The effect of promotions on customer purchasing behaviors in electronic commerce websites

The opportunities offered by the internet to access to unlimited information and services have changed conventional commerce, leading to a rapid growth in e- commerce for companies and customers. This transition has also increased the trading volumes of companies in e-commerce and have pushed them to develop their operations. In this context, increasing competition beyond geographical borders has encouraged companies to execute more promotional activities to reach new customers and retain existing ones. While promotional activities were previously carried out based on standard qualifications of individuals such as age, education, gender, income, new promotions consider the perceptions, expectations, and emotions of customers. This study aims to examine the reactions of customers to the sales promotions in trading through online platforms. In the study, we run a survey to 1,000 persons to analyze their expectations from the promotions and the effect of these expectations on the sales. In total, 318 individuals participated in the survey. The results show that women respond more positively to promotions that offer value expressions which make them feel better. People aged 28-29 illustrate more interest in promotions that offer savings, convenience and value expressions compared to people aged 30 and over. Last but the least, people that spend 3 hours or more on the internet daily exhibit more purchasing behavior than those who spent less time.