The influence of electronic word of mouth to convert intention into actual purchase behavior

The proliferation of Internet users has provided a huge opportunity for businesses to
anticipate the increasing value of online retail. In Thailand, the number of Internet
users shows promise for e-commerce, and yet success in revenues has not emerged. Understanding the behavior in performing the actual transaction will provide valuable
information and help to remove the barriers that prevent consumers opting for online
shopping. The purpose of the present study is to examine factors that turn consumer intention into actual purchase in the online context among Thai consumers. The theoretical framework in the present study was developed using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by incorporating trust, perceived informativeness and electronic word of mouth. Stratified random sampling was employed to select sample among students from selected universities in Thailand. Data were collected using questionnaires. A total of 826 effective samples were collected and the analyses were
carried out using both descriptive analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate moderate level of intention and actual purchase in online context. Online purchase intention is found to be a significant determinant of actual online purchase. Perceived usefulness, perceived informativeness and trust are the factors that influence online purchase intention respectively. There were significant indirect influences of electronic word of mouth on purchase intention mediated by direct influences of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, trust, and perceived
informativeness. The results are also beneficial for both business sector and
government sector to understand Thai online consumer behavior and gain clearer picture of the factor driven behind the consumer’s need that can be used to spur their demands to buy more online.