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- Title
Online Relationship Formation.
- Authors
Kozlenkova, Irina V.; Palmatier, Robert W.; Fang, Eric (Er); Xiao, Bangming; Huang, Minxue
- Abstract
As online shopping evolves from being primarily transactional to being more relational, sellers aim to form online relationships. This article investigates online relationship formation, identifies the performance payoffs that result from forming different types of online relationships (unilateral vs. reciprocal), and tests the most effective relationship-building strategies. Study 1, based on a longitudinal buyer-level analysis of an online shopping community, reveals that buyers use community-, seller-, and buyer-generated signals to identify suitable relationship partners and reduce online shopping risk. These signals generally diminish in importance as buyers gain experience but become more important when buyers are forming reciprocal relationships. Study 2 evaluates the dynamic payoffs of online relationship formation (seller-level analysis) on sales; the effect on sales of reciprocal relationships is three times greater and lasts seven times longer than that of seller-initiated, unilateral relationships. Study 3 is a field experiment testing managerially actionable strategies for leveraging relationships to grow online sales. Tenets arising from differences between online and offline relationships, together with the results from the three studies, inform an emerging theory of online relationships.
- Subjects
ONLINE shopping; CUSTOMER relations; RECIPROCITY (Psychology); ELECTRONIC commerce -- Social aspects; INTERNET marketing; VIRTUAL communities; REPUTATION
- Publication
Journal of Marketing, 2017, Vol 81, Issue 3, p21
- ISSN
0022-2429
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1509/jm.15.0430