Analyzing the Internet's Effect on Customer Buying Behavior

This essay delves into the significant impact of the internet on customer buying behavior. It explores four key areas: technology advancements, customer reviews, marketing campaigns, and convenience. The essay highlights how technological developments, such as virtual reality and 3D techniques, provide businesses with a competitive edge and enhance the online shopping experience. It also discusses the influence of customer reviews on purchasing decisions, emphasizing the greater impact of online reviews compared to traditional media. Furthermore, the essay examines the role of marketing campaigns and advertisements in shaping consumer choices, and the convenience offered by online platforms. The conclusion underscores the internet's role in affecting consumer behavior, emphasizing the importance of reliable and convincing information in influencing purchasing decisions. The essay uses references to support the arguments made.

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TOPIC: EFFECT OF INTERNET ON BUYING BEHAVIOUR OF CUSTOMERS
Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
DISCUSSION.................................................................................................................................................4
TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT................................................................................................................4
CUSTOMER REVIEWS...............................................................................................................................5
MARKETING CAMPAIGNS AND ADVERTISEMENT....................................................................................6
CONVENIENCE.........................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Technically, consumers are often affected by many different factors during their purchasing
decision-making process. These effects may make the consumers to either purchase the product
or not to purchase it. According to some researchers, the effects are grouped into two main
categories, which are: external and internal factors. The external factors are basically the
environmental aspects challenging the consumer’s choice (Mazaheri et al, 2014). They may
include things like cultural beliefs, technology changes, product marketing, demographics, public
policies and laws among others. The internal effects often originate from the consumers’ mind
which can be referred to as psychological process changes. They may include aspects like,
personal attitude, tastes and preferences, self-image, personal perceptions to name a few.
However, nowadays, it has become a norm for a large number of business organizations to use
the internet to make sales (online sales) and marketing operations (Pieters et al, 2010). On the
other hand, a good number of consumers have also become used to making purchasing through
the internet, i.e. doing online purchases. Therefore, recently, some major influences have been
caused by the use of the internet (by either consumers or business organizations) to affect

consumer behavior. The effects can be either positive effects or negative effects. In this
assignment, I am going to discuss four main effects of using the internet that influence consumer
behavior.
DISCUSSION
TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT
Journal of Business Research, 58, 79-88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963 (02)00476-9
Internet development is based entirely on the level of technological development. This means
that the higher the levels of technology development, the better the internet development as well.
In the last number of years, technology has been improving with very high margins hence
making the internet much better for businesses. Therefore, with the development of technology,
many businesses have realized that new technology can greatly influence internet shopping. With
that in mind, the organizations have come up with better technological devices that offer aspects
such as virtual reality and 3D techniques. These new technological devices have enabled the
businesses to have a competitive advantage over its competitors (Anjum and Tiwari, 2011). In
addition to that, better technology has enabled improved information technology operations
which provide better quality product and product information that is able to attract customers.
This information is used especially by customers who prefer online shopping or those who prefer
doing research on a product before they purchase it. Better technology has also offered better
services for consumers who prefer online shopping, e.g.: there are better mobile phones to access
the internet; there are applications or software systems that offer online shopping opportunities
among other things. Furthermore, technology development has enabled businesses to create
marketing websites and online selling sites where customers can shop from. The availability and
reliability of these sites have certainly made it easier for the consumers to purchase the products

or services. For instance, a customer who may not be willing to go to purchase a product in
person from a company has the chance to purchase it from their home and have it delivered at
their doorstep (Anjum and Tiwari, 2011). All these aspects have come to influence a consumer’s
decision-making process whenever they make the sales. Better technology has offered better
opportunities for businesses to advertise their product’s or service’s information to the
consumers. A product’s information that is effectively and efficiently presented can be said to be
reliable and can attract more consumers into buying the product or service.
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
Journal of Marketing Communications. 2007; 13(1):1-17. 6
With the development and advancement in technology which influences internet upgrade, many
businesses have become used to the aspect of doing online sales. On the other hand, a large
number of customers have become used to buying products and services through the internet or
online. Internet upgrade has offered these businesses great opportunities to increase their sales
methods as well as their sales volumes (Shaver, 2007). Just as mentioned earlier, a good number
of businesses have already created company websites where they conduct their online sales.
Also, better internet features have increased the use of social media platforms where businesses
are able to advertise market and sell their products and services. In this social media platforms
and company websites, the current customer gets the opportunity to leave product reviews after
they have used a certain product (Blakeney et al, 2010). These reviews are able to impact the
buying decision of another customer whenever they read the reviews. Research has shown that
such customer reviews on the internet (e.g. in YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc.) have
a great effect on consumer purchasing behavior or even consumer’s view of the product.
Researchers have proved that the internet is twice as influential as the television or print media

product reviews. Basically, this means that a consumer is likely to trust and rely on
product/service reviews on the internet rather than those on the television or print media
(Peterson and Merino, 2013). This is simply because they get the chance to access the internet,
view product ratings and getting information from other customers rather than advertising
messages and information that sometimes misleads the consumers by praising the product. This
fact makes the internet more reliable to the consumers especially when they need to get correct
information about a product. In addition to that, the consumers seem to believe other consumer’s
views and opinions of a certain product than the producer’s or the organization’s views and
praise ideas. In other words, the internet can negatively or positively influence the consumers’
behavior especially when it comes to customer product or service reviews. When the reviews are
placed in a negative way or rather they do not favor the product benefits and advantages, then the
consumers are most likely not going to purchase that product or services and vice versa.
MARKETING CAMPAIGNS AND ADVERTISEMENT
Journal of Academy of Marketing, 12(4): 221-235.
A good number of business organizations have started focusing on internet marketing and
advertising. Organizations have conducted campaigns through the internet to be able to advertise
and market their products and services. However, these campaigns seem to affect the consumers’
behavior in different ways. The product campaigns and advertisements that are more convincing
are likely going to influence the consumer into buying the product (Vinerean et al, 2013).
However, those that are less convincing, factual and true are going to discourage the consumers
from purchasing the product or service. Furthermore, the more the internet marketing or
advertising the more convincing it can be towards the customer. In that case, it is clear that
product marketing campaigns can impact the customers’ behavior.

CONVENIENCE
Consumer Research 8, 1982:419-430
Technology development has affected internet upgrade and use in a very positive manner. The
more the technology improves, the more the internet gets better. The internet has now become a
place for product and service advertisements, marketing, selling and buying. This can be done
through the social media platforms that have become very popular and famous among the young
generation. In this case, the product’s information is reviewed and updated with time to ensure
that the data is up to date and that the customers are able to get information on real time.
Therefore, I can say that the internet has become very convenient for a good number of
customers nowadays. The convenience is derived from the fact that, the internet app can now be
found on almost all phones. This means that the customer can be able to Google and get any
information about any product at whatever time they may need it and at whatever place they
need it. The internet has proved to be convenient for customers because, the product details (the
critics, advantages and disadvantages, benefits and problems associated with the product as well
as the effects of the product) (Bickart and Schindler, 2010). In that case, the fact that it is
convenient for the consumer’s access, then the consumers are likely going to trust and rely on it
more. The fact that the internet is convenient for consumers, may lead to consumer believing the
information placed on the internet which then leads to influence the consumer’s behavior (Joshi,
2012). However, if the product/service information is placed in a displeasing manner or in a non-
influential manner, then the consumer’s behavior will be negatively influenced.
CONCLUSION
From the research, it is clear that the internet has always affected a consumer’s behavior. This
has become a norm nowadays because of the internet development and upgrade. The internet is

currently being used by organizations for various reasons such as advertisements, reviews,
marketing, selling and also for gaining competitive advantage. The internet which is a worldwide
web can be used by international companies to conduct many of the operations listed above.
Therefore, this makes it one of the most reliable, trustworthy and convenient feature for
consumers whenever they need to research on a certain product, they want to review a product or
whenever they need to purchase a product. The internet has become one of the main things that
affect consumer behaviors on a product or service. Good and convincing information on the
internet can influence a consumer into buying a product while bad and unrealistic information
will discourage the consumer from buying the product. The impacts listed and discussed in this
assignment are some of the main common ones.

REFERENCES
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