Consumers online information search behaviors and consumer satisfaction in the decision process of buying household electrical appliances

Technological developments and the widespread use of the internet have created a new source of information. Internet-based systems, which provide practical and fast information, have become online information sources that are frequently used today. Online information sources have been included in the external sources of information, that consumers refer to during the information seeking stage of the purchase decision process. In this study, consumers online information seeking behaviors during the purchase decision process and their satisfaction after the purchase decision were examined. This thesis has been prepared with reference to the proposition that the variables that affect the intensity of online information search of consumers also affect the consumer satisfaction. In the study, a model was created that addresses the relationship between perceived ease of use, perceived online information search skill, online information reliability, purchase involvement with intensity of online information search and consumer satisfaction. Scanning and relational research method was used as the design of the research. For this purpose, an online questionnaire was applied to 730 consumers who purchased household electrical appliances by obtaining information from online information sources. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, percentage) and analysis of the difference between mean values (ANOVA, Munzel-Brunner, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U). In addition, the model examined in the study was revealed by correlation and Structural Equation Model analyzes. In this research, it has been concluded that perceived ease of use, online information reliability and purchase involvement have a positive effect on consumers' intensity of online information search and satisfaction. It has been found that purchase involvement has a greater effect on intensity of online information search and consumer satisfaction than perceived ease of use and online information reliability. Keywords: Online information search, purchase decision, consumer satisfaction