Communication in Social Commerce: A Source for Consumer Trust

Abstract

Social media, in addition to re-evolving society, have created a new business model called social commerce that involves an active participation of consumers in the purchase of products and services through Web 2.0 and the Internet. This research aims to determine the relationship between sharing information and experiences through the use and ease of use of social media in consumers to make online purchases with trust in these commercial transactions. A questionnaire was applied to 182 regular social commerce consumers, and based on Structural Equation Modeling, the inferential analysis was carried out. The main contributions to knowledge are that trust in technology and sellers (companies) is an essential variable for sales through social commerce; likewise, sharing knowledge and purchasing experiences, as well as the intention to use this technology, are elements that develop trust in consumers.