefs, attitudes, and past behaviors (Tuten & Solomon, 2013, p. 179). There are many tools marketers can use to enhance these Sources of Influence. These social shopping tools include: “ask your network,” brand butler services, deal directories, deal feeds, filters, group buy, lists, recommendations, referral programs, reviews, share tools, shop together, storefronts, testimonials, user forums, user galleries, and geo-location promotions (Tuten & Solomon, 2013, p.
To me, the top three influencers are social proof, affinity, and consistency. When shopping online I will often sort products by the most popular or most reviewed. I get the feeling that if so many other people purchased the item and liked it; I will most likely enjoy the product, too. If my friends or a celebrity I identify with like a brand, I am more apt to at least check it out to see if it is something I would like. I would also say I am a consistently a brand loyal consumer. I will pay more if I feel I am getting the quality I want in a brand I trust. There are only a few products that I am satisfied with buying the generic brand product. From these Source of Influence, I can deduce that my ideal shopping experience would include: testimonials, “ask your network” tools, recommendations, referral programs, reviews, sharing tools, shop together tools, forums, and
Shopping is not simply a chore; it is also an experience. Shopping for clothing is a particularly personal decision, and various motivating factors can cause one shopper to choose a particular store over another store. Some consumers go to the store to confirm that they belong to a certain social stratum, others because they enjoy the thrill of a bargain. According to Daniel Miller in ‘Making Love in Super Markets’, the behavior of consumers in supermarkets tends to fall into two categories: ‘treat’ shoppers and ‘thrift’ shoppers.
Companies realize what people need and they take it as sources to produce commodities. However, companies which have famous brands try to get people’s attention by developing their products. Because there are several options available of commodities, people might be in a dilemma to choose what product they looking for. In fact, that dilemma is not real, it is just what people want. That is what Steve McKevitt claims in his article “Everything Now”. When people go shopping there are limitless choices of one product made by different companies, all choices of this product basically do the same thing, but what makes them different is the brand’s name. Companies with brands are trying to get their consumers by presenting their commodities in ways which let people feel impressed, and that are some things they need to buy. This is what Anne Norton discussed in her article “The Signs of Shopping”. People are often deceived by some famous brands, which they will buy as useless commodities to feel they are distinctive.
Principle of Consensus: “Mob psychology” plays a big role in modern life. People tend to be swayed by popular decisions and ultimately believe that what the majority wants is best for the outcome. Therefore, one needs to buttress persuasion by engaging “social proof.” This could be in the form of testimonials from satisfied customers. Adverts tend to use sport personalities to advertise their products and therefore if Serena Williams uses shield deodorant, many people would likely follow suit. Human beings will look to their peers if they are uncertain and will go with the flow.
An internal influence is something the business can control, however the business has no control over external influences. A business will produce a product depending on the popularity of the product. If the customers are particularly interested in a range of products the business sell, the business will most likely become aware and take action to make sure their best selling products are readily available. Mc Donald’s breakfast menu is vastly popular and
We are all consumers, and we buy diverse products every day. But, do you know what the main factor is that influences us to choose a product? If someone selects a cloth, maybe he pays attention to its quality! Customers’ decisions can be changed depending on what the main factors they are looking at. Various influences can cause consumers to select different products.
Often, people come back because they like the place, and it is the convenience for them. Finally, the data from anthropologists’ study are helping the retailers improve their business performance. The product will catch customers’ attention because they know exactly where to put it. That leads to more product sales and more money being generated.
Consumers with brand loyalty are indifferent with too many choices in shopping as they tend to ignore other brands and chooses product from their preferred brand.
The theories that I have chosen are word-of-mouth and Manfred Max-Reef theory. I feel that these are appropriate in relation to my purchase.
Product differentiation – by offering different products, services, or product features, the company can charge higher prices, or appeal to different audiences. Use of IS have enabled new products and services, that increase the levels of convenience in using existing products and services. By acquiring PayPal, eBay greatly enhanced the ease with which customers can pay for their products. Google keeps an innovative approach towards search engines, by introducing Google Maps, Google Translate and others, which improves the ease of usage. Using online live chatting systems and social networks contributes to understanding of customers. It also adds value and improves customers’ stickiness to website (Booth, Roberts, and Sikes 2011)
The increased interest of social media usage has led numbers of company and business to provide new experiences for their customer to leverage media platforms to make more efficient and effective purchases (Rad, 2010). In addition, the emergences of Web 2.0 technologies are dramatically changing the web collaboration concepts, which made the web more social and interconnected. The aforementioned phenomenon is called “social commerce”. It is a subset of electronic commerce, which utilize social media, or online media that support interaction and user contributions to enhance the online purchase experience.
The book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini illustrates the implementation of reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. The book identifies these six principles as weapons of influence in aiding with persuasion. The following explains and applies each principle.
Wilson, A (2012). The Business of Influence. International Journal of Market Research, 54(3), 439-440. doi:10.2501/IJMR-54-3-439-440
Several factors affect consumers’ attitudes, actions and decisions. Public catch information from social networks, which is an important source of getting information and this, is also a very suitable source of information. People talk about their experiences with each other regarding a product or brand. This is how people get different kind of information about different brands and products. In marketing we call this thing electronic word of mouth. Word-of-mouth is evaluating or sharing experiences...
Whether these items are necessities or even a splurge item. Trips to the store are made for a reason and when you go there will always be the impulse buyer, the list maker, and the bargain hunter. Each type has a different method and these methods are being used to shop, and they are our personal ways of shopping. You will come across many different types of shoppers. You will now realize what kind of shoppers these people you encounter are. Every shopper has a different personality when it comes to shopping as well. Some can be good as well as bad. Shopping is a fun thing regardless. Almost every individual enjoys it. We all have had something we 've been excited to buy. These kinds of shoppers can be found anywhere products are being
From the study it is clear that people often purchase branded products since they are aware of the brand performance or perhaps they have a good past experience about the brands. This makes customer’s become loyal with the specific brand.