Impact of Online Shopping

A Research Report
On
“THE IMPACT OF ONLINE SHOPPING SITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA ON
BUYING BEHAVIOUR OF SHOPPERS”
Report Submitted in partial fulfillment of 2 Years full time Degree

Of
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Session (2018-2020)
BUNDELKHAND INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

JHANSI (U.P.)
DR. APJ ABDUL KALAM TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
Submitted To: Submitted By:
Dr. Suman Yadav Anam khan

Coordinator, MBA (BIET) Roll no:-1804370001
MBA IV Sem
PREFACE
The research provides an opportunity to a student to demonstrate application of his/her

knowledge, skill and competencies required during the technical session. Research also
helps the student to devote his/her skill to analyze the problem to suggest alternative
solutions, to evaluate them and to provide feasible recommendations on the provided
data.
The research is on the topic – “THE COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE IMPACT

OF ONLINE SHOPPING SITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA ON BUYING
BEHAVIOUR OF SHOPPERS”.
Although I have tried my Level best to prepare this report error free, every effort has
been made to offer the most authenticate position.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my immense gratitude towards our institution

Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering & Technology, which created a great
platform to attain profound skills in the field of MBA, thereby fulfilling our
most cherished goal. I have taken efforts in this project. However, it would
not have been possible without the kind support and help of many individuals
and students of BIET. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of them.
Firstly, I would like to thank Dr. Suman yadav Ma’am for her invaluable
support, guidance and availability throughout the course of this project.
Last but not the least, I would like to thanks all the faculty members (MBA
Department) for giving me useful tips and suggestions.
Anam Khan
Roll no 1804370001
MBA IV Sem
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DECLARATION
I ANAM KHAN, student of MBA undersigned solemnly declare that the project report entitled
“THE IMPACT OF ONLINE SHOPPING SITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA ON BUYING
BEHAVIOUR OF SHOPPERS” is based on my own work carried out during the course of
MBA under the supervision of DR. SUMAN YADAV MA’AM. I assert the statements made
and conclusions drawn are an outcome of my research work. The imperial finding in this report
is based on the data collected by me.
I further certify that
I. The work contained in the report is original and has been done by me under the
general supervision of my supervisor.
II. The work has not been submitted to any other Institution for any other
degree/diploma/certificate in this university or any other University of India or
abroad.
III. I have followed the guidelines provided by the university in writing the report.
IV. Whenever I have used materials (data, theoretical analysis, and text) from other
sources, I have given due credit to them in the text of the report and giving their
details in the references.
Place: Jhansi Anam khan
Date: / / 2020 Roll no - 1804370001
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TABLE OF CONTENT
Table No. Content Page no.
1. Introduction 5-6
1.a Objective of Study 7
1.b Hypothesis 8-12
2. The Profile Study 13-31
3. Literature Review 32-35
4. Research Methodology 36-37
4.a Sample Information 37
4.b Data Collection 38
4.c Analysis Design 38-41
5. Data Analysis and Interpretation 42-57
6. Conclusion 58-59
7. Recommendations 60-61
8. Limitation 62
9. Annexure 63
10. Bibliography 64-65
11. Questionnaire 66-71
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1. INTRODUCTION
The recent growth of e-commerce and the consumer’s increasing interest in purchasing over the
net have significantly changed the landscape of Indian retail market. Today customers are
inclined to accept the changes and keep their eyes on the benefits they can obtain from online
retailers. The recent example of changing consumer purchase pattern is the flipkart’s ‘Big Billion
day’ Sale. The growth in online sales can be partially attributed to the Internet’s advantages of
providing large amounts of information quickly and inexpensively and its growing accessibility.
Yet, to reach its full potential, business owners who use ecommerce as a distribution channel
need a clearer understanding of who buys online, what they buy online, why they buy online, and
how the non-Internet buyer can be transformed into an online buyer in order to increase online
sale. The purpose of this study is to understand and analyze the factors effecting online purchase
decisions of Indian customer.In this paper, a study is made of the decision process of consumers
for complex purchases, with a special emphasis on how this process is influenced by possible use
of social media. Complex buying behaviour in this context refers to expensive infrequent
purchases with high consumer involvement, significant brand differences, and high risk. Social
media is a relatively recent phenomenon. Over the last decade, the WorldWide Web has seen a
proliferation of user-driven web technologies such as blogs, social networks and media sharing
platforms. Collectively called social media, these technologies have enabled the growth of user-
generated content, a global community, and the publishing of consumer opinions (Smith, 2009).
This movement now dominates the way we use the web and has given rise to popular platforms
like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter, where people connect, produce and share
content.The social media revolution has led to new ways of seeking and obtaining information
on the multitude of products and services in the market. It has enabled consumers to connect and
discuss brands with each other quickly and easily (Powers et al., 2012). Consumer opinions on
products and services are now increasingly dominated by strangers in digital spaces, which in
turn influence opinions in the offline space (Smith, 2009). Social media have empowered
consumers, as marketers have no
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power over the content, timing or frequency of online conversations among consumers
(Mangold and Faulds, 2009).
The use of social media by consumers is anxiously followed by marketers, but not
much is known about how it influences the consumers’ decision-making. Many studies
focus on consumer behaviour in the online shopping environment, but without
consideration of the effects of the internet on the different phases of consumers’ decision
process (Darley et al., 2010). This research explores how the presence and abundance of
these new information sources is influencing the decision process of consumers for
complex purchases.
.
A quantitative survey was used to retroactively attempt to explore aspects of the
phases in the decision process. A total of 151 participants completed the survey, and their
responses were used to analyse the decision-making process of their complex purchase
instances.
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1 (a) OBJECTIVE OF RESEARCH
The Main objective of this study is to examine the impact of online Shopping sites and
social media on buying behavior of consumers. Special objectives of the study are:-
 To examine consumer perception towards shopping online.
 To examine factors that motivate consumer buyers to shop through social media platforms.
 To examine how social media channels have affected buying behavior of consumers.
 Preference of purchase from customer depending upon different income groups side.
 Expenditure of income on the basis of gender.
 Time spending of different income groups.
 Why people prefer for online shopping.
 To study the consumers profile that purchase products from online.
 To identify the factors influence the customers to purchase products through social media
 To find the products purchased through online and to analyze the post purchase behavior of
consumers.
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1(b) HYPOTHESIS
HYPOTHESIS FOR ONLINE CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR -

H1: A significant and positive relationship exists between trust and consumer buying-behavior
towards online shopping.
H2: An important and optimistic relationship exists between convenience and consumer buying-
behavior towards online shopping.
H3: A substantial and progressive relationship exists between saving time and consumer buying-
behavior towards online shopping.
H4: A noteworthy and helpful relationship exists between online product variety and consumer
buying-behavior towards online shopping.
H5: A major and affirmative relationship exists between established sense of privacy and
consumer buying-behavior towards online shopping.
The classical model is chosen to study the influence of social media on complex buying
decisions due to its simplicity and versatility. Of the five stages, the first stage of need
recognition is not considered, as it is often not amenable to the kind of respective survey used in
the other stages.
Therefore, this paper focuses on the decision process of consumers who made an actual purchase
after they judged a personal, situational, psychological, or social need for a certain product or
service as large enough. The research model is depicted in Figure 2, showing the stages the
consumers go through, independent of the use of social media or not. Each stage has certain
similar attributes, indicated in the ellipse. The aim is to research the relationship of the stages,
that is, the influence of the information search stage on the evaluation of alternatives; the
influence of alternative evaluation on purchase decision; and the influence of the decision stage
on post-purchase outcome. The decision process is analyzed with respect to the use or non-use of
social media.
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HYPOTHESIS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA BUYING BEHAVIOUR -
Table 1. Hypotheses regarding the decision-making model
Decision-making model hypotheses (DM)
DM1 There is a significant relationship between

satisfaction in the first stage of information
search and satisfaction in the second stage
of alternative evaluation.
satisfaction in the first stage of information
search and satisfaction in the third stage of
purchase decision.
satisfaction in the second stage of
alternative evaluation and satisfaction in the
third stage of purchase decision.
DM4 There is a significant relationship
between satisfaction in the first stage of
purchase decision and the post-purchase
satisfaction.
DM5 There is a significant relationship
between satisfaction in the third stage of

purchase decision and the post-purchase
satisfaction.
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Table 2. Hypotheses regarding social media usage
Social media usage hypotheses (SM)

SM1 There is a significant positive
association between the use of social
media and the satisfaction in the first
stage of information search.
media and the satisfaction in the second
stage of alternative evaluation.
media and the satisfaction in the third
stage of purchase decision.
media and the post-purchase
satisfaction.
SM5 The social media group spends on
average significantly less time on the
three decision-making stages when
compared to the no social media
group.
SM6 The social media group expends on
average significantly less effort on the
three decision-making stages when
compared to the no social media
group.
SM7 The social media group finds it on average
easier to search for information and evaluate

alternatives, when compared to the no
social media group.
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Table 3 Hypotheses regarding satisficing/maximising
Satisficing/maximising hypotheses (SatMax)
SatMax1 There is a significant positive

association between maximising
tendencies and the amount of time and
effort spent in the three stages of
decision-making.
association between satisficing
tendencies and the satisfaction in the
first stage of information search.
second stage of alternative evaluation.
third stage of purchase decision.

tendencies and the post-purchase
satisfaction.
Table 4 Hypotheses regarding internet and social media usage skills
Internet and social media skills hypotheses (I)
I1 Consumers who are proficient in internet

usage are on average significantly more likely
to use social media for their purchase
decision-making.
I2 Consumers who are proficient in internet
usage are on average significantly more likely

to have higher satisfaction with the decision-
making stages.
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Table 5 Hypotheses regarding the quality and quantity of information
on social media
Quality and quantity of information on social media (QQ)
QQ1 Higher perceived quality of information

on social media is associated with
higher satisfaction with decision-
making stages.
QQ2 Greater perceived quantity of information
available on social media is associated

with higher satisfaction with decision-
making stage
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2. The profile study
CONSUMER
The Consumers
Consumers are actors on the marketplace stage. Consumers, in general, can be referred as
individuals who purchase or consume products and services; however, in terms of buyer and
consumer, there is a slight difference. Buyers are the people who are acting either as ultimate,
industrial, or institutional purchasers. The latter one, consumer, refers to individuals who
purchase for merely ultimate use, which is more restrictive in terms of meaning (Sternthal and
Craig 1982); that is, the end-users for whom the products or services are ultimately designed
for.
Consumer Decision Process
Inevitably, businesses encounter bottlenecks where the message is not reaching their
consumers and prospects, with the fact that, at times, consumers and prospects are facing
significant blocks in their decision process. If not, each of them should be fully committed,
loyal, enthusiastic, repeated consumers; however, this is not the case. Today the accessibility
and transparency of information has profoundly influenced the decision making process;
therefore, it is important to examine what are the hurdles and fiction points that hold prospects
becoming consumers, or keeps consumers hesitating from repurchasing. (Silverman 2001.)
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Figure . The 5-Stage Decision Making Model (Silverman 2001.)
Engel, Kollat, and Blackwell (EKB) have presents a comprehensive model dealing with
ultimate consumer’s behavior in 1978, which attempts to capture the critical aspects of
individuals’ consumption behavior. As the figure (Figure 1) shows, the model has interpreted
consumer behavior into five stages – 1) Problem recognition, 2) search of information, 3)
evaluation of alternatives, 4) final decision, and 5) post purchase decisions. (Sternthal and
Craig 1982)
Problem recognition
Problem recognition takes place whenever a consumer recognizes a significant difference

between the desired and the actual state of affairs, which is in sufficient magnitude to arouse
and activate the decision process (Solomon, Bamossy and Askegaard 2002), or need triggered
by internal or external stimuli. After the realization of a problem, it initiates the search for
information before any typical buying action.
When an individual is triggered externally, for instance, a person may see a television
advertisement for a vacation, the stimuli triggers thoughts or ideas about the possibility of
making a purchase (Kotler and Keller 2009). Nowadays, the mass media is no longer the only
source of information, which may serve as a trigger of a purchase to individuals. As a result,
consumers are exposed to vast amount of information, in order to get through the consumer’s
filter , marketers have to identify a claim or promise about their services or products, which
are strongly penetrative. Filter, in this case, is a fact of being overlooked because of too much
information competing in the marketplace (Silverman 2001).
Search of Information
The final purchase decision will not be made at once, even when individuals acknowledge,
recognize their problems, and pay attention to the available products; likewise, when
prospects have a certain interest in a product or service, they tend to go through the following
steps before carrying out any action – identifying available options, studying information of
selected options, and eventually judging which of these options can most likely deliver the
best outcome (Silverman 2001).
The information sources can be divided into two types: internal and external. Internal search
indicates former information and experience of an individual will result in future behavior that
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the consumers will be likely to take (Solomon, Bamossy and Askegaard 2002). Even when a
consumer is attentive towards a marketing offer, it does not imply that the offer will be
comprehended as intended; therefore, aside from the accumulated information, any
information or message that is generally analyzed and stored in the consumers’ memory in
forms of certain meaning will be used to evaluate alternatives. Essentially, competitive brands
provide alternatives for consumers who are willing to find the best solution to their problems
or needs, even they may offer same products or services.
Evaluation of Alternatives
Once an option is identified as the best/suitable solution according to the individual’s needs
after accumulating sufficient information, they undertake alternative evaluation (Sternthal and
Craig 1982, 46). Depending on their motives or goals, consumers establish a criteria for
evaluating choice alternatives (Sternthal and Craig 1982, 46), for instance which alternative is
the simplest to use or to arrange, or what are other users’ experiences, because there is a need
to confirm whether or not the information is reliable and to verify that the product will work
out as anticipated. (Silverman 2001.)
In order to ensure the outcome within the expectation, individuals require relevance of
experience. Direct and indirect experience, which individuals, serve as indicators during the
buying process. Direct experience is not always preferred since individuals are inexperienced
towards specific products, which may result using it in an unskilled manner and have negative
experience with it. Most often, if negative experiences take place, they are most likely to be
costly (both financially and time), risky, or even damaging to reputation. (Silverman 2001.)
After the assessment of the choice alternatives, consumers formulate beliefs regarding the
alternatives, which guide their attitudes, intentions, and ultimately their choice among
alternatives (Sternthal and Craig 1982, 46). Besides, several studies have provided evident
findings that the decision maker will increasingly seek ways to simplify the evaluation
process when a decision becomes more complex (Bruner, Goodnow and Austin 1956;
Association for Psychological Science 2008).
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Final Decision
Figure. Steps between evaluation of alternatives and a purchase decision (Kotler &
Keller 2009, 172).
Kotler and Keller (2009) have suggested that during the course of evaluation, consumer
eventually forms preferences among the brands in the choice desk, however, there are two
factors, which can interfere between the purchase intension and purchase decision – attitude
of the others and unanticipated situational factors (172).
Attitudes of others is the extent to which another person’s negative attitude towards the
preferred alternatives or reluctance to meet the terms of supporting the purchase intention,
this may result in a readjustment of the consumer’s purchase intention (Kotler and Keller
2009,172).
Likewise, Kotler (2009) has also stated that consumers are undoubtedly influenced by the
infomediaries who publish their evaluations (e.g. customer reviews on Amazon.com, blogs,
bulletin boards, and so on). Unanticipated situational factors refer to those may erupt to alter
the purchase intention, for instance, there might come an unexpected purchase that is more
urgent compared to the purchase the consumer was firstly stimulated to buy; in other words,
preferences and purchase intentions cannot be served as completely reliable predictors of
purchase behavior. (Kotler and Keller 2009.)
The stages in the decision process are not followed sequentially, but rather in a cyclically
order; that is, in reality there are loops, for instance between information search and
evaluation, consumer learns about new criteria not previously considered (Bettman 1979).
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Post Purchase Decision
After the consumption, the consumer then experiences certain levels of satisfaction or
dissatisfaction, and evaluates the wisdom of the choice made in selecting the alternative. Two
potential outcomes are derived from this phase – satisfaction or dissonance. When consumer
experiences dissonance towards the purchase, the choice is ‘devaluated’ and the consumer
begins the process of searching, obtaining information and evaluating other options for future
buying decision, in which triggers new behavior. (Sternthal and Craig 1982).
It is a phase when the consumer decides whether or not to move from merely implementing
the product to a full adaption; that is, whether to use the product repeatedly or repurchase or
not. Since consumer always has a choice regarding the products priority, frequency of usage,
and new circumstances of new uses. When individuals are comfortable in using a specific
product regularly, they will recommend it to others from using the product as well.
(Silverman 2001).
Stages in decision making involves many psychological factors, which the above five-stages
buying model has failed to explicate; thus, the following discussion focuses on attitude and
the psychological components mentioned in the information processing theory proposed by
Bettman (1979).
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Definition of Online Buying Behavior
Behavior is the apparent, noticeable response in a given situation with respect to a given target.
Use of the Internet for retail shopping has expanded immensely in recent years and has had a
profound influence on the shopping process for many consumers. Online buying behavior is a
type of behavior which is exhibited by customers while browsing websites of an e-tailer in order
to search, select and purchase goods and services, in order to fulfill their needs and wants. It’s
basically a behavior which is reflected by the purchaser during the process of buying through the
internet.
Online Shopping
While shopping online, every customer desires convenience, speed, price benefits, product
comparison facility etc. It is not that these features are not available in traditional shopping
methods. But due to changes in life style, the notions of these features have changed among the
buyers. Now individuals are finding it difficult to shop from traditional channels due to their
changed lifestyle. As a result of all these issues along with the technological advancements, a
new mode of shopping i.e online shopping also called as electronic shopping has emerged. The
Internet, in the field of shopping, has brought sea changes in the mindset of customers with
reference to convenience, speed, price, product information and services associated with online
shopping. The internet has provided marketers with a completely new way to create value for
customers and build relationships with them' in the form of online shopping. Online shopping is
the process whereby consumers directly, without an intermediary service, buy goods or services
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from a seller in real-time over the Internet. One way of doing electronic commerce is online
shopping. In online shopping, electronically the sale or purchase of transaction takes place. It is
also referred to as e-shopping where ‘e’ stands for Electronic Shopping. Electronic shopping is
defined as a computer activity/exchange performed by a consumer, via a computer-based
interface, where the consumer's computer is connected to and can interact with, a retailer's digital
storefront to purchase the products or services over the internet.
An e-shop allows the customer to browse entire range of product or service offered by e-vendor,
view pictures of the products, along with the complete description of the product specifications,
including features and prices. On online stores with the help of “search” features e-shoppers can
easily search out specific models, brands or items. An online shop is also referred to as, e-shop,
e-store, internet shop, web shop, web store, online store, or virtual store. In present time almost
all the big retailers are now offering their online shops. These are also known as e -tailer’s and
their online retail shops are sometimes known as e-tail.
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What is social media
Many researchers have come across the interchangeable usage of the terms
“social media” and “Web2.0” (Safko and Brake 2009, 6; Kaplan and Haenlein 2009, 60);
however, Safko and Brake (2009, 6) have stated out that these two terms are closely related
yet not exactly synonymous, and they differ in terms of usage. For the purpose of this
research, and in order to avoid any confusion, the above mentioned terms will be defined,
despite the fact that social media is the central gravity of the research.
In regards of the term Web 2.0, Tim O'Reilly, the founder of O'Reilly media, has coined that
"Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the
Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform."
He has further provided a general business aspect in relations of Web 2.0 as the “harnessing of
collective intelligence”, in which Web 2.0 provides platforms and fills the Web with user-
generated content where all individuals – the former audience are able to take part in instead
of important decisions made by a few people. Alternatively, Web 2.0 is a platform whereby
content and applications are continuously modified and exchanged by all users in
participatory and collaborative manner, and no longer merely created and published by
individuals (Kaplan and Haenlein 2009).
There are still many ongoing debates and discussions regarding social media’s universal
definition; as social media has been transforming and merging into the evolving development
of New Media (Solis 2010). Regardless of what the standardized definition per se would be,
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many of the existing studies and articles have stated out the common core purpose of social
media.
According to figure 3, Dann and Dann (2011) have demonstrated how social media is formed
based upon the interconnected elements – social interaction, content, and communication
media. Social media has created a new landscape in supporting the socialization of
information (Solis 2007), as a result it has facilitated and enhanced communication flow by
making it easier and to more people, and to spread useful information with potentially vast
online audiences (Smith and Zook 2011, 10), in which the conversation may be taken place on
media locally but lead to a global impact.
Figure . Social media components (Dann and Dann 2011, 345)
Safko and Brake (2009, 6) have supported the concept proposed by Kaplan and Haenlein (2009), as
they have referred social media to “activities, practices, and behaviors among communities of people
who gather online to share information, knowledge, and opinions using conversational media”.
Nonetheless, social media expedites the flow of communication by encouraging contributions and
feedback from everyone who is interested, and it is a two-way conversation when comparing to the
traditional media because social media outlets are open up to feedback and participation (Mayfield
2008).
At its essence, social media describes the powerful new ways individuals are engaging with
content on the Internet, and vice versa; that is, as many have observed, social media is user-
centric in which it emphasizes and facilitates the process of creating, commenting, editing and
sharing. More importantly, social media is the democratization of content. (Solis 2007.)
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Types of Social Media
In the discussion regarding different categories of social media, five distinct types of social
media outlets are focused on – 1) social networking sites, 2) social news, 3) media sharing, 4)
blogs, and 5) micro blogging. Each of these social media platforms has provided unique
features and experiences to individuals and entities, for instance marketers and consumers, in
the social media sphere.
Social Networking Sites
Social Networking Sites (SNSs) are platforms where individuals are able to connect with
others, for instance Facebook and MySpace. Social networking sites, as Weinberg (2009, 149)
states, “are generic terms for sites that are used to connect users with similar backgrounds and
interests”. These platforms, generally, have few common elements across most of them – (1)
users are able to create interactive and customized profiles, either a public or a semi-public,
within a bounded system, (2) a list of suggested “friends” with whom they share a connection,
and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system
(Boyd and Ellison 2007, 211).
To consumers, they are the outlets, which present wealth opportunities for establishing a
closer relationship with the brand via several functions – fan pages, plug-in applications, and
groups.
Social News and Bookmarking Sites
Social News sites and Social Bookmarking sites, for instance Digg, Reddit, and Scoop.it, are
fairly similar, and are very much in the trend of online community. Social News enables users
not only to be in control of their news streams, but also allows individuals to “submit and vote
on content around the Web” but the core value of the latter one is to allow users “to collect
and interesting links they have discovers and may wish to revisit.” (Zarrella 2010, 103.)
In other words, individuals get to control and customized their news streams, this special
attribute of social news site facilitates the democracy which creates values to users. These
sites allow individuals to discover websites that a large number of people have already
discovered; some say social news sites have changed the concept of newspaper nowadays and
are governed by the “wisdom of crowds” (Weinberg 2009), due to the fact that the contents
personal and targeted news and they empower users by putting the audience in the center via
active discussions and which reacts on how readers interact.
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Media-Sharing Sites
Media-Sharing sites (e.g. Youtube and Flickr) are outlets where individuals can upload,
store, and share their multimedia files, for instance photos, videos, and music, with other
users. There are myriad opportunities through the engagement to these websites, because
these certain platforms within the social media segment has always been a stronghold to
online societies, as they provide users opportunities to create their own podcasts with
affordable technology and to propaganda their identical “channels” via subscriptions. One of
the major elements of these media-sharing sites has to be highlighted is the tag. “A tag is a
word assigned to a piece of content that helps describe it”, which means that businesses have
to acknowledge the importance of the search words on the search engines.
Blogs
A blog is an online journal which is as refer to a type of content management system (CMS),
typically maintained by individuals or groups, and featured commentary and ideas for a larger
group of audience (Safko and Brake 2009). Blogs create good hubs for other social media
marketing tools (videos, hyperlinks, pictures, and so on), because they can be integrated into
the platforms and posts; besides, blog software provides a variety of social features such as
comments, blogrolls, trackbacks, and subscriptions (Zarrella 2010, 9). On the other hand,
Weber (2009) has pointed due to the fact that blogs allow everyone to publish and to join
multithreaded conversations online, in which some of the bloggers have no editorial restrains
and have access to the entire Web; as a result, their posts can impact personal, products, or
brand reputation harmfully.
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Micro blogging
Micro blogging is a real-time information network, which shares similarity to blogging, yet it
limits the size (number of words) of each post and encourages a faster mode of
communication. Micro blogging allows users to spread their short-texted messages via instant
messages, mobile phones, e-mails, or the Web. For instance, Twitter, launched in 2006, is one
of the primal and leading micro blogs that currently has over 140 million users as of 2012 and
handles over 1.6 billion search queries per day (Twitter 2011). Obviously, Twitter provides
companies with leverage via Internet traffic by creating a buzz on online communities, as
users get the essence and concise information through short-texted posts. Many companies
have been using Twitter to tap into the business prospects, influencers, and customers; by
doing so, businesses are able to take advantage in relationship building, achieving on-line and
offline marketing objectives, and brand building etc. (Weinberg 2009). Retweet is one of the
most powerful mechanisms to marketers, in which individuals can copy and paste what others
have posted onto their Twitter stream. Consequently, the certain tweet gets to spread virally in
a furious speed (Ingram 2012).
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Social Media and Marketing
Social Media Marketing is an umbrella term that can be described as the utilization of social
media platforms as marketing tools. According to Weinberg (2009), he refers social media
marketing as leveraging the ‘social’ through the
‘media’ to ‘market’ businesses’ constituents; in other words, it is a process in empowering
individuals to promote their websites, products, and/or services through online social
channels, to interact with and to tap into a much larger community that may not have been
available via traditional advertising channels.
It is no longer a striking fact that most of the advertisements via mass media are not as
efficient as in the past, because by advertising through the mass, the message is generally
reaching far more people than the potential customer intended to reach (Weber 2009;
Weinberg 2009). Social web is where people with a common interest can gather to share
thoughts, comments, and ideas; hence, instead of continuing as broadcasters, marketers
should become aggregators of customer communities; that is, the Web should not be
considered as a mere advertising channel, it is a place where marketers can listen and respond
to communities, review contents, as well as promote a particular piece of content within the
vast social sphere (community building) (Weber 2009).
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What makes social media marketing special?
Upon the insufficient advertising budget that companies oftentimes encounter via the
traditional channels, social media marketing might be, particularly, easier and more effective
for small and medium-size companies to take maximum advantage of it. While social media
marketing is an evolving technology with much potential, yet marketing’s role still reminds
the same – defining the target market, communicating with prospects, building loyalty,
customer engagement and so on. (Weber 2009.)
Weinberg (2009) has proposed few reasons to tap into a solid social media strategy in addition
to (or instead of) the traditional ones, which are – facilitation in natural discovery of new
content, boost up in traffic numbers, strong relationship building, as well as a cheap
alternative to traditional marketing. Unlike the traditional advertising, individuals in the
social media era have access to contents that are not necessarily associated with commercial
intent (neutral); consequently, if a person like a content, he/she is likely to pass it on to their
peers, families, and so on via social sites, then content will be spread out quickly without
interfering with traditional marketing. (Weinberg 2009.) Social media offers opportunities to
achieve communities, once company has established its presence as a community participant
worth following, eventually others will be likely interested in what it shares and pass to the
relevant ones (Weber 2009). Besides, in the phase of the new marketing era, bringing the
brand to alive depends solely upon the engagement within communities (Weber 2009;
Silverman 2001), as a result if company is genuinely paying attention to the members of the
community, a strong relationship can be built upon investing time in responding on feedbacks
and concerns. (Weinberg 2009)
‘Mass media audience become more and more difficult to buy,’ said Martin Sorrel (1996) of
WPP (see Smith and Zook 2011, 282). The fortunes of advertising have grown alongside with
the growth of mass media, however this growth has stopped these years. (Smith and Zook
2011.) In fact, there are many sport brands in the marketplace are taking social media
marketing as a vital component in their businesses, in which they look at effective ways to
gain a more detailed understanding of their social media fanbase. Nike has been putting more
marketing muscle behind its digital initiatives, for instance by taking social media marketing
in-house, claiming that online channels are more valuable to its business strategy than
traditional advertising. (Joseph 2013.)
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Social Media: The New Mindset
In order to gain a better position in the transition from traditional marketing approach to social
media marketing, marketers will have to, firstly, change their marketing mindset. Social
media platforms has radically changed the approach of segmentation in implanting marketing
strategy, instead of easily identified demographics, such as age, gender, or income are
relatively less important, it groups people by what they do, think, like, and dislike, and more
importantly by their behaviors, also known as behavioral targeting. (Weber 2009.)
Many marketing experts (Drury 2008; Mayfield 2008; Weber 2009; Weinberg 2009) have
always emphasized that since marketing via social media is rather about receiving and
exchanging perceptions and ideas, which makes social media marketing no longer one
dimensional but a two-way process engaging a brand and an audience (Drury 2008) as well as
a creation of increasingly visualize contents (Weber 2009). Oftentimes, content is a critical
factor in achieving an effective marketing via social media; however, according to
Curata’s “B2B Marketing Trends Survey 2012 Report” (MarketingProfs 2012), companies
seem to encounter challenges in creating original content, having time to create it, and finding
high-quality content (see Jacobs 2013).
Drury (2008) has argued that with social media in particular, the content of advertising and
branding must be provided as relevant value-added content that is more about consumer,
rather than brash product placement. When companies help their customers through social
media outlets, it is more likely to build a long-term relationship, which will in turn propel and
leverage the brand awareness and growth (Young Entrepreneur Council 2012)
Besides, with social media, company is able to create the platform of true interactivity; the
American Express’ OPEN Forum is undoubtedly an outstanding case, which has surly
surpassed customer expectations when it comes to putting a customer first; because instead of
heavily promoting their traditional financial offerings on the community, the company has
considered its consumers and their concerns and needs while providing information about
their services (Weinberg 2009). Social media platforms serve as a tool for consumers who
may not have an outlet or support system to find one another; brands like Weight Watchers
and Nike Women have demonstrated how valuable social networking sites can be for bridging
people who are facing similar daily obstacles (Young Entrepreneur Council 2012).
In the foregoing chapter about the course of information search and evaluation in decision
making process, it has been discussed that individuals are likely to seek information that is
consistent to their initial thought, and keenly avoid those that encounters with it; as a result,
social media in today’s marketing provides linkages to connect individuals who share similar
interests and backgrounds, in which, to consumers, these communities serve as an vital "tuning"
mechanism in the selection of needed information among the overwhelming information.
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The Best Social Media Platforms for Advertising
Facebook
Facebook has 1.5 billion monthly users who can potentially view and buy your products. If you
are operating a small business, or even if you have a big business, Facebook offers you an
affordable way for you to increase your customer base.
YouTube
YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google, meaning that any content you post to
this site is more likely to spotted than if you post it on another social media platform. Also, the
SEO key phrases and words you use with your videos are more likely to get spotted by search
engine crawlers, giving your videos the potential to rise to the top of search engine rankings.
Google
Google is a valuable tool for your business, because Google is the largest search engine on the
internet; 70 to 80 percent of all search engine requests run through Google.
Twitter
The advantage of Twitter is that your tweets are short and readable. A well-made hashtag that
goes viral can be tweeted thousands or hundreds of thousands of times, exposing your products
to customers all over the world.
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Instagram
This platform offers you a medium to interact with your customer base by allowing you to post
pictures of your products in a highly visible way. You can also get people with highly frequented
Instagram pages to promote your products, thereby, increasing visits to your website.
The Impact of Social Media on the Buying Choices of Shoppers

The impact of social media on consumer behavior is unquestionable, offering you a way to
influence and interact with your target audience by allowing people to learn more about your
brand, and giving you a way to gain their business. With social media marketing, you will enjoy
better business performance, and you will get a more loyal customer base.
The Influence of the Inner Circle
Family members and friends have a tremendous impact on the buying choices of customers.
They tell each other via social media about their new purchases, talking about why or why not
what they bought is a good buy, and these chats and posts greatly impact the purchasing
decisions of those they are close to. According to one survey, 80 percent of shoppers will
purchase a product that was suggested by a friend or family member via mediums such as social
media. This is the best proof that the influence of social media on consumer behavior is partly
driven by family members and peers.
Advertising on Social Media
Your company’s online presence can help the consumer find his way to your website, resulting
in you making a sale. This is why you should never underestimate the impact of social media
ads. A person can see your ad on a social media site, and within seconds, they arrive on your
brand’s landing page. Social media advertisements are also extremely useful for improving sales
by giving companies an inexpensive way to inform potential shoppers about sales and
promotions. The lesson here is that by providing information to customers via social media, you
can boost your sales and increase profits.
Brand Presence in Social Media
It has been proven that the presence of business in social media has a tremendous impact on the
purchasing choices of shoppers, because well-designed posts that include your brand name
allows you to increase your customer base by converting them into visitors and then regular
buyers. This is one of the best effects of social media on buying choices. Also, as your number of
followers grows, more people will trust your brand, and it will become easier to get more and
more customers.
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Influencers and Their Impact
When we say “influencers” we mean people whose social media presence has resulted in a large
number of followers. That is how famous people influence the decisions of shoppers. Every day
they post content and discuss questions. They are trusted by consumers, and that makes their
audience take into consideration their view on topics being discussed, whatever the subject.
Many such posts are sponsored in order to promote products or services.
If some Instagram star posts a photo of herself in new shoes, and tells her followers how cheap
they are, chances are that the majority of her followers will get interested, and they will look for
more information about that brand or search for places to buy them. If some well-loved blogger
describes the advantages of a reliable writing service, followers will visit the website to order
essays and to pay for college essays on this site. The impact of social media on consumer
behavior should never be underestimated. To help people make a purchase quickly, influencers
should include a link to your website in their posts.
Popular Posts
To make sure that your posts stay on the top, you have to ascertain whether or not they engage
your audience. The so-called “trending posts” on Instagram and Facebook are those that get the
most shares, likes, and comments. Such posts are more likely to appear on the top of news feeds.
That is how they influence the buying choices of shoppers. To make your posts “trending”, you
have to inspire followers to leave comments, share your posts, and suggest tagging people who
might be interested. You should also make certain that your caption is eye-catching and
captivating. Be creative!
The Contributions of Search Engines
Due to the rising role of social media, searching for information on the net is becoming more and
more popular these days. To succeed in business, take into consideration this detail and “furnish”
your posts with keywords to help your target audience find your websites. If you can make this
social media marketing tactic work to your advantage, you will increase your standing in search
engine rankings on Google. Search for keywords connected with your business on your social
networks and include them in your photo captions, titles, and comments.
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Discussions Attract Attention to Your Company
Discussions on social media happen very often. Sometimes you witness how your friends or
relatives discuss some product, brand, service, or event and you can’t keep from participating.
You offer your opinion and your experience for the matter in discussion. It is one more natural
impact of social media on consumer behavior. Companies can initiate such talks themselves to
generate interest in their products. To start such a discussion yourself, ask your audience some
questions and let your devoted customers advertise your products through their positive
comments. Nothing could be better or easier than having your customers do your advertising for
you.
Social media offers plenty of options for companies searching for different ways to extend their
horizons. It all boils down to showing users that you are professionals who are interested in
interacting with your customers.
Know Your Customer Base
Your social media feed should post content that is geared toward your customer base, and you
should post material that they will find interesting. But, how do you find out what your
customers are interested in? The type of goods you sell are a big enough indicator of the interests
of your customers. For example, if you are a social media executive working for Bass Pro Shops
of Gander Mountain, you know that your customers like activities such as hunting, fishing, and
hiking, because they come to your store to buy products such as guns, lures, and boots. You then
have to ask yourself what demographic of the population buys these types of products?
The customer base of companies like those mentioned are most likely to be white, rural, and
working-class. So if you are a social media marketer working for Gander Mountain, your social
media posts, infographics, and content have to be geared to this base and their cultural interests.
This goes for any company. One of the biggest mistakes social media executives make is being
out of touch with their clients, and the result is a decline in sales and customers. That is why you
must always keep your fingers on the social media pulse of your customer base, staying up to
date on the latest trends and fads they’ve adopted.
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3.LITERATURE REVIEW
A literature review or narrative review is a type of review article. A literature review is

a scholarly paper that presents the current knowledge including substantive findings as well as
theoretical and methodological contributions to a particular topic. Literature reviews
are secondary sources and do not report new or original experimental work.
Understand which type of consumers are influenced mostly by Social Media

Nowadays, consumers are playing a significant role on the marketplace phase. Simply, they can
be defined as actors on the marketplace phase or individuals who purchase or consume products
and services either online or offline. One of the variables that have been reported as significant
variables influencing consumers is demographic variables. For example, the number of male and
female users has dramatically increased during the last years (Park and Jun, 2003). In term of
online segmentation, there is a slight difference. This is because there are two main online
segments we can refer to which are "Online Insiders" and "Social Clickers" (Riegner, 2007).
Consumers who actually buy online (Online Insiders)

Online Insiders are very active users on internet and highly influential online shoppers in using
different Social Media to buy and sell (Pookulangara and Koesler, 2011). Usually, consumers’
choices are influenced heavily by online brands and consumers can influence each other. This
kind of event usually affects the repurchases process as a result. Therefore, Consumers are
increasingly turning to Social Media in order to get more information on which to base their
decisions.
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Consumers who browse the internet without buying online (Social Clickers)
Social Clickers are daily active people who tend to use the internet for different purposes, such
as, getting news, doing different researchers for different subjects, sharing information and
communicating with other users and from other cultures (Lee, 2013). They are heavy online
communicators, but the most participatory ones tend to be younger and less affluent. These
younger Social Clickers may not be influencing purchase decision today, but could become
strong influencers in the future (Vinerean et al., 2013).
Understand why consumers use Social Media to purchase

The important elements of visiting websites are to help consumers to communicate with other
users in order to accomplish their purposes. Interaction with other users can affect buyers by
many factors which play a critical role in enabling consumers to have clear ideas about
unfamiliar products
Using SM becomes one of the necessities these days that affects consumers by several factors.
These factors can be classified as, Design Factors, Information Factors, Product Factors,
Psychological Factors, and Cultural Factors:
1. Information Factors: consumers will be willing to buy online if variety of products and
information are provided sufficiently. Also, offers, warranties and guarantees that are
provided along with products will encourage consumers to shop online.
2. Design Factors: usually consumers are affected by the design characteristics of a web
page. If the website is well designed and frequently updated, consumers will be more
attracted to buy online. In addition, the way of designing is affected by detailed
information provided about several products and the display of sites' themes (e.g.,
colours, icons, links, images…)
3. Psychological Factors: these factors affect consumers' attitude towards online buying.
For instance, if consumers build a trust on a website, they will be willing to buy online
comfortably and reduce uncertainty towards a product. Moreover, consumers may be
influenced by their friends and relatives who affect their attitudes to use SM.
4. Cultural Factors: consumers can be affected by other cultures in choosing and making
decisions about certain products. Also, it can affect consumers' lifestyle in interacting
and communicating with new technologies .
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Which products are most suitable for Social Media?
Many studies have made lots of analysis to recognize and predict the relationship among the
product and shopping behavior. Their analysis helped them to make a list of products which
would be suitable to be sold via the internet. The list as following :
1. Intangible Products (Information) Category: products that provide information to

consumers, such as, online videos, music, computer software, stock market, financial
reports and weather information.
2. Tangible Products (High Differentiation) Category: products that have variety

classes, such as, automobiles, electronic devices, books, clothes, accessories, flowers,
and jewelries.
Type of Social Media mostly used by consumers

The most common SM that are mostly used by consumers for different purposes are: Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram. A study of Miller (2010) has found out that over 11 million consumers
use more than 70% of many SM to purchase different products and services, to provide rich
information about certain product and to share comments with other consumers (Miller and
Lammas, 2010).
Facebook has more than 6 million consumers who registered to buy and share information about
products (Scott, 2013). A study showed that 60% of Facebook users say that they are more able
to recommend a product or service to their friends after following that brand on SM (Parson,
2013). Facebook has reached 51% of users who buy different products through it (Kunkel,
2013).
Twitter has recorded 800,000 followers who showed their appreciation to the provided services
about the products. The same study has indicated that written blogs has increased from 54% to
77% in two years, and watching several videos related to different products has increased from
32% in 2006 to 83% in 2008 (Miller and Lammas, 2010). Another study indicated that 79% of
Twitter users say they are more able to recommend a product or service to their friends after
following that brand on SM (Parson, 2013). Also, 64% of users use Twitter to buy different
products (Kunkel, 2013).
Instagram is spreading widely in the recent two years because of active users who share and
upload different kind of photos. Based on the activities provided by users who use Instagram, the
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results showed more than 16 billion photos were shared among users (Krieger, 2012). Phil
Gonzalez, the founder of Instagrammers (Instagram users) was interviewed to recognize the
increasing of Instagram users. He stated in the interview that number of users who login into
Instagram increased in less than two years to 100 million users in more than 60 countries around
the world. (Gonzalez,
2013). Because of the new adoption of Instagram, there is a lack of information about the use of
Instagram as a tool in online purchasing.
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4.RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Retrospective questioning through a questionnaire survey was chosen for the study. The
research focuses on complex purchases that require extended problem solving, where social
media is more likely to be utilized. To focus on complex buying, respondents were asked in the
survey to think of a recent purchase situation involving extended problem solving, such as the
purchase of a computer, a mobile phone, a camera, or a vacation package, and to recall the search
activities undertaken during decision-making. Respondents were then asked whether or not they
had used social media in their decision-making. Those answering ‘no’ were marked as the ‘no
social media group’. Those answering ‘yes’ were further asked to specify how much social media
helped them. If social media contributed 30% or less towards their decision-making, and they
had to seek out other information sources, the respondents were marked as the ‘no social media
group’. The rest were all classified as the ‘social media group’. Both groups were directed to
basically the same questions customized according to their media sources (social media or
other). The questions measured the same concepts in the different contexts, and differed only
very little in their wording. As indicated previously, the need recognition stage is not
considered; therefore, information search is named here the first stage, alternative evaluation the
second stage, and purchase decision as the third stage. The post-purchase stage is regarded as the
outcome of these three stages. Consumer decision quality has no objective measurement and is
difficult to operationalize. The approach to measuring decision quality can be objective or
subjective (Aksoy and Cooil, 2006). Subjective measures are evaluations of the decision-maker,
capturing what is most important to the individual with respect to the decision. Survey questions
were designed to measure the subjective evaluations of the respondents regarding the quality of
the stages, in order to study the effectiveness of their decision-making. According to Grant et al.
(2007), search behaviorr is influenced by information source utility, personal factors and product
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factors. Information source utility is measured here through the attributes of accuracy and
reliability of information. For personal factors, besides the basic questions like age and gender,
respondents were asked about their internet usage habits (time spent on internet per day,
proficiency in using social media, and participation in online discussions). Product factors are
not considered as the research focuses on complex purchases. To operationalize the three stages
of information search, alternative evaluation and purchase decision, measurements included
easiness, time, effort, enjoyment and satisfaction. Questions on anxiety, trust, and confidence
were included to indirectly measure the perception of risk in the purchase, as it is linked to the
degree of search (Kotler and Armstrong, 2014). Consumers’ emotional experiences differ for
the different stages, with varying levels of emotions like anxiety, joy, trust and confidence felt
during each stage (Powers et al., 2012). Questions to measure the satisficing and maximizing
tendency of respondents were taken from Schwartz et al. (2002), with their wordings slightly
adjusted to make them more in tune with the times. The Likert-scale questions were similarly
framed for all the three stages. Additionally, questions were formulated to measure the ‘herd
behavior’ tendencies of the respondents through the importance placed on the opinions of
family and friends, and of other people. Information quality and quantity are among factors that
affect decision quality and were measured for social media users. At the end of each stage,
respondents were asked about their satisfaction with, and their quality ratings for, the stage. For
the final post-purchase evaluation, the survey asked about the overall satisfaction with the
purchase, and the perceived quality of the product or service purchased.
The survey was conducted through an online questionnaire created with the Qualtrics
survey tool in language: English. Convenience sampling with snowballing( requested
forwarding) was used to distribute the online questionnaire through e-mails, messaging
applications (WhatsApp and social media channels (Facebook and Twitter ).
Respondents who could not be reached through these channels were personally contacted
and asked to fill out the questionnaire on a Mobile phone and tablet computer.
4.a SAMPLE INFORMATION
Data collection Survey

Type of data Primary data & Secondary data
Sample area Jhansi
Type of questionnaire Structured
Research instruments Questionnaire
Statistical tools used Pie chart and Column chart
Sample size 151
Sampling technique Random sampling
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4.b DATA COLLECTION
Data collection methods:
The success of any project or market survey depends heavily on the data collection and analysis. It is
necessary that the data collected is a reliable data in order to achieve the research objectives. All data
sources can be classified into two:
 Primary data- primary data is gathered from direct observation or data

personally collected. It refers to that data which is collected for a specific
purpose from the field of enquiry and are original in nature. For the project
primary data were collected mainly through survey method, using the tool
questionnaire.
 Secondary data- are those which have been already collected by others for a
specific purpose and are subsequently used for application in different
conditions. It is the second hand information about an event that has not been
personally witnessed by the researchers.The use of secondary data saves time
and money. The purpose is to increase the accuracy of analysis.
4.c ANALYSIS DESIGN
The Analysis design refers to the overall strategy that you choose to integrate the
different components of the study in a coherent and logical way, thereby, ensuring
you will effectively address the research problem; it constitutes the blueprint for the
collection, measurement, and analysis of data. Note that the research problem
determines the type of design you should use, not the other way around.
The function of an analysis design is to ensure that the evidence obtained enables
you to effectively address the research problem logically and as unambiguously
as possible. In social sciences research, obtaining information relevant to the
research problem generally entails specifying the type of evidence needed to test a
theory, to evaluate a program, or to accurately describe and assess meaning related to
an observable phenomenon.
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Age of respondents
140
120
100
80
Age of respondents
60
40
20
0
<18 18 - 25 26 - 35 36 - 60 >60
Below 18 6
18 – 25 125
26 – 35 14
36 – 60 6
Above 60 0
 6 respondents are in below 18 whereas 125 are in 18 – 25, 14 are in 26 –

35, 6 are in 36 – 60 and no respondents are in 60 above.
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GENDER OF RESPONDENTS
120
100
80
60 GENDER OF RESPONDENTS
40
20
0
MALE FEMALE
 MALE 53
 FEMALE 98
 Male are 53 and females are 98.
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Marital status
140
120
100
80
Marital status
60
40
20
0
Unmarried married
 Unmarried 130
 Married 21
 130 respondents are unmarried and 21 respondents are married.
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5. DATA ANALYSIS
AND
DATA INTERPRETATION
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Data analysis and interpretation is the process of assigning meaning to the collected
information and determining the conclusions, significance and implications of the findings.
It is an important and exciting step in the process of research. In all research studies,
analysis follows data collection.
According to C.R.Kothari (1989), “The term analysis refers to the computation of

measures along with searching for patterns of relationship that exist among data-groups”.
Analysis involves estimating the values of unknown parameters of the population and
testing of hypotheses for drawing inferences.
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Gender
Gender was included in the survey in order to find out if there is a difference between
men and women concerning the beliefs towards the factors. The following table will
show the distribution of the male and female respondents that were included in the
survey.
Table 1: Distribution according to the variable “ Gender ”
Sex Frequency Percentage

Male 98 64.9%
Female 53 35.1%
Others 0 0%
Total 151 100.00%
Interpretation - From the surveyed data it is clear that the distribution of male and female
respondents shows a majority of male respondents (64.9%), compared to the female respondents
(35.1%).
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Age
Age was included to find out if there is a significant relationship to what impact the
factors price, trust, and convenience have on different age groups. Age is a demographic
value that can also be used in order to further explain and elaborate on some of the other
questions that are used to find segments among the respondents. The respondents were
asked to write how old they were, instead of setting up different age groups to choose
form. In this way I were able to get the exact age and there by setup different age groups
according to the distribution.
Table 2: Distribution according to the variable “ Age ”
Years Frequency Percentage

<18 6 4%
18–25 125 82.8%
26-35 14 9.3%
36-60 6 6%
>60 0 0%
Total 151 100.00%
Interpretation - From the surveyed data it is clear that 4% respondents are in below 18 whereas
82.8% are in 18-25, 9.3% are in 26-35, 6% are in 36-60 and 0 in 60 above.
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Occupation
This graph help us to know the occupation of the respondents, this is to know that
which segment of people are buying more products on the internet whether they are
the segment of students or employees or professional, the above graph shows that the
segment of the students .
Table 3: Distribution according to the variable “ Occupation ”
Years Frequency Percentage

Student 106 70.2%
Self employed 9 6%
Professionals 6 4%
Employees 25 16.6%
Other 5 3.3%
Total 151 100.00%
Interpretation - From the surveyed data it is clear that 70.2% are students, 6% are Self
employed, 4% are professionals, 16.6% are employees and 3.3% are other.
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Education
This graph help us to know the education of the respondents, this is to know that which
Educational profile of people are buying more products on the social media whether they
have studied 10th 12th ,graduation, Post graduation and PhD, the above graph shows that
the segment of the students .
Table 4: Distribution according to the variable “ Education ”
Education Frequency Percentage

1oth 4 2.6%
12th 3 2%
Graduation 63 63%
Post education 80 80%
Ph.D 1 1%
Total 151 100.00%
Interpretation – From the above surveyed data it is clear that 2.6% are in 10 th standard, 2% in
12th standard, 63% in graduation, 80% in Post graduation and 1% in Ph.D.
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Marital status
This graph help us to know the Marital status of the respondents.
Table 5: Distribution according to the variable “ Marital status”
Marital status Frequency Percentage

Single 130 86.1%
Married 21 13.9%
Total 151 100.00%
Interpretation - From the surveyed data it is clear that nearly 13.9 % of the
respondents who were selected randomly are married and nearly 86.1 % are single.
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Table 6: Showing the impact of social media platform on buying Decision
Social Frequency Percentage

media
platform
Facebook 84 55.6%
Twitter 21 13.9%
Instagram 80 53%
Youtube 58 38.4%
Others 50 33.1%
Total 151 100.00%
Interpretation - From the surveyed data it is clear that facebook social media platform impacts
the buying behavior of shoppers the most by 55.6%.
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Table 7: Showing the Online shopping portal Respondents use often
Shopping Frequency Percentage

portal
Amazon 112 74.2%
Myntra 76 50.3%
Flipkart 93 61.6%
Jabong 18 11.9%
Nykaa 38 25.2%
Snapdeal 27 17.9%
Others 31 20.5%
Interpretation – From the survey data it is clear that amazon 74.2%, flipkart 61.6%and Myntra
50.3 % shopping portals shoppers use often.
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Table 8: How did you get to know about online shopping?
Frequency Percentage
family 26 17.2%
Friends 40 26.5%
Advertisement 41 27.2%
Social media 43 28.5%
others 1 0.7%
Total 151 100.00%
Interpretation – From the surveyed data it is clear that from social media shoppers mostly get to
know about online shopping 28.5%.
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Table 9: Showing how frequently you visit these sites
Daily 34 22.5%
Weekly 66 43.7%
Monthy 43 28.5%
Yearly 6 4%
Never 1 1.3%
Total 151 100.00%
Interpretation – From the surveyed data it is clear that mostly shoppers weekly visit the sites 43.7%.
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Table 10: How much time do you spend online for shopping purpose?
Less than 1 hour 80 53%
1 -2 hours 61 40.4%
2 – 4 hours 8 5.3%
More than 4 hours 2 1.3%
total 151 100%
Interpretation – From the surveyed data it is clear that mostly shoppers spend less than 1 hours
53% .
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Table 11: Showing what do you prefer more?
Online shopping 32 21.2%
Retail shops 19 12.6%
It depends 100 66.2%
Total 151 100.00%
Interpretation – From the surveyed data it is clear that shoppers preference depends on the
situation for shopping 66.2%.
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Table 12: Showing what factors do you keep in mind while doing online Shopping?
Offers, discount 123 81.5%
Sale 65 43%
Festivals 66 43.7%
Personal reasons 37 24.5%
Interpretation – From the surveyed data it is clear that factors which shoppers keep in mind
mostly is offer and discount 81.5%.
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Table 13 Showing the merits of Online Shopping and Social media
Convenience 79 52.3%
ALL brands 92 60.9%
Availability
Variety 93 61.6%
Discount and Low 94 62.3%
Price
Interpretation - From the surveyed data it is clear that the merits of online shopping according
to most shoppers is discount and low price 62.3% .
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Table 14: Showing the demerits of Online shopping and social media that lead to
offline shopping
Security 43 28.5%
Quality of product 106 70.2%
Complex process 21 13.9%
Transaction errors 36 23.8%
Others 53 35.1%
Interpretation – From the surveyed data it is clear that the demerits of online shopping
according to most shoppers is quality of product 70.2%.
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6. CONCLUSION
The study was accomplished to discover the affect of online shopping towards the attitude of
consumer buying behavior in India. Online shopping is getting more and trendier in India as well
as in rest of the world but the velocity of online shopping in India is slower as compared to the
entire world. According to our survey, online shopping is getting popularity in the young
generation such as students and professionals. Students usually prefer to buy goods from its
original source and they mostly prefer online shopping When a consumers to make purchases
online to buy something, he or she is affected by assorted factors. The main influencing factors
have been identified as, price, confidence, security, convenience, time, after sale service and
discounted deals. The price factor exists because the prices are often lower through online
shopping as compared with physical purchases in the market. Buy online can be of great benefit
to the consumer in terms of convenience, saving time and money. One of the prime obstacles in
the way back-up of online shopping is that people usually get petrified when the other computer
demands the complete details of the customers. Due to which a customer gets anxious that his or
her personal details may get disclosed and their precious money and account details get
damaged. Tranquility is obviously necessary given that the consumer must share personal
information (full name, delivery address and date of birth) and financial information (credit card
detail) when shopping online. That makes trust and confidence an important factor.
58 | P a g e
The study shows that the use of social media improved satisfaction for consumers during the
initial stages of information search and alternative evaluation but did not help much in improving
satisfaction in the purchase decision stage, nor in the post-purchase evaluation. Many consumers
are just as satisfied to reach their purchase decisions
In the traditional physical stores after having conducted their search and evaluation online,
which means that brick-and-mortar shops have not yet lost their significance. Social media has
enabled marketers to access and monitor consumer opinions on a continual instant basis by
listening-in and participating in online conversations, and observing what people are discussing
in blogs, forums and online communities With such vast information freely available on social
media, it is up to businesses to harness it positively to improve their product offerings, their
customer relationship management, and their profitability.
59 | P a g e
7. RECOMMENDATIONS
Convenient and easy buying is important factor impact the online buying so that the marketer
can take care additional effort in this area in order to improve the level of customer satisfaction.
To improve the online shopping behavior in the rural area, more advertisement can be conducted
through various media. It is also suggested that online store may offer customer an e-wallet
which transfer balance from customer online bank account to the store payment system. This
may help seller to gain more sales from these who want to buy online service but do not have
credit card or do not want to use their credit card online. The online marketers should deliver
right color, quality and quantity product order by the consumers’. It will improve the customer
satisfaction in order to increase online trading.
Businesses in India should improve the social media usage and understand that the mass
audience is no longer sitting in front of a Television, but instead, in front of personal computers,
smart phones and any other device with Internet access, spending a good part of their time using
social media, and being exposed to its content. Even if indirectly, the consumers are influenced
by that content. Consumers while talking about their experiences, inevitably involve businesses
in social media, without enabling them to stop this, because it is impossible to stop millions of
people part of this network, from talking.
60 | P a g e
• Be active in social media and manage them right.
• Segment their consumers based on the type of social media they use.
• Use social media for more frequent exposure, in order to attract their consumer
attention and increase the brand awareness.
• Be more interactive, generate ideas from their consumers (making them feel part of
the brand).
• Try to be influential through the crowd, making their products go viral in social
media.
• Identify and manage the opinion leaders of the digital groups, stimulating them to
positively talk about their products.
• Enable consumers to express their experiences (through reviews).
• Enable and facilitate online purchasing.
61 | P a g e
8. LIMITATION
Despite the fact that theories were approved by findings from survey and the research is able
to provide a certain degree of new insights in relating to the current situation, limitations may
still exist.
In the foregoing chapter the above findings cannot represent all individuals across India as a
whole, due to the decision making process involves psychological factors which may result in
different behavioral actions. Also, regarding the summarization of question in the survey, it may
result in the lack of objectivity because the researcher may only highlight the comments
according to the researcher’s intention.
Research's limitations include those generally problems related to online surveys, containing low
responses' rates due to time constraints to finish this study. Although representativeness can
continuously be enhanced, great energies have been made for this current study to reach a
greater response rate sample. The study faces some limitations that can be improved later on to
provide additional successful opportunities for a future study. Initially, definite limitations
increase from selecting the sample and the way variables were measured and used. According to
the way of distributing online surveys, this research showed big gap among male and female
responses because online surveys are uncontrollable in term of specifying number of males and
females. Therefore, there is a shortage of reflecting consumer believes and behaviors associated
to Social Media compared to other countries.
62 | P a g e
9. ANNEXURE
Dear Respondent,
I am writing this to invite you to a brief survey conducted by me on the valuable

subject of “The Impact of Online shopping sites and social media on buying
behavior of shoppers”.
I am an MBA student, specializing in Human Resource and Marketing and as a part

of my course I have to submit my dissertation on a particular subject. I choose this
topic as it is a kind to the contemporary market.
I know that this is a busy time of year for you, but I hope that you will take just a little
time to participate in this brief web survey. The data gathered from this survey will be
extremely beneficial for future studies.
The survey will be conducted in anonymous form, where all your identity and
answers will be completely confidential. Your respondent key will be used for
tracking purposes only.
Thank you for sparing your valuable time.

Regards,
Anam Khan
63 | P a g e
10. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Literature:
 Brassington, F. and Pettitt, S. (2000),Principles of Marketing,(2nd edn),Edinburgh Gate,

Pearson Education Limited.
 Chisnall, M. P. (1994)Consumer Behaviour,(3rd edn), Maidenhead, McGrawHill
Companies.
 Christensen, L., Engdahl, N., Grääs, C. and Haglund, L. (2001)Marknadsundersökning –
en handbok, (2nd edn), Lund, Studentlitteratur.
 Hollensen S. (2004)Global marketing – A Decision Oriented Approach, (3rdedn),
Edinburgh Gate, Pearson Higher Education.
 Jobber, D. and Fahy J. (2006)Foundations of Marketing,(2nd edn),Maidenhead,
McGraw-Hill Education.
 Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (2007)Principales of Marketing,(12th edn),Upper Saddle
River, Prentice Hall.
Articles and Reports:
 Allred, R. C., Smith M. S. and Swinyard, R. W(2006), ‘E-shopping loversand fearful

conservatives: a market segmentation analysis’,InternationalJournalof Retail &
Distribution Management34: 4/5, 308-333.
 Brengman, M., Geuenes, M., Weijters, B., Smith, M. S. and Swinyard R. W.(2005),
‘Segmenting Internet shoppers based in their Web-usage-relatedlifestyle: across cultural
validation’,Journal of Business Research58, 79 – 88.
 Internet Sources: 
 http://dictionary.reference.com/help/ahd4.html, Lexico Publishing Group,LLC,
(2007)(www.larsperner.com/teaching_materials.htm)
 Corporate Authors:
 Arbeitsgemeinschaft Online-Forschung e.V. [AGO F e.V.], 2007
 Quotations:
 Donal Rogan, FH Joanneum Graz, 28 May – 1 June 2007, InternationalConsumer
Behaviour
64 | P a g e
LINKS
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.solostream.com/he
lpdesk/the-impact-of-social-media-on-the-buying-choices-of-
shoppers/&ved=2ahUKEwjJp8KJ9OXoAhVvyjgGHbbwB4oQFjACegQIDRAG&usg=AO
vVaw3TXpmVuD0APYF2mjiqKeGp&cshid=1586798430254
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.researchgate.net/p
ublication/326098250_Impact_of_Social_Media_on_Consumer_Behaviour&ved=2ahUKE
wjJp8KJ9OXoAhVvyjgGHbbwB4oQFjAEegQIBRAJ&usg=AOvVaw3mrV-
h3TeROekicMvwhbth&cshid=1586798598521
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.projecttopics.org/t
he-impact-of-social-media-on-consumer-buying-
behavior.html/amp&ved=2ahUKEwjJp8KJ9OXoAhVvyjgGHbbwB4oQFjAIegQICBAB&
usg=AOvVaw0fn8g00GGnNhr8ZQqzWGHY&cshid=1586799002269
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://nairaproject.com/m/pro
jects/895.html&ved=2ahUKEwjJp8KJ9OXoAhVvyjgGHbbwB4oQFjAJegQIBxAB&usg=
AOvVaw2asdU1c_jwCd2YAagRwc0B&cshid=1586799080924
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.slideshare.net/mo
bile/MdAktar1/impacts-of-social-media-on-consumer-behavior&ved=2ahUKEwjS0p2t-
OXoAhXRmeYKHax4DHsQFjABegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw1O9PB0oMrruysVoTnUzCtS
&cshid=1586799624247
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.slideshare.net/mo
bile/ketanrai007jb/customers-buying-behavior-for-online-
shopping&ved=2ahUKEwioruSGjujoAhWr63MBHfPNAtUQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOv
Vaw0VRbjssRZkpXFmMR-3wyzE&cshid=1586874210325
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://guides.lib.vt.edu/resear
chmethods/design-
method&ved=2ahUKEwi4kpjp5OroAhUGfX0KHZ9WDY0QFjADegQIDhAM&usg=AOv
Vaw1qpNvN7ktk_fVyA-FPqOMU&cshid=1586966406293
65 | P a g e
11. QUESTIONNAIRE
The Comparative study on the impactof

online shopping sites and social media on
buying behavior of shoppers
** A survey to study the impact of online shopping sites and social media on buying behavior on
customer. Kindly spare some time to fill the questionnaire on the basis of your past experience and post
purchase analysis.
*Required
1. Name *
2. Age *
Mark only one oval.
<18
18-25
26-35
36-60
>60
66 | P a g e
3. Gender *
Mark only one oval.
Male
Female
4. Education *
Mark only one oval.
10th
12th
Graduation
PostGraduation
Ph.D
5. Occupation *
Mark only one oval.
Student
Self
Employed
Professional
Employees
67 | P a g e
6. Marital Status *
Mark only one oval.
Single
Married
7. Which Social media platform impacts your buying behavior? *

Check all that apply.
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Others
68 | P a g e
8. Which online Shopping portal you use often? *
Amazon
Myntra
Flipkart
Jabong
Nykaa
Snapdeal
Others
9. How did you get to know about online shopping? *

Mark only one oval.
Family
Friends
Advertisement
Social media
Other
10. How frequently you visit these sites ?*

Mark only one oval.
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Never
Yearly
69 Page
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17zKLbgyANM8qsTkDryaJDlaf0u92qdXJnjc6mdiuy0o/edit 1/5
11. How much time do you spend online for shopping purpose? *
Mark only one oval.
Less than 1
hour 1-2 hours
2-4 hours
more than 4 hours
12. What do you prefer more ? *

Mark only one oval.
Online Shopping
Retail Shops
It depends
70 Page
13. What factors do you keep in mind while doing online shopping? *
Offers
Discount/Sale
Festivals
Personal
reasons
14. Merits of Online Shopping and Social media *

Convenience
All brands Availability
Variety
Discounts and Low price
Others
15. Demerits of Online shopping and Social media that leads to offline
shopping *
Security
Quality of product
Complex process
Transaction errors
Others
THANK YOU
71 Page

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A Research Report

Report Submitted in partial fulfillment of 2 Years full time Degree

BUNDELKHAND INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Submitted To: Submitted By:

Dr. Suman Yadav Anam khan

The research provides an opportunity to a student to demonstrate application of his/her

The research is on the topic – “THE COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE IMPACT

I would like to express my immense gratitude towards our institution

Place: Jhansi Anam khan

Date: / / 2020 Roll no - 1804370001

Table No. Content Page no.

 To examine consumer perception towards shopping online.

 Expenditure of income on the basis of gender.

 Time spending of different income groups.

 Why people prefer for online shopping.

 To study the consumers profile that purchase products from online.

HYPOTHESIS FOR ONLINE CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR -

Table 1. Hypotheses regarding the decision-making model

Decision-making model hypotheses (DM)

DM1 There is a significant relationship between

between satisfaction in the third stage of

Social media usage hypotheses (SM)

easier to search for information and evaluate

Satisficing/maximising hypotheses (SatMax)

SatMax1 There is a significant positive

association between satisficing

Table 4 Hypotheses regarding internet and social media usage skills

Internet and social media skills hypotheses (I)

I1 Consumers who are proficient in internet

usage are on average significantly more likely

Quality and quantity of information on social media (QQ)

QQ1 Higher perceived quality of information

available on social media is associated

Consumer Decision Process

Problem recognition takes place whenever a consumer recognizes a significant difference

Figure . Social media components (Dann and Dann 2011, 345)

Social Networking Sites

Social News and Bookmarking Sites

The Impact of Social Media on the Buying Choices of Shoppers

The Influence of the Inner Circle

Advertising on Social Media

Brand Presence in Social Media

The Contributions of Search Engines

Know Your Customer Base

A literature review or narrative review is a type of review article. A literature review is

Understand which type of consumers are influenced mostly by Social Media

Consumers who actually buy online (Online Insiders)

Understand why consumers use Social Media to purchase

1. Intangible Products (Information) Category: products that provide information to

2. Tangible Products (High Differentiation) Category: products that have variety

Type of Social Media mostly used by consumers

4.a SAMPLE INFORMATION

Data collection Survey

 Primary data- primary data is gathered from direct observation or data

4.c ANALYSIS DESIGN

 6 respondents are in below 18 whereas 125 are in 18 – 25, 14 are in 26 –

 Male are 53 and females are 98.

 130 respondents are unmarried and 21 respondents are married.