An Empirical Study of How Social Influence Impacts Customer Satisfaction with Social Commerce Sites

Abstract

The term “social commerce” describes a subgroup of e-commerce that uses online media and social media to support social interaction and user input, thus assisting in the sale and purchase of services and products. This study explores the relationships affecting social influence and customer satisfaction in the context of social commerce. It adds a research framework that gives social commerce businesses a better understanding of how the consumer mind works, which may result in competitive advantages. Using a survey method, the researcher measured the relationships between factors associated with social influence and evaluated the role it plays in social commerce. A total of 314 students from Saudi Arabia, some studying in Australia and some enrolled in Saudi Arabia’s University of Business and Technology, were surveyed. To test the measurement and structural model, and to analyze the interconnection between variables, the study made use of partial least squares (PLS). The results show that the constructs word-of-mouth (WOM) and Long-term Orientation have a significant relationship with social influence. This research recognizes that social commerce differs in important ways from brick-and-mortar commerce. There are multiple factors that influence customer satisfaction differently in social commerce compared to face-to-face transactions. It is anticipated that the results of this research will help merchants in devising effective strategies to retain customers and grow their social commerce businesses. The results obtained from this study make a significant addition to existing literature relating to social commerce. They also serve as the basis from which other researchers can delve more deeply into the different factors that interact with social influence in this context.