Research Report: The Impact of Social E-commerce on Marketing

This research methodology report delves into the realm of social e-commerce, exploring its integration with social media to facilitate online buying and user engagement. It investigates the problem statement, which centers on leveraging social media opportunities while addressing associated challenges and misuse. The report outlines research objectives focused on the applications of social e-commerce, its impact on business scales, and customer engagement strategies. It encompasses the project's scope, literature review, gap opportunities, and hypotheses related to social media marketing policies and brand engagement. The research design and methodology involve qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, including interviews and questionnaires, to analyze consumer behavior and the effectiveness of social media in e-commerce. The expected outcome highlights the significance of social networks, peer-to-peer sales platforms, and participatory commerce in driving sales and customer loyalty, while acknowledging limitations and providing a detailed time plan and references.

Research Methodology
Report

Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Problem Statement...........................................................................................................................3
Problem Objectives..........................................................................................................................3
Scope................................................................................................................................................4
Literature Review............................................................................................................................4
Gap Opportunities........................................................................................................................5
Hypothesis...................................................................................................................................6
Justification......................................................................................................................................6
Research Questions..........................................................................................................................6
Primary Questions.......................................................................................................................6
Secondary Questions...................................................................................................................7
Research Design and Methodology.................................................................................................7
Qualitative Research....................................................................................................................7
Quantitative Research..................................................................................................................7
Sample Size.................................................................................................................................8
Sampling......................................................................................................................................8
Variables......................................................................................................................................8
Data Collection................................................................................................................................8
Data Analysis...................................................................................................................................9

Expected Outcome/Conclusion.......................................................................................................9
Limitations.....................................................................................................................................10
Time Plan.......................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................11

Introduction
The social e-commerce is considered to involve the social media which support the social
interaction and the user contribution to assist the online buying of the products and the services.
It includes the use of the social networks with the transactions set for the e-commerce. The
description is based on the collaborative framework with the shared pick lists and the user ratings
with the user generated content sharing for the online product and information (Laudon et al.,
2013). The concepts of the social commerce are mainly to aim towards the collaborative e-
commerce tools that enable the shoppers to get advice from the different trusted individuals.
Problem Statement
The focus of the problem statement is mainly to handle the opportunities which are associated to
the use of social media along with exploring the problems and suggesting ways for the company
to adapt to the issues and the misuse of social media networks (Huang et al., 2013). The
technologies have been integrated with the social commerce that allow the shoppers to properly
visualise about the different apparel items and the solicit feedback using social media tools.
Problem Objectives
The focus of the research is based on discussing about the different opportunities and the
problems which are related to the applications of social e-commerce. It includes the scales of
business with the effectiveness to communicate with the customers. The ability is mainly to
deliver the proper message and work over achieving and engaging the customers with the brands
as per the social behaviour of the customers (Hu et al., 2014). It also includes the incentives for
the customers to return to the website with the platform to talk about the brands as well. The

information of the customer need to be researched with the comparison of the tools which
include the use of the contexts of e-commerce (Diaz, 2014).
Scope
The scope of the project is based on handling the business organisations that can help in
improving the popularity through the customer groups. With this, the scope is about the
opportunities where the different forms work over the prime idea of collaborative activity of the
online shoppers. The focus is on how the people work over finding the individual or the groups
that share the values, likes and the beliefs with receiving the positive feedback. The main
features of the social commerce are related to the content, community with proper engaging with
the customers, prospects and the stakeholders through publishing the content on the web.
Literature Review
There is a need to focus on the different factors while administering the social e-commerce
content, where the basic need is to engage with the customers, prospects and the stakeholders.
This is through valuable holding of the published content on the website. Google being the
organisation has the best forefront for the indexing and working over the findable content on the
web (Turban et al., 2015). With this, the community also treats the audience with the objectives
of sustainable relationship by properly providing the tangible values. The e-commerce can fulfil
the customers’ needs through the presence of web, with the online retailers, banks and the other
insurance companies working over the business-to-consumer services. The business-to-business
sites tend to range from the online storage with hosting to product sources and then handling the
fulfilment of the services as well (Zhao et al., 2016).

The use of the structure with the organisations working over the notions of social media aims to
leverage and work over the encapsulation of the different technologies. The onsite social
commerce refers to the retailers which include the social sharing and the social functionality on
the website which enables the users to share the purchases and allow to create the poll for finding
the right product. The social commerce works on the concept where the retailers are not
employed and need to focus on the different distinction programs that are set between the onsite
social and the offsite social plans (Qu et al., 2015). The concepts are related to the new
technologies which includes the onsite and the offsite social media brand pages. This is for the
proper measurements that are done with the return on investments, reputation and the reach. The
measures have a major effect or the action of the social media on the sales, with the indices set to
define about the changes to the online reputation. The advertising metrics is to measure the rates
of exposure and the levels of audience with the social media.
Gap Opportunities
The research is mainly for the social e-commerce which is directly associated to the social media
marketing strategies. It works over highlighting the different strategies and the brand marketing
forms (Turban et al., 2015). The major gaps of the literature are mainly due to the limitations that
are set due to the strategies based on highlighting about the technological infrastructure. The
firms need to work over the implementation forms with the different risks that are involved since
the social media platforms provide the false or the fake information related to the description of
the product. The social marketing policies are mainly to reach the audience and then work over
the internet connectivity with the security concerns that are related to the social media marketing.
The people make major misuse of the social media platform and then tend to make the negative

implications which are set to provide the product description with misusing and implementing
the unethical business practices (Mata et al., 2014).
Hypothesis
H1: The social media marketing policies are depending upon the product suggestions from the
people where there is a new digital standard for handling the eCommerce and working over the
recommendations that are important for the next level purchase.
H2: The brands are mainly to figure out the innovative ways to incorporate the social media
marketing to keep the customers engaged.
H3: The brand managers and the product marketers tend to spend most of the time on the
messages with the selective products that are set for the ratings, reviews and the other status
updates and likes.
Justification
The social ecommerce includes the decisions related to the profitability of business and work
over the ratings, reviews and the check-ins. The focus is on the consumers involved in the social
media that is for the largest visible drivers of quality leads with biggest detractors from the
customer acquisition and the loyalty (Chiu et al., 2014). The business is reluctant in coping and
working over the ever-changing trends in technology to meet the needs of the customers.
Research Questions
Primary Questions
What is the major importance for the social e-commerce in the different regions of Australia?

Secondary Questions
Q1: Which small medium enterprises works over the financial statements?
Q2: Comment on the sources and the ways which are set for the different level of independence
with carrying out audits at various small medium enterprise?
Research Design and Methodology
The research includes the research related to the applied forms of the data collection methods
with the different interviews and the questionnaire surveys. It includes the allowing of the
detailed investigation with the financial reporting with the perspectives that are related to the
research on the obtained data and the results (Fang et al., 2014). The effects and the elements are
related to the qualitative and quantitative data collection with wide range of the methods to meet
the requirements of the research.
Qualitative Research
The specification is based on the forms with the qualitative aspects where the data collection
works over the understanding of the complex nature with the processes related to involve the
human behaviours. The mixed research is about gaining and understanding the usage of the
social e-commerce with detailed research over the open ended and the closed ended questions.
Quantitative Research
The well-structured interviews work over the respondents with proper access to the aggregation
of the obtained answers (Li et al., 2013). The assurance works over the interviews with same set
of questions.

Sample Size
The case is related to the people of 18 years of age where there is a proper access to ensure the
perceptions related to the social media with financial institutions. They are set to view the
reactions and auditing in the decision-making process. The identification of the population works
over drawing the sample from the population where the representative forms are set with the
market research requirements (Wang et al., 2016).
Sampling
The study is about the random sampling which includes the use to interview the respondents and
then answer the questions about testing the hypothesis. It also includes the analysis to determine
the effectiveness with proper collection of data and the tools for the main survey.
Variables
The variables are related to work over the classifications where the dependent and the
independent variables are used. This includes the ages, gender, and the respondents where the
independent variables are mainly to include the business nature with the proper standards that are
for the financial accounting (See-To et al., 2014). The level of effectiveness is set to meet the
nature of the business and work over the returns.
Data Collection
The data is collected with the forms of the informed consent where the participants need to work
over the hand delivery. With this, the major focus is on the participants and the responses which
relates to compile the views and work over a conclusion and the recommendation. The
questionaries’ are then sent to the respondents through the email and then they are delivered by
the research assistants as well (Wegner et al., 2015). The response is received from the

questionnaires with the proper review about entering the data and work on the editing, coding as
appropriate. The data is summarised with the descriptive statistics, means and the mode
percentages. Here, the responses received from the data will be exported into SPSS version with
17 data analysis software, analysed and the data is presented using descriptive statistics like the
means, modes percentages, 5-Likert scale and the standard deviations.
Data Analysis
The responses work on the questionnaires which includes the entering of the SPSS version with
17 data analysis software with the data presentation using the descriptive statistics. The multi-
linear works over the regression controls with the effects on the independent variables when one
works over offering the information concerning the effects of the independent variables. The
online world is mainly to track the real-world elements which is enabled by the mobile devices.
(Popescu, 2015) Along with this, there are real world entities for the online data like the business
or the place that works over providing the products and the services to the consumers. The new
networks which are set online are defined with proper documentation and the relationships which
are set among the people. It works over improving the conversation challenge and providing the
potential market for the supplier organisations.
Expected Outcome/Conclusion
The categories are based on handling the social network driven sales, peer to peer sales platforms
with the participatory commerce where the users are involved in the production process. The
sites provide the chat sessions for the users so that the users can communicate with the friends
for some advice (Turban et al., 2017). The peer-to-peer sales platforms are for the users to
communicate and then sell the products as well. The consumers are involved in the social media

who target the largest visible drivers of quality leads from customer acquisition and loyalty for
the larger and the smaller brands (Leong et al., 2016).
Limitations
The challenge is for the suppliers to focus on the conversations and then map the different range
of products and services that could be supplied. There are examples related to the conversations
that indicate the demand where the people place the objects of desire on Pinterest board or Like
the item.
Time Plan