INTERACTIVE MARKETING AND CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR OF ONLINE JUMIA PRODUCTS IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT: In the digital business environment, concerns about trust, information credibility, and user experience continue to affect purchase decisions, creating challenges for consumer buying behavior despite the proliferation of online platforms. This study investigated the influence of social media marketing, website interactivity, and online customer reviews on consumer buying behavior. A survey research design was employed, with a sample size of 300 online shoppers selected using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to the respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and hypotheses were tested using simple linear regression model. The simple linear regression analysis results revealed that social media marketing has a significant positive effect on consumer buying behavior with (R² = 0.520, F = 150.32, β = 0.312, p < 0.05),  website interactivity has a significant positive effect on consumer buying behavior with (R² = 0.440, F = 112.85, β = 0.285, p < 0.05), online customer reviews and feedback have a significant positive effect and exhibit the highest explanatory power among the variables examine  (R² = 0.590, F = 195.76, β = 0.401, p < 0.05). It was concluded that interactive marketing plays a crucial role in shaping consumer behavior with online customer reviews being the most influential factor. It was recommended that Jumia e-commerce platforms should prioritize online customer review systems, intensify social media engagement and optimize website interactivity to enhance trust and improve purchase decisions.

KEYWORDS: Interactive marketing, Social media marketing, Website interactivity, Online customer reviews and feedback, Consumer buying behavior