Empirical Investigation of Factors Affecting Online Shopping Behavior

Abstract

The Internet is very vital for the marketing of goods and services. In recent times, online shopping has emerged as a complex activity across the globe. In developing countries, such as Nigeria, online shopping has not received adequate recognition due to the risk involved. Therefore, this study aims to examine advertising, online risk, perceived usefulness, and reliability as factors affecting online shopping behavior among subscribers of online stores in Nigeria. This research adopted a quantitative approach in which a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The respondents consist of 375 subscribers of online stores who had prior online shopping experiences from an online store based in Nigeria. The study used Smart-PLS for data analysis. The findings revealed that advertising and perceived usefulness have a significant positive effect on online shopping behavior. On the other hand, online risk has a negative effect on online shopping behavior. Additionally, there is a positive relationship between reliability and online shopping behavior. This research could be a valuable guideline for online firms to make informed decisions on how to increase online sales. Additionally, this research could advance online shoppers’ knowledge, particularly Nigerians, regarding online shopping.

Keywords: Advertising, internet. online risk, online shopping, reliability, shopping behavior