Over the last ten years, the Internet has received growing importance all over the world. With the increasing user numbers, also companies have developed an interest in presenting themselves online and using the new medium as a tool for Marketing and PR. However, the open structure of the Internet has also enabled customers to publish their opinions on companies and product. Without being dependent on traditional media, these third-party texts are now available easily to the public. Online formats, which allow individuals to express their opinions either alone or within a group form now a considerable amount of the product- or company-related information available. This has led to the fear of companies of losing reputation and customers because of this uncontrolled information. However, very little investigation has gone into the usage of these sources by consumers when searching for product information online and therefore tried to justify this fear.
This lack of research is addressed by the present study. It explores search strategies of consumers and their decisions for certain online sources. Especially the decision for either corporate or non-corporate sources has been in the focus. The research builds on variables, which have been considered by other researcher as influential for internet behaviour. The conceptual framework outlines this background and discusses research, which has been conducted in related areas.
In the centre of attention is the European perspective. However, because of time and financial constraints primary research has been limited to two countries.
Six focus group interviews have been conducted in Germany and Italy, followed by 40 qualitative e-mail interviews in both countries. The findings of the research led to the conclusion that the internet is not used in such an active way as it could and as many researchers suggested. Consumers mostly feel limited by time or interest. Especially the high amount of information available online has been found deterrent. Furthermore, it turned out that users are sceptical towards individual information and therefore prefer official sources or sources where a high number of opinions are provided. However, it has been concluded that the corporate web site is no longer the only source for consumers and that companies are forced to an honest communication strategy since people are aware of other information sources.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Background
- Professional Situation – Why this study is needed
- A Gap in the Research
- The Decision for Italy and Germany as Research Population
- Research Aim
- Leading Questions
- Conceptual Framework
- Consumer Online Behaviour - How do they find information?
- Internet Activities and Demographics
- Consumer Choice of the Internet as Information Source
- Online Information Searching Behaviour
- Use of third-party online product information
- Information Overload
- Online Credibility
- Importance of the Corporate Web Site
- The Focus of the Project
- Consumer Online Behaviour - How do they find information?
- Methodology
- Background for Research
- The Research Process
- The Research Philosophy and Rationale
- The Nature of the Study
- Qualitative Research Methods
- Focus Group Interviews
- Electronic Interviews
- Population
- Target Sample
- Data Analysis Process
- Limitations
- Problems ocurred during the Research
- Validity
- Reliability
- Findings
- To find out what importance the Internet has for consumers in the context of product information search.
- Internet Experience is generally high
- Dependence on the Internet as an Information Source
- User show Trust into the Internet but doubt at the same time
- Layout and Source indicate Credibility
- Official Sources are important – Single Opinions are not credible
- Majority Opinion counts
- To identify Search Patterns consumers use when they intend to find product or Company Information on the Internet.
- "Google" is the new gatekeeper
- Only the first pages count
- WOM as source for Internet Addresses
- Corporate Pages Use depends on Education and Experience
- Negative Information Search only in Crisis Time
- "Favourites" are more important for experienced Users
- To discover what factors influence consumer decision for certain online sources
- Scepticism towards corporate information
- Corporate Web Sites for technical facts
- Contradiction: Corporate web sites are seen as visiting card, but information is not valued
- Experiences of Fellow Customers work as Incentive
- Price and Functionality of Products are influential Factors
- No Internet for Services based n Trust
- Communication counts
- No contribution to unofficial Pages
- Consumers are realistic about companies and third parties
- Chapter Conclusion
- To find out what importance the Internet has for consumers in the context of product information search.
- Recommendations
- Further Research
- Marketing Communications
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The study investigates the use of the internet by consumers as a product information tool. The goal is to understand how consumers search for information online, how they evaluate different sources, and the factors influencing their decisions. The research focuses on the European perspective, with a particular emphasis on Germany and Italy.
- Consumer Online Behaviour
- Search Strategies and Source Evaluation
- Online Credibility and Trust
- The Role of Corporate Websites
- The Influence of Third-Party Information Sources
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The "Background" chapter outlines the study's relevance in the context of the growing importance of the internet for both companies and consumers. It highlights the increasing availability of consumer opinions online and the lack of research on how consumers use these sources when searching for product information. The chapter also introduces the research aim and leading questions.
The "Conceptual Framework" chapter establishes the theoretical foundation for the study. It discusses consumer online behaviour, including information searching strategies, the use of third-party information sources, and the concept of online credibility. The chapter also examines the role of the corporate website in the context of online product information search.
The "Methodology" chapter details the research process, outlining the chosen research philosophy and rationale. It describes the qualitative research methods employed, including focus group interviews and electronic interviews, as well as the target sample and data analysis process. The chapter also addresses limitations and challenges encountered during the research.
The "Findings" chapter presents the key findings of the study. It reveals insights into consumer online behaviour, search patterns, and the factors influencing their decisions regarding online information sources. The chapter also provides a detailed analysis of the role of corporate websites and the influence of third-party information sources.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords and focus topics of the text are consumer online behaviour, product information search, internet credibility, third-party information sources, corporate websites, online search strategies, and source evaluation.
- Quote paper
- Judith Hoffmann (Author), 2005, Consumers' perceptiion of the internet as a product information tool - An Exploratory Study on Online Searching Behaviour and Source Evaluation, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/49781
