An investigation into the antecedents of prepurchase online search

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Zhiyong Yang, Professor and Department Head (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: This study investigates what influences consumers' extent of online search (i.e., the number of relevant web stores visited) before a purchase. A dataset containing website visitation and transaction activities from a panel of US consumers is used to test the hypotheses developed in the study. The results indicate a diminishing effect of competitive density on the extent of search, and the use of advanced information technologies induces more searches. Consumers also search more for experience products than for search products in contrast to the prediction in the nonelectronic market. Furthermore, online purchase experience increases, while product-specific experience reduces, prepurchase search.

Additional Information

Publication
Information & Management, 55(3), 285–293
Language: English
Date: 2018
Keywords
online prepurchase search, competitive density, online experience, experience/search product, price comparison websites, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC)

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