Factors Affecting Consumers’ Online Purchase Intention through Social Media Platforms in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain

Abstract

Purpose: This paper aims to understand the factors affecting the consumers’ online purchase intention through different social media platforms widely used in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. Methodology: A structured questionnaire was used to measure the influence of perceived risk, social influence, and the social media Apps design and content quality on individuals’ online purchase intention. Data were collected from 171 respondents and analyzed using SPSS software. Findings: The findings indicate that social influence and the social media Apps design and content quality significantly affect consumers’ online purchase intention. In contrast, the perceived risk does not affect the consumers’ online purchase intention. The results also indicated no difference in perception of perceived risk among the respondents, based on age, gender. There was no difference in perception of perceived risk and the social media Apps design and content quality. However, the difference was found in social influence. Originality: This study focused on online purchase intention factors in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain due to the widespread buying of online websites and apps. There are very few studies about this issue in both countries. Research limitations/implications: The research was conducted only in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to other countries. Future studies can also follow a comparative approach, finding differences in the customer intention between both regions.