Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) and Consumer Purchasing Behaviour: A Study in Karachi’s Digital Era

Abstract

This chapter examines how information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives affect customers’ everyday routines with an emphasis on how electronic word of mouth (eWOM) affects their purchasing decisions and determines if eWOM might serve as a useful trust factor when making purchasing decisions. This chapter is based on both primary and secondary data and examines how eWOM affects customers’ buying decisions in this era of increasing social media platform usage. One hundred individuals from various regions of Karachi provided the primary data, collected through an online survey. Secondary data are also employed, such as details from business websites, scientific papers, and other related publications of businesses. In Karachi’s developing digital market, it was discovered that eWOM via social media used to have a substantial impact on consumers’ shopping habits. The effectiveness of social media content depends greatly on how appropriate it is for the intended audience. Social media marketing doesn’t quite simply aim to improve consumers’ impressions or directly advertise things. It also entails maintaining and fostering relationships between businesses and prospective customers. According to the research, consumers’ recommendations and ratings of goods and services made on social media, whether through eWOM or another channel, influenced their decisions to buy. Customers consider social media to be trustworthy when making decisions about what to buy. Customers are currently adopting social media as opposed to more conventional means to learn about new products. Most customers believe that eWOM from social media greatly affected their shopping choices, according to the results of the study.

Citation

Hussain, Z. (2024), "Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) and Consumer Purchasing Behaviour: A Study in Karachi’s Digital Era", Singh, N., Kansra, P. and Gupta, S.L. (Ed.) Digital Influence on Consumer Habits: Marketing Challenges and Opportunities, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 159-169. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80455-342-820241010