Social Word of Mouth: How Trust Develops in the Market

Abstract

Consumer trust is essential for a business to successfully promote new products and services. This paper develops a trust model from a social commerce perspective by investigating the influence of social commerce constructs on consumer trust in new products and services. By using an empirical study, the results of this research indicate that social commerce constructs could be measured using three dimensions; these are recommendations and referrals, ratings and reviews, and forums and communities. Furthermore, social commerce constructs have a significant positive influence on consumer trust in new products and service. Alternatively, social commerce constructs could generate social word of mouth among potential customers regarding new products and services; this in turn can shape consumer trust. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.