The influence of website quality, e-WOM, and e-trust on consumers’ purchase intention

Abstract

The increasingly competitive environment has created challenging marketing conditions for Jordanian real estate companies. This research investigated the effect of website quality (WSQ) and electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) on customer purchase intention in Jordanian real estate companies, with e-Trust as a mediator. The research framework was guided by the Information Systems (IS) Success Model, Social Influence Theory, and the Trust Model. Questionnaires were distributed through Google Forms to respondents selected using purposive sampling, resulting in 310 valid responses. The data were analysed, and the hypotheses were tested using the PLS-SEM method. The findings reveal the significant impact of e-WOM and e-Trust on purchase intention, while website quality did not have a direct effect. e-Trust mediates the relationship between website quality, e-WOM and purchase intention. Theoretically, this study fills gaps in the literature by integrating the IS Success Model, Social Influence Theory and the Trust Model. Practically, the study shows that real estate companies can enhance their online presence and marketing strategies by prioritising e-Trust and leveraging website quality and e-WOM to effectively drive purchase intention.