The Pursuit of Conversion: Effects of Mediating Channels on Product Choices and Purchase Propensities in Social Commerce Platforms

This study elucidates the effectiveness of intermediary channels in driving sales at social commerce sites (SCSs). Using a panel data, we investigate how the external intermediary channels through which consumers arrive at SCSs influence product choice and purchase likelihood. In addition, we scrutinize the extent to which product categories with varying quality moderate the relationship between consumers’ channel-related behaviors and purchase propensities. Furthermore, we examine how external channels “collaborate” with internal channels to increase purchase likelihood. The findings suggest that consumers who enter the SCS through direct apps and portals engage in more proactive purchasing than do consumers landing at the SCS via metasites or e-mail promotions. Consumers who are directed to the SCS through metasites or e-mail promotions are more likely to purchase experience goods than search goods. Contrary to previous findings, consumers’ purchasing propensities decline, rather than increase, across all channels after the implementation of a recommendation system.