ABSTRACT

In E-commerce, online consumers are faced with the problem of information asymmetry, which brings risks to consumers’ purchase, thus reducing consumers’ trust in sellers and affecting the sale of goods. Online reviews, word-of-mouth, “planting grass,” etc., evaluate and give feedback on goods and services through user-generated content (UGC), providing valuable references for potential consumers’ shopping decisions. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between the extent of use of user-generated content in E-commerce and the purchase decision of consumers. This study adopted a hybrid research method combining qualitative and quantitative methods to comprehensively explore the impact of user-generated content on consumers’ purchasing decisions on E-commerce platforms. At all stages of the purchase decision process, including needs/problem identification, information search, alternative evaluation, purchase decision making, and post-purchase evaluation, participants significantly utilized the UGC in Xiaohongshu to a large extent. At the same time, there were no significant differences in how participants of different age groups, genders, citizenship status, occupations, and shopping preferences utilized UGC at various stages of the purchasing decision-making process. Therefore, the UGC of E-commerce platform Xiaohongshu plays a crucial role in influencing consumers’ purchase decisions, and targeted improvements can significantly improve its effectiveness. By addressing identified gaps, platforms can provide users with more relevant, trustworthy and actionable content, leading to increased consumer satisfaction and higher conversion rates.

Keywords:Consumer purchase decision, questionnaire survey, user-generated content
https://doi.org/10.57180/tibd8831