Effect of Digital Literacy, Perceived Risk, and Consumer Confidence on E-Commerce Purchasing Behavior

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 535 - 548, 31.12.2025

Cemalettin Hatipoğlu , Nur Kuban Torun , Rashmi Gujrati , Nazlı Burul

https://doi.org/10.26650/acin.1718897

https://izlik.org/JA88BF49EU

Abstract

This study comprehensively examines the impact of digital literacy on online purchasing behavior. Today’s society consists of individuals who can utilize digitalization in all aspects of their lives due to technological advancements. This digital society has high expectations regarding speed, time savings, and easy access. E-commerce has emerged as the fastest-growing sales channel alongside traditional sales channels, necessitating businesses to enhance their level of digital literacy to effectively compete in this new digital environment. However, consumer trust, privacy, and security have become critical challenges in e-commerce today.

The research was conducted with 405 participants engaged in online shopping in the Bandırma- Erdek region. The data indicate a strong positive relationship between digital literacy and online purchasing behavior. Each dimension of digital literacy, including attitude, technical, cognitive, and numerical literacy, positively influences online purchasing behavior. The findings reveal that each unit increase in digital literacy corresponds to a 76.9% increase in online purchasing behavior.

In conclusion, DL significantly affects online shopping behavior, and this situation is crucial for shaping businesses’ digital marketing strategies. Furthermore, the study concludes that enhancing digital literacy will positively influence consumer behaviors and contribute to e-commerce development. This research demonstrates that digital literacy is of vital importance not only for individuals but also for businesses.

Keywords

Digital Literacy , Online Purchasing Behavior , E-Commerce , Security and Privacy , Consumer Decisions , Digital Marketing

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