Digital presence of companies: consumer social interaction and the purchase decision

This research aimed to verify the importance, in the purchase decision, of com-ments, recommendations, ratings and opinions about products/services available online. Also, aimed to analyze whether the frequency of use of the internet and social networks, in the search for information, as well how the importance of this information in the purchase decision process is independent of gender. To this end, a quantitative and cross-sectional study was developed based on a non-probabilistic sample of 1068 Portuguese consumers. The analysis of the results showed that most consumers, before making a purchase, frequently seek infor-mation about products/services and companies, as they consider the recommenda-tions, ratings and opinions issued by other consumers about a particular prod-uct/service to be relevant. The most reliable sources were specialized websites, company websites, blogs/review sites and Google ratings. The quality and variety of products/services offered by the company and the opinion of other consumers about companies and the products/services offered were the most searched online information by respondents. On the other hand, the results showed that gender is a differentiator factor of the frequency of use of the internet and social networks concerning the information about products/services, as well as regarding the im-portance of this information in the purchase decision process. Consumers, due to the ease of access, are increasingly using online tools to obtain and share infor-mation about products and services, before, during and after purchasing a particu-lar product/service. It is up to companies to adjust communication strategies in order to satisfactorily respond to the consumer’s needs.