Social Commerce in the Digital Era: Transforming Consumer Behaviour and Online Purchasing Patterns

Abstract

With digital technologies and social media platforms, businesses today communicate with their customers in ways that have revolutionized, and that are also impacting the buying decisions of consumers. Social commerce is an important aspect that has combined social interaction, communities with user generated content, social WOM and shopping in one. This study is designed to investigate the impact of social commerce on consumers' e-buying behavior and their behavior in the digital era. It highlights the importance of social media engagement, web-based reviews, influencers recommendations, trust and trustworthiness, EWOM and interactive shopping for influencing purchasing decisions and consumer choices. The research also explores the role of social commerce in product discovery, brand awareness, consumer purchasing decision making and post-purchase engagement. Special focus is placed on the evolving consumer expectations of digitally connected consumers and the growing relevance of authenticity, convenience, personalised recommendations and social validation when shopping online. Moreover, the study points to new issues in regards to data protection, information authenticity, deceptive promotions, and consumer trust. The outcome will provide the insights into the evolving trend of the social networking and digital purchasing behaviour, and provide the bases to develop marketing strategies for engaging customer and gaining competitive advantage. The study shows that social commerce is not only a new alternative to online shopping, but also a key contributor to the transformation of the consumers' experience and the future of e-business.