Internet as a source of information in the process of decision making related to purchasing

U vremenu kad je Internet postao dominantan medij i penetrirao u sve aspekte naših života, ni zakoni klasične trgovine više ne vrijede. Trgovina se preselila u virtualni svijet, gdje glas potrošača dobiva veliki značaj. Rad prati tematsko određenje i razvoj online kupovine u svjetskim okvirima, uz kratak osvrt na stanje u Republici Hrvatskoj. Definiraju se ključne prednosti, rizici i nedostaci takvog načina trgovanja. Analizira se uloga i utjecaj Interneta kao determinirajućeg faktora kroz pet faza procesa donošenja odluke o kupovini. Poseban se naglasak stavlja na ulogu Interneta kao dominantnog izvora informacija prilikom kupovine i oblike u kojima se kao takav pojavljuje. Preispituje se teza u kojoj mjeri Internet može biti motivator za potrošača da donese odluku o kupovini. Završni dio rada dodatno istražuje fenomen recenzija kao jednih od trenutno najutjecajnijih nekonvencionalnih formi promocije proizvoda, usluga i brandova, nastalih kao rezultat popularnosti društvenih mreža i udruživanja potrošača putem istih.In the time when Internet became the dominant medium and penetrated into all aspects of our lives, the laws of classical trade no longer apply. The trade has moved to the virtual world, where consumers' voice gains great significance. The paper follows the thematic definition and development of online shopping in the world, with a brief overview of the situation in Croatia. Key advantages, risks and disadvantages of such trading are defined. The role and impact of the Internet as the determining factor through the five phases of the decision-making process is analyzed. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of the Internet as the dominant source of information on purchases and the forms in which it appears. The question is how much the Internet can be a motivator for the consumer to make a purchase decision. The final part of the paper further explores the phenomenon of reviews as one of the most unconventional forms of product, service, and brand promotion, resulting from the popularity of social networks and consumers associating through them.