THE IMPACTS OF RELATIONSHIP MARKETING ON RELATIONSHIP QUALITY AND E-LOYALTY ─ TAKING INTERNET-BASED SEARCH-EXPERIENCE-CREDENCE PRODUCTS AS AN EXAMPLE

ABSTRACT
Because Internet shoppers can search and compare offerings worldwide at little or no cost, the Internet is close to a perfect market. Almost free of switching cost, customers would transfer to other sellers easily. It is very important for e-tailers to understand how to retain customers for long-term patronage.
This study suggests the way to build a long-term relationship with customers in a virtual environment, including providing the information about the nature of bonds between consumers and e-tailers, the relationship about relational bonds, relationship quality, and e-loyalty, while determining which bonding strategies may lead to higher relationship quality in different products.
The results suggest that financial, social, and structural bonds have positive impacts on relationship quality and e-loyalty while relationship quality has a positive impact on e-loyalty. In addition, financial bonds are more powerful in affecting relationship quality for search goods/services than for experience and credence goods/services. Social bonds are more important for experience and credence goods/services than for search goods/services in the impact on relationship quality while structural bonds influence relationship quality more greatly for credence goods/service无忧论文 【http://www.uklunwen.com】s than for search and experience goods/services. Finally, the greater the relationship quality between e-tailers and customers, the higher the e-loyalty.

Keyword: Relationship Marketing, Relationship Quality, E-Loyalty