Relationship Development Process in eCommerce Websites

Abstract

The popularity of eCommerce within the B2C sector has caused a paradigm shift in relationship marketing and raises interest in understanding the key issues in building meaningful online relationships with individuals. While eCommerce websites are transactional by default, the strategy should be to develop a portfolio of loyal customers. This has given rise to a research focus on the development and maintenance of relationships in online shopping. However, understanding factors that influence relationships in a virtual context is no trivial task. Drawing on the relationship-building literature, the dyadic nature of the interaction in establishing the relationship is applied to the online environment. This study posits self-disclosure and privacy as independent variables for managing online relationships. It was observed that information is mutually exchanged in the process of building relationships between both parties and that by controlling the flow of information, websites managed to maintain relationships with different visitors and at different levels. When the information shared was acted upon, the relationship advanced and trust was formed. Drawing on our observations, we offer a framework with propositions to confirm the causal pathways of factors within the relationship development process. The framework is important to B2C managers, who frequently struggle to build and maintain a close meaningful relationship with their customers. This research adds insights into the complex seller-buyer relationship and assists eCommerce website owners to develop better relationships with their customers