An Analysis Of Online Consumer Behavior Between Different Generations

Master's Thesis from the year 2019 in the subject Sociology - Consumption and Advertising, grade: 4, İzmir University of Economics, course: Online consumer behavior, language: English, abstract: As a result of the internet comes into our lives fast around the world, the shopping habits of individuals' have started to change. Technological developments bring forth the idea of the continuous change. This paper is focused on online consumer behavior between Gen Ys, Gen Xs and baby boomers. The importance of this study is to analyze and make evident of the reasons behind online shopping between different generations. Since the online shopping activities are increasing nowadays, it is necessary to understand the leading reasons behind individuals' online shopping activities in order to develop better choices for consumers in a competitive market. The paper builds on the relevant literature and it examines the consumer behavior of individuals by questionnaires. Furthermore, the hedonic and utilitarian motivational functions and their sub-dimensions will be measured in order to understand the online consumer behavior. To reach those objectives, non-random/ convenience sampling method is applied in Izmir to 384 sample sizes to identify all aspects of the online shopping and impact on consumer behavior. The data results obtained revealed in the paper to support the research questions. It is determined that there are significant levels of hedonic and utilitarian motivations on online shopping between generations. The differences are particularly observed between Gen Ys and baby boomers within the scope of utilitarian and between Gen Ys and older generations (Gen Xs and baby boomers) within the scope of hedonic motivations. As a result of the evaluations according to questionnaire, the results show that marketers need to focus on marketing campaigns to Gen Xs and baby boomers about utilitarian motivations. Beside this, they should concentrate on more hedonic motivations for Gen Ys and develop new marketing strategies.

With bigger challenges come great opportunities, and Marketing to Gen Z wants to help you get ahead of the game when it comes to understanding and reaching this next generation of buyers. Having internalized the lessons of the Great Recession, Generation Z blends the pragmatism and work ethic of older generations with the high ideals and digital prowess of youth. For brands, reaching this mobile-first and socially conscious cohort requires real change, not just tweaks to the Millennial plan. In Marketing to Gen Z, businesses will learn how to: Get past the 8-second filter Avoid blatant advertising and tap influencer marketing Understand their language and off-beat humor Offer the shopping experiences they expect Marketing to Gen Z dives into and explains all this and much more, so that businesses may most effectively connect and converse with the emerging generation that is expected to comprise 40 percent of all consumers by 2020. Now is the time to learn who they are and what they want!

Consumers’ beliefs and attitudes towards online sales significantly influence buying behavior on the internet. However, the impact of these thoughts and beliefs on the decision to make an online purchase is not direct. It can be moderated by the emotions experienced while browsing an e-commerce website. Impulse buying in particular is influenced by a number of factors, for example how stimulating the e-shopping platform is, and how easy it is to click on the cart a certain product, for instance a smartphone. But what happens after an online impulse buy is made? Often the customer can regret the purchase and in the throes of anxiety, look for reasons to justify the choices made. Consumer behaviour scholars and pyschologists call this phenomenon cognitive dissonance, and certain individuals are more sensitive than others in developing this than others. This book offers a deep investigation around online impulse buying and subsequent cognitive dissonance. Specifically, the authors present a research case study of a group of millenials who are shopping for smartphones to study whether an initial positive state can reduce the onset of cognitive dissonance in consumers. Based on substantial research and a sample of 212 impulsive millennial buyers, the book provides a comprehensive, but simple and synthetic framework of impulse buying, cognitive dissonance and positive affect state, highlighting their relationships.

No other generation in history has received as much coverage as the Millennial generation. Books, Google searches, blogs, and news articles are everywhere about them. Yet, Generation Z is comprised of our youth and young adults today and has received very little attention comparatively. Those in Generation Z are among our youngest consumers, students, colleagues, constituents, voters, and neighbors. Being able to better understand who they are and how they see the world can be helpful in effectively working with, teaching, supervising, and leading them. Generation Z: A Century in the Making offers insight into nearly every aspect of the lives of those in Generation Z, including a focus on their career aspirations, religious beliefs and practices, entertainment and hobbies, social concerns, relationships with friends and family, health and wellness, money management, civic engagement, communication styles, political ideologies, technology use, and educational preferences. Drawing from an unprecedented number of studies with higher education research institutions, market research firms such as Pew and Census, other generational researchers and industry leaders, this is the authoritative defining work on Generation Z that market researchers, consumer behaviour specialists, and employers sorely need – and it is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the sociology of generations.

Online Consumer Psychology addresses many of the issues created by the Internet and goes beyond the topic of advertising and the Web to include topics such as customization, site design, word of mouth processes, and the study of consumer decision making while online. The theories and research methods help provide greater insight into the processes underlying consumer behavior in online environments. Broken into six sections, this book: focuses on community and looks at the Internet's ability to bring like-minded individuals from around the world into one forum; examines issues related to advertising, specifically click-through rates and advertising content placed within gaming online and wireless networks; provides readers with reasons why consumers customize products and the benefits of customization; discusses the psychological effects of site design; asks the question of whether the Internet empowers consumers to make better decisions; and discusses research tools that can be used online.

First Published in 2012. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Recent technological progress in computer science, Web technologies, and the constantly evolving information available on the Internet has drastically changed the landscape of search and access to information. Current search engines employ advanced techniques involving machine learning, social networks, and semantic analysis. Next Generation Search Engines: Advanced Models for Information Retrieval is intended for scientists and decision-makers who wish to gain working knowledge about search in order to evaluate available solutions and to dialogue with software and data providers. The book aims to provide readers with a better idea of the new trends in applied research.

In the past two decades, research on electronic commerce and platforms has thrived. Tremendous academic research has been conducted on this specific concept. Over the last decade, with the rise of applications and mobile technology, that stream of research has extended to the collaborative economy, more colloquially known as the sharing economy. The commonality between e-commerce and collaborative consumption being that they both occur online and rely predominantly on platforms. The Handbook of Research on the Platform Economy and the Evolution of E-Commerce is a comprehensive reference book offering a holistic perspective of the platform economy by connecting the e-commerce and collaborative economy streams into a common framework. As such, this integrated perspective offers a clearer understanding of the key trends in research and in managerial action, as well as an agenda for future studies and practice. This handbook emphasizes how the digital transition will create an increased merging between physical and digital activities, as well as the challenges and opportunities pertaining to this trend. Covering topics including sharing economy, Marketing 4.0, and digital applications, this book is essential for marketers, managers, executives, students, researchers, and academicians.