Digital Marketing in the Context of Consumer Behaviour in the ICT Industry: The Case Study of the Slovak Republic

Abstract

In Slovakia, a significant increase in spending on digital advertising was recorded in 2021. According to estimates, when compared to spending on other media types, online became the strongest advertising medium for the first time. As part of the analysis of consumer behaviour in the context of digital marketing, the research primarily focused on Slovak companies operating in the retail sector with IT and communication equipment – ICT specialized stores, because electronics is among the most frequently purchased online products by Slovak consumers. In the study, an analysis of consumer behaviour in the context of digital marketing was carried out to detect how respondents perceive selected digital marketing tools, to determine their preferences, attitudes, and reactions within ICT industry. For the purposes of this study, the method of collecting data through a questionnaire was chosen. The questions in the questionnaire were concerned consumer behaviour before purchase and were focused on selected digital marketing tools. The survey was conducted in December 2022 by the CAWI method, on a representative sample of the Slovak population of 391 respondents. The statistical method single proportion by one tailed test as well was used to verify the research assumptions. Based on the results of the consumer behaviour analysis, recommendations were established with the intention to be applied in the practice of Slovak companies in the context of digital marketing in the ICT industry. The fact that almost half of the respondents use the Internet for more than two hours daily presents many opportunities for businesses to appropriately address and engage potential customers through various digital marketing tools. The implementation of proposals should have a positive impact on companies in the ICT sector and their marketing activities. Their pursuance should bring benefits to businesses in the form of increased website traffic, acquisition of new customers, increased demand, profit, and satisfaction of customers.