The Influence of Consumers' Information Search Behavior on Purchase Decisions for Experience Goods: Empirical Evidence from Hotel Industry
نویسندگان
چکیده
The explosive development of Web 2.0 and online word-of-mouth (WOM) communications have facilitated the transaction of experience goods from offline to online. However, most of the online WOM merely consist of words which make it hard to convey the subtle feelings and experiences of consuming such products or services. In order to form more precise perceptions and reduce uncertainty, search engines are commonly used by individuals to reach more concrete product-related information. Prior studies proposed that consumers' online information search behavior reflects their specific intentions and correlates with further economic activities. However, there is still a deficiency of empirical evidence that identifies the possible impacts of consumers' information search behavior on purchasing decisions for experience goods. In cognition of this research gap, this paper conduct an empirical analysis to investigate the relationship between consumers' hotel information search behavior on Google.com and hotel booking data on Expedia.com. The results show that larger volume of search queries for one hotel is associated with higher room booking rate from the online travel agent. Furthermore, the interaction between information search and hotel review indicates that information search on Google weakens the reliance of online WOM on purchasing decision. The results are expected to provide useful insights on how consumers search, utilize information and make purchase decisions in the online market.
منابع مشابه
The Purchase Pattern of Poor for Fast Moving Consumer Goods: An Empirical Study of Poor in India
Despite possessing the adequate purchase potential for the fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs), the poor are not reckoned as a viable market by the FMCG marketers and as a result, the purchase preferences of poor are largely unexplored for the concerned products. The present paper bridges the gap subsisting in the pertinent literature by exploring the purchase behavior of poor consumers in the r...
متن کاملSearching for Experience on the Web: An Empirical Examination of Consumer Behavior for Search and Experience Goods
By lowering the costs of gathering and sharing information and offering new ways to learn about products before purchase, the Internet reduces traditional distinctions between search and experience goods. At the same time, differences in the type of information sought for search and experience goods can precipitate differences in the process through which consumers gather information and make d...
متن کاملHow Word-of-mouth Moderates Room Price and Hotel Stars for Online Hotel Booking an Empirical Investigation with Expedia Data
Information cues about products influence consumer purchase decisions. Online review can enhance communication among consumers while affecting consumer perception by increasing awareness and reducing uncertainty. However, little is known on how Word-of-Mouth (WOM) and information cues interact, especially on experience goods like hotel rooms. To bridge this gap, we analyze data collected from E...
متن کاملThe Purchase of Foreign Products: The Role of Brand Image, Ethnocentrism and Animosity: Iran Market Evidence
Consumer purchasing decisions relating to foreign products are influenced by economic, psychological and sociological factors. This study attempts to relate such rarely studied variables as animosity and ethnocentrism to concepts taken from consumer behavior which are brand image and purchase intention. Consequently, this study attempts to provide insights into how brand image, consumer ethnoce...
متن کاملAffecting Factors of Consumers’ Intent to Buy in the Food Industry by Emphasizing Brand Experience (Case Study: Mashhad TABAROK Company)
The recognition and understanding of brand experience by consumers is critical to develop goods and services marketing strategies, since they can be used to predict consumer behaviour. The aim of the present study is to investigate the antecedents and consequences of brand experience in the food industry. Information on 400 customers of the Mashhad Tabarok Company was collected by a questionnai...
متن کامل