The Consumer Decision Making (CDM) process follows a series of steps which begins with problem recognition, followed by information search, consideration of alternatives, and eventually leads to purchase and evaluation. The presence of the Internet and the growth of e-commerce has led to a significant shift in online search and purchase behavior. Information systems content and design are more personalized and customizable, with the decision-making behavior of consumers segmented into archetypes of sources.
These are characterized by aspects such as intensity of shopping and product knowledge which ultimately affects the manner in which consumers conduct online research and purchase products. High levels of knowledge resulted in lower intensity, while low levels of product knowledge had the opposite effect (Karimi, Papamichail, & Holland, 2015).
Online shopping settings are inherently different from traditional retail, and the approach used during the CDM process depends on certain factors. For example, shopper preference indicates that the presence of sophisticated interactive tools assists shoppers in customizing their digital environment and products. The popularity of these online tools changes the way consumers perceive information about a product and makes subsequent decisions since the feature becomes an interactive decision aid.
In turn, this elicits more engagement from consumers (Dulabh, Vasquez, Ryding, & Casson, 2018). It is also important to note that online CDM processes can differ based on gender differences. Such aspects as interactivity, vividness, and perceived risk are gender-based consumer attitudes and can affect purchasing intentions. For example, the online product presentation had a greater impact on females rather than males. Marketers and designers who are attempting to establish an Internet presence for e-commerce should be gender-aware as these aspects can ultimately influence purchasing decisions (Lin, Featherman, Brooks, & Hajli, 2018).
References
Dulabh, M., Vazquez, D., Ryding, D., & Casson A. (2018). Measuring consumer engagement in the brain to online interactive shopping environments. In T. Jung & T. Mandy (Eds.), Augmented reality and virtual reality (pp. 145-165). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
Karimi, S., Papamichail, K. N., & Holland, C. P. (2015). The effect of prior knowledge and decision-making style on the online purchase decision-making process: A typology of consumer shopping behaviour. Decision Support Systems, 77, 137–147. Web.
Lin, X., Featherman, M., Brooks, S. L., & Hajli, N. (2018). Exploring gender differences in online consumer purchase decision making: An online product presentation perspective. Information Systems Frontiers, 1-15. Web.